Wrong Place

Right Time

By Jamie Lee

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 1

Walter Williams was your normal boy growing up. He was bostrius, curious, adventurous, and had more energy than the sun itself. Girls had cooties. When frogs were found they were carried home in the front pocket of his jeans, never mind the discovery during wash day scared the bejesus out of his mom, Terry Williams. And never, ever, let a girl kiss you. ‘Cause then you’d get cooties too.’ He played football with the guys, and baseball, and anything else. And when he came home his mom would just “tsk tsk tsk,” upon seeing how dirty he and his clothes were. He also ended up taking more baths than he wanted.

There was only one, small, problem. Walter had the uncanny knack of being in the wrong place at the right time. Take for instance the time in first grade, just after he peed and went to the sink to wash his hands. For some reason the tubing going from the water shut off valve to the faucet decided it didn’t want to be friends anymore with the shut off valve. So, it broke the connection, and poor Walter was drenched by the time the janitor arrived, thanks to Walter’s screams, and closed the valve.

Or the time a few weeks later as Walter was walking down the hall at school, and the valve on a fire extinguisher failed at the exact time Walter was next to it. Walter ended up looking like a snowman. Or in second grade, again just after Walter used the toilet, and as he was washing his hands, the head of the arm on the faucet broke, and Walter looked like he just jumped into a pool with all his clothes on. Or the time his third grade class went out for recess. Walter was last in line, but got distracted by something on the science bulletin board. Before he knew it, everyone was outside except him. He took two steps out of the door and a careless workman, working above, knocked over a bucket of pink paint and the paint fell and hit Walter just as though it was all planned; that workman thought all the kids had passed by when no more kids came out of the building, and started painting again.

These are just a few examples of the events Walter encountered during his time in school, eventually causing the other students to keep their heads on a swivel when they were with Walter. And Terry’s reaction to all these events? “Tsk tsk tsk…” And out of school was no better, though those incidents were shrugged off as boys being boys.

Walter and some of the boys were building a treehouse out in the woods. It hadn’t rained in several weeks, so there shouldn’t have been a muddy spot anywhere near the boys’ construction site. But there was one, and Walter found it. He was looking at something near that spot, when he heard a cracking sound, looked up and saw a tree branch falling toward him, causing Walter to jump back. Right into the mud. And as he tried to step out of the mud his foot slipped, and he landed face first in the mud. And when he tried to get up he slipped again and landed flat on his back in the mud. Each time he tried standing he’d end up back on his face or flat on his back. He eventually got out of that mud by crawling on his hands and knees until he reached terra firma.

And when his mom saw him?

Terry was standing at the kitchen sink, looking out of the windows above the sink, when she saw movement in the woods behind their house, but couldn’t make out who, or what it was. Her patience was rewarded by seeing a boy walk out of the woods, heading for her house. Then the light went on, it was Walter. And he was a mess, covered from head to toe with mud. Again it was “tsk tsk tsk,” before Terry walked from the kitchen through the mud room and out the back door. When Walter was a few feet from her she held up her hand then said, “Whoa there, buster. Don’t come any closer. What happened this time?”

Walter started laughing before he started telling his mom what happened. “Well, where we were building our treehouse there happened to be a muddy spot nearby. While the guys were pulling some things up into a tree, I spotted something that interested me. I was looking at it when I heard this cracking sound, and looked up to see a branch falling toward me. Well I sure didn’t want to get hit so I jumped back, and landed in that muddy spot. Right then, the only thing muddy was my shoes. But when I took a step to get out of that mud, my foot slipped and I landed on my face. I tried to stand up again but again slipped and fell flat on my back. This all happened a couple of times before I decided it was best not to stand, and just crawled out of that mud.”

Terry eyed Walter for a few moments before telling him, “Stay right there and take off your shoes and socks.” She watched as Walter sat down in the grass and started taking off his shoes and socks. Terry turned and walked to a small garden shed behind the house, opened the door, rummaged around inside for a bit, then came back out carrying a nozzle for the garden hose. She walked over to where the garden hose lay, picked up the end, screwed on the nozzle, turned on the water and walked back where Walter was now standing. “Alright, mudman, arms straight out to your sides and close your eyes,” Terry told him before opening the end of the nozzle until it was a medium force spray. Staying back so she wouldn't get sprayed with muddy water, Terry started at the top of Walter and hosed him all the way to the ground. Seeing he needed more mud removed, and that he was now standing in mud, she instructed him to, “Take three steps to your right.”

The hose down and then move happened three more times until Terry was satisfied she had hosed all of the mud off Walter’s hair, head, hands and feet. But there was underneath all the, now, sopping wet clothing she questioned. It took a lot to embarrass Walter so when she told him, “Okay, take everything off except your underwear.” Walter took three steps to his right, on his own, before first pulling his T-shirt up over his head. He then unzipped his jeans, then popped the snap at the top, but had to sit down to take them all the way off because they were so wet he could only get the bunched up mess down to his knees. Once the jeans were off, Terry set the nozzle to a gentler spray and again hosed Walter down; he was almost as muddy underneath his clothing. He side-stepped a couple of times until Terry proclaimed him fit to enter HER house, and head straight to the bathroom for a good washing in the tub. Terry did have Walter wait until she shut off the water for the hose and got a towel so he could dry off as much as possible before he went into the house and headed to the bathroom. Terry did help Walter clean himself by helping clean his ears, after bringing him clean everything. Walter had put the washcloth over his groin, but Terry just chuckled and told him, “Son, I’ve seen what you carry down there. Remember, I gave birth to you.” Walter just laughed as he handed Terry the washcloth so she could give his ears a good cleaning.

Another time he was playing football with the other boys, and suddenly disappeared from the field. It didn’t take the others long to see what happened, as Walter had found the only soft spot on that field. And while standing on it, it collapsed under him, dropping him two feet deeper than his height of 4 feet 6 inches.

Or the time he was out riding his bike. He had biked to a park just a few blocks from his house, and stopped to get a drink of water from a drinking fountain. There was a shed near the drinking fountain, so Walter leaned his bike against it instead of laying it on the ground. After getting his drink he lifted his bike to get it away from the shed so he could get on and ride home. Just as he lifted his bike, the front wheel, back wheel and chain fell off. He was able to put everything back on and finger tighten the nuts for the wheels, but ended up walking his bike back home. And Terry’s reaction? Right, “tsk tsk tsk.” After this incident, Walter started carrying a few tools with him any time he rode his bike.

However, all these experiences would pale in comparison to how his life was going to be thrown into a tizzy once he reached his freshman year in high school. And mom was going to have more to say than just, “tsk tsk tsk.” Much more.

A person would think after all he experienced and being laughed at because of it all, Walter would have created a thick defensive wall around himself. But the opposite happened, he laughed along with the others, cracking wise each time something happened. Laughing at himself after each incident helped him be more accepted by the other students and kids he knew. They actually admired him for not flying off the handle and just accepting what happened. It would also be what helps him get through something that was going to happen a few days into his freshman science class. Something that would show him and everyone else who Walter’s true friends were.

Walter didn’t know it, or had even considered it, but he had an admirer who became enamored with him during middle school; this actually started in elementary/grade school. The reason Walter never noticed her was due to his having more fun doing all the things he liked than having a personal relationship with a girl. Plus, while he was all boy, and although the other boys had started noticing girls, and talking about them, the subject never seemed to interest Walter in any way. He did meet her, one day during their eighth grade art class, just after he had another run in with an encounter.

The art teacher, Mr. Steve Combs, was trying to teach the students how to paint using watercolors. He showed them pictures of some of the best watercolors ever done, before starting to explain the proper technique and demonstrating everything he told them. Once he was through explaining and demonstrating, he had everyone get the needed supplies out of the supply cabinet and do their best to paint the still life they saw in the middle of the circled desks. Each student had a small container of water to rinse off their brushes, plus an assortment of brushes and paints they could use. For their first try, Mr. Combs only wanted to make sure they understood that a little water went a long way when using watercolor paints, but was pleasantly surprised when he saw very passable pictures emerge of the chair with a bowl of fruit sitting in the seat of the chair.

Because Mr. Combs had heard from the janitor about clogged sink drain pipes, from pouring rinse water or anything else down the sink drain, they had come up with a way to filter everything non-flammable so all large particles were filtered out as the liquid was poured down the sink drain. With ten minutes to go before the first bell, Mr. Combs told the students it was time to clean up and instructed them where to pour their rinse water before rinsing out their containers. The janitor had come up with a fine mesh filter which they found did an excellent job filtering out the large particles that were the reason for the clogged sink drain pipes. The filter was stretched over a five gallon bucket which was placed on a table near the sink.

As usual, Walter was distracted by what he was doing and had to rush to clean up, pour out his rinse water and rinse out the container. He finished putting his paints and brushes away and was hurrying to pour out his rinse water when right as he reached the table with the five gallon bucket on it, he hit a previously unknown slick spot on the floor. He hit the floor on his back, and slid into the table so hard that the force of the collision toppled the five gallon bucket. As Walter looked up from the floor he watched as that five gallon bucket tipped over in his direction, and its contents gave him a bath. The collision of Walter and the table grabbed Mr. Combs’ attention, causing him to almost run from the other end of the classroom to make sure no one was hurt. As he hurried to inspect any damage he started hearing laughter, something he wasn’t expecting. When he reached the location of the laughter he saw Walter lying on the floor, drenched with water and laughing. Mr. Combs told Walter to stay where he was and called the school nurse using the phone on his desk. The nurse came into the classroom, out of breath, gave Walter a good examination, asked him a few questions and pronounced him no worse for wear. The nurse and Mr. Combs had Walter stay where he was while they used paper towels to clean up the spilt water, before helping him to his feet; they didn’t want him to slip again. And as usual, Walter cracked wise as he said, looking down at his shirt, “Guess the next time I want a tie dyed shirt I better take it off first.” It had the desired effect of causing the nurse and Mr. Combs to chuckle and the kids to laugh. The nurse then took Walter back to her office in order to help him clean up and to dry the clothes he was wearing.

Marge Stillman had been in the same class with Walter since both started school eight years ago. She always felt bad for Walter every time something happened to him but never had the chance to help when something did happen. This time, she had been sitting at the end of a table that allowed her to watch as everything unfolded. She watched Walter’s feet slip out from under him, as he fell to the floor and slid into the table, and watched as the five gallon bucket tipped over and dumped the water all over Walter. She also watched as Walter started to laugh, that lovely laugh he did when things happened to him. She loved his laugh, and secretly loved him, and had for some years. He’d always been kind to her, helped her when she asked, but nothing she could do ever got Walter’s attention enough to be more than friends. Marge wasn’t going to give up, though. She was going to win Walter’s heart if it was the last thing she ever did. And like Walter, she didn’t know how much Walter was going to need not only her help, but her friendship as well in the next few months. And her desire for more than friendship? She would have some decisions to make when Walter needed her the most.

Walter turned out to be an excellent student, because he loved to learn and was curious about almost everything. So it was no surprise to his mom and dad, Terry and Shelby Williams, or anyone, when Walter passed from elementary school with top grades. Or out of middle school, Junior High, with top grades. Now he was entering high school as a freshman, and, besides his classmates, was known by many of the students because of the past events they witnessed. Those who didn’t know Walter were told by those who did to keep their eyes moving at all times if they were with Walter. And if something looked funny, run, because it was going to hit Walter. And if a new person asked Walter about those events, he would laugh and tell the whole story. And continue to laugh right along with that new person. He was not ashamed or embarrassed by any of those events.

Walter’s first day as a freshman in high school was kind of hectic, learning where all his classes were and his hall locker. And making sure he had all the required books, or the books the bookstore said he needed for each class. His first class was freshman science, with Mrs. Brigette Stokes, one of the best liked teachers in school, Walter discovered later. Freshman science was basically an introductory class which covered Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. None of the sections were covered in depth, but it was felt by the school board that introducing each topic would help the students when they actually took each of those classes. Once the second bell rang, Mrs. Stokes closed the classroom door, took out her grade book and called roll. Only one student found out they were in the wrong first period science class and left to walk next door to the correct science class. After taking roll, Mrs. Stokes laid down the law as to conduct while in class. Telling the students, “A lot of things in this class can hurt you if you clown around while using them. First person I see clowning around goes to see the Principal, and will be assigned to a new science class. Next, anytime you are doing any class lessons and using anything more than your textbooks, you WILL wear safety glasses or goggles. And if you are handling any chemicals, you WILL wear protective gloves as well. Also, do NOT sniff any chemical you are working with, I don’t want to explain to the Principal, or to your parents, why you had to go to the hospital. Or even worse, why you died.” That last statement of Mrs. Stokes had the effect she wanted, everyone gasped at the thought of dying at school. She then showed them the emergency shower and eyewash station and told the students what they were for and when, and how, to use each one.

For the rest of the period, she went over the textbook and made sure everyone had one, and the correct one. She then explained how part of the class would be lecture, questions and answers, and part hands on lessons. She told them how many tests there’d be and that they’d cover the material covered in class and the textbook. She then took everyone back to the supply room, giving out either safety glasses, or goggles for those with glasses, for them to keep in their own bin in the classroom. In the supply room she pointed out the glass equipment they’d use, and the name of each item. She showed them the other items they’d use during their classroom lessons. Mrs. Stokes then showed them the chemicals they’d use, and how to treat each one when using it, warning them again about not clowning around when using them. Once Mrs. Stokes finished explaining everything in the supply room, she had everyone take off their eye protection and return to their seats, where they started the dreaded, “Hi, I’m…” and explained a bit about themselves until the first bell rang.

Brigette Stokes was pleased with the bunch of freshman students she had this year for her first period science class. They all seemed level headed and interested in the class. But Brigette Stokes knew nothing about the problems Walter Williams often encountered, no one had bothered to tell her. She was going to learn, though, within a very few days. In a very few days, Walter was going to experience a life changing event that no one would ever forget.

Walter had made it through third period and took time to use the boys’ restroom between classes. As he was sitting on the toilet something caused a big surge of water to come out of the drain pipes for the toilets, something that should NOT have happened. The other boys heard the sound of the rushing water and then a scream, followed by a deep throated laughter, as the door to the stall Walter was in opened and everyone saw a completely soaked Walter walk out of the stall. Laughing his head off. Of course the other boys had to laugh along with him, it wasn’t every day they could laugh at someone’s misfortune. Or with someone because of their misfortune. One of the boys went for a teacher, who then called the Principal and reported what happened. Walter was then taken to the boys locker room where he was given soap and a towel, and told to shower and wait while his mom brought him clean clothes and shoes. A teacher stayed with Walter to make sure he was alright, and found it strange to see Walter laughing instead of ranting because of what happened to him.

After cleaning up, and getting clean clothes and shoes, Walter made it to the last fifteen minutes of his fourth period class, American History. He gave the note from the Principal to Miss Dunkin, which explained why Walter was late. Of course, student drums had already relayed news about the event, so everyone in class knew; those who knew about Walter’s past weren’t surprised by what happened. Miss Dunkin told Walter to take one of the empty seats and to see her right after class, she had some material to give him. And class continued where it left off when Walter walked into the class.

The rest of the day went well for Walter, and anyone with him. And when he got home from school that afternoon, his mom only said, “Tsk tsk tsk.” And shook her head, before hugging him and asking if he was okay. When he replied he was, she kissed him on the cheek before telling him to go work on any homework he had before dinner. As she watched him walk down the hall to his bedroom, she wondered, not for the first time, why all these things happened to Walter. And if they would ever put him into the hospital. Little did she know that thought would come to fruition at school in a few days. And change the family’s life forever.

Walter’s second day at high school started off without any incidents through all of his morning classes. Those who knew of Walter’s proclivity for being in the wrong place at the right time kept watching for the next event to occur. When one didn’t occur during the morning classes, they thought the entire day would be event free. Everything that had happened to Walter happened while in class or in the school hallway. Nothing had ever happened anywhere else in school.

Because Walter made it through the morning without another event, those familiar with Walter’s misfortune stopped paying attention to him when he walked into the cafeteria and got in line to buy his lunch. Everything was fine up to the point when Walter paid for the spaghetti, mixed salad, and iced tea he’d chosen for lunch. It was after he paid that things went into the air. Another boy had paid for his lunch before Walter, and after paying for his lunch, Walter naturally followed behind the other boy to find a place to sit. About ten feet past the cashier the boy in front of Walter took a step, and that foot shot out from under him. The boy’s legs went forward, his torso went backwards, and as he fell backwards, the tray he was carrying was thrown backwards, causing the tray’s contents to fly backwards as well. It was like a catapult, as everything on that tray flew through the air and hit Walter in the chest and face. And the noise in the cafeteria suddenly died, as everyone’s attention was drawn to Walter. There Walter stood, spaghetti and meat sauce on his face, in his hair, and sliding down the front of his shirt. And the other boy lying flat on his back on the floor.

Those who’d seen these types of events just shook their heads. Those who were witnessing a Walter event for the first time weren’t prepared for what others knew would happen. Those first timers had often seen someone go nuts with anger when something happened to them. But they were shocked when Walter started laughing, and continued to laugh as he sat his tray down on a nearby table and helped the other boy get to his feet, asking, “Are you alright?” When the other boy said he was okay, just embarrassed, Walter told him, “You sure are a good shot,” and started laughing again. The other boy couldn’t help himself and laughed along with Walter. As did those in the cafeteria. Walter gave the boy his lunch, cleaned himself off the best he could, then paid for another spaghetti, mixed salad, and iced tea. He made sure no one was in front of him as he found an empty spot just past the cashier, sat down and ate his lunch. And if you guessed what Terry said when Walter got home and she saw his spaghetti stained shirt, you’d be right. “Tsk tsk tsk.”

Brigetti always liked to cover the Chemistry section first, then Physics and Biology last. Chemistry and Physics always seemed to keep the interest of the students, since Biology could get dry sometimes if it wasn’t an interest to the student. And she always started off with a demonstration of combining baking soda and vinegar. And as usual, the container she was going to use was a paper model of a volcano.

After she took the roll she asked, “Can anyone tell me what Sodium Bicarbonate is called in everyday language?” As she waited to see if anyone could, or would, answer, she put on a pair of safety glasses and disposal gloves. “Anyone?” Brigette asked when no one initially answered. A rather sheepish looking boy in the back of the class slowly raised his hand and said, “Um...baking soda?” Brigette knew of the boy and his problem with expressing himself in class. She reached under her lab table, pulled out a few hard candies, walked back where Danny was sitting, laid the candy on his desk before saying, “Correct, Danny Borden.” Brigette walked back to the front of the class, picked up a stoppered bottle with liquid in it and asked, “How about the common name for Acetic Acid? And not you this time, Danny.” Danny smiled and turned a light shade of pink because of what Brigette said to him. “Oh, come on, you or your moms or dads may use this on salads.” A girl sitting to Brigette’s right said in an exuberant voice, “It’s vinegar.” Again Brigette reached under her lab table, pulled out the hard candies and placed them on the girl’s desk. “You got it, Tonya Springer.”

Brigette walked behind her lab table, bent down and took out a model of a volcano. “Now, can anyone tell me what happens when you mix baking soda, or Sodium Bicarbonate, and vinegar, or acetic acid, together?” As she waited for an answer, she poured some of the baking soda into the top of the volcano model. About five different answers hit her ears at the same time; they all said the same thing but in different ways. Brigette knew who the five were, she’d been keeping an eye on her students as she poured in the baking soda. She pulled out the bag of hard candy from under her lab table and walked around the room handing out a few pieces to each who’d given an answer. “That’s right, if you pour vinegar into baking soda you’re going to get a lot of foam. Does anyone know what’s actually produced as a result of that combination.” She saw Dany start to raise his hand, he actually should be in chemistry right now but it wasn’t allowed. Stupid fools, Brigette thought to herself. “No one? Okay, Danny, you started raising your hand. What’s the answer?” As Brigette watched, Danny swallowed hard before saying, “Um...um...Carbonic Acid and Sodium Acetate?” Danny received more hard candy.

Brigette went on to explain what never to do with the two chemicals because someone could get seriously hurt. She then told the students she already put baking soda in the volcano model and as they watched, she poured the vinegar in the bottle into the top of the volcano model. As the students watched, lots of foam bubbled out of the top of the model and down the sides. And as happened in past classes, the students were awed by the sight. She then started explaining about the chemical reaction they all had just seen, going on to molecules, atoms, and covalent bonds. She also wrote out the chemical equation for the combining of baking soda and vinegar, and the results, before giving them reading assignments for the next day, telling them they’d be doing a hands-on experiment during the first part of class, just as the first bell rang.

Walter’s second period class, algebra, was just down the hall from his science class. He turned right after leaving the science class, had walked right up to where the entrance for the other science class was, and walked right into the door to that class as someone threw it open. Everyone in the hallway heard the thud, and saw Walter sitting on the floor, dazed a bit, but laughing nonetheless. The thud was so loud even Brigette heard it and came rushing out of her class to see what had happened; as did the teacher for that science class. When both teachers reached Walter he had a big knot on his forehead where the door hit him and was laughing. The teacher of that classroom phoned the nurse, who came and made sure Walter wasn’t otherwise hurt before helping him up off the floor and taking him to the school infirmary. Of course the Principal was notified, as was Terry, and both the nurse and the Principal insisted Walter be taken to the emergency room to make sure he was alright. So much for his algebra class. Walter was back at school by third period, and no worse for wear. Except for the big knot in the middle of his forehead.

And yes, when Terry first walked into the school infirmary she was shocked by the large knot on her son’s forehead. And after sitting down on the bed beside him, asking if he was okay, and getting Walter’s usual, “Yeah, sure, mom, I’m fine,” she kissed him on the cheek before shaking her head and saying, “tsk tsk tsk.”

The doctors in emergency had performed a scan on Walter’s head, found nothing wrong and told Terry Walter might experience headaches for a while, and to use whatever they used for headaches. And, if he started acting differently to get him back to the hospital immediately. So when Walter got home from school that afternoon, Terry had Walter take a couple of headache tablets, just in case, made sure he was okay, then sent him up to his room to start work on his homework before dinner. Walter didn’t see his mom in the kitchen wiping tears off her cheeks. Knowing things could have been a lot worse than they were.

tbc
Chapter 2

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life changing.

Chapter 2

Walter’s third day of high school started as the other days had started. He slapped the alarm clock quiet at 6:30 a.m., got out of bed and shuffled to the bathroom to do all he needed to do before getting dressed, making his bed, and after grabbing his backpack, heading to the kitchen for breakfast. At 7:15 a.m. he was standing at the pick up point for the school bus, along with about fifteen other students. If the other students looked a bit nervous being around Walter, they had good reason. They’d all seen what could happen to Walter and didn’t want to be near him if/when it happened. But their fears were premature, as the school bus arrived, they and Walter were still in one piece, and when everyone was aboard the school bus, the school bus driver guided the school bus nicely down all the streets until they arrived safe and sound at school. It was rather interesting, though, right after the bus stopped in front of the high school and the bus driver opened the door, a race began to see how fast everyone could get away from where Walter was sitting on the bus. Or where they knew he’d go right after Walter got off the bus. They were not taking any chances.

When most of the students arrived at school they’d head to their hall lockers to swap out books and grab whatever other things they’d need for the classes they’d have up to their lunch period. Some would wait until the first bell rang before doing this, causing some upset feelings as they’d rush by and bump into others going to class. Walter had always been of the former group, often to be found afterwards either standing by his first period class or already sitting in the classroom. When Mrs. Stokes arrived at her classroom, she found Walte leaning up against the wall reading his science textbook.

“Ah Walter, good morning. How are you doing today after you and that door met?” Brigette could still see the knot on Walter’s forehead, though it wasn’t as pronounced as it had been yesterday. Walter chuckled, rubbed the knot and told Brigette, “Well, better than I was yesterday, though it’s still sore where the door and I met. And I don’t have a headache today.” And then to lighten the mood a bit he said, “Yeah know, I don’t mind meeting a door, but I’d wish they wooden be so quick to make my acquaintance.” It took Brigette a few moments to realize Walter had said ‘wooden’ instead of ‘wouldn’t.’ She rolled her eyes, shook her head and told Walter, “Walter, that was really terrible.” They both laughed, then Walter followed Mrs. Stokes into his first period science class. Just as the first bell rang.

A couple of students came rushing into Brigette’s science class just as the second bell began to ring. She waited until they were seated before taking roll. What had surprised everyone as they had taken their seats, were the few pieces of hard candy sitting on the desk tops. Brigette had even provided sugar free candy for those who had to watch their sugar intake, she didn’t want anyone left out. “Alright everyone, before you spoil your breakfast with what you found on your desk tops, don’t. Put those candies away for another time. Now, today we’re going to do our first hands on experiment, and you’ll need to have your thinking caps with you for this one.” Brigette had seen several start to unwrap the candies she’d given them, and watched several rewrap the pieces they’d almost put into their mouths. Once everyone had put the candy into their pockets or purses, Brigette continued with, “Remember we talked about molecules and atoms yesterday? And that when you combine two chemicals there is a specific result? Well, today, you’re going to be combining H₂O and C₂H₆O. Not yet Danny,” Brigette told him as he had anticipated her next question and started to raise his hand. “Does anyone besides Danny know what H₂O and C₂H₆O are called in common terms?” This time several hands were raised, Walter’s included. “Okday, Walter, you’ve been quiet these past two days. Let’s see if your meeting with that door caused any lasting effects.” Brigette had seen some kids go red in the face when she’d bring up something that happened to them. But after she saw how Walter reacted yesterday she felt she could tease him a bit. Walter did laugh before telling Mrs. Stokes, “Well, Mrs. Stokes, that door didn’t grain any knowledge from me so the answer to your question is Water and Alcohol.” The class was silent, digesting what Walter just said. When his play on words caught on there were groans and candy flying in Walter’s direction. Even Brigette had rolled her eyes and shook her head before telling him in a deadpan voice, “Walter, that one was worse than your first one.”

Once Brigette had settled everyone back down, she had them turn to a page in their textbooks. She had them look at a small experiment on that page, one that told what glass equipment they’d need and the amount of water and alcohol they’d need. She also directed their attention to the question that followed the instructions for the experiment, telling them, “I don’t want you to speculate at the results now, but write down your thoughts just before you pour the alcohol into the water. Remember to put on your safety glasses or goggles, and you’ll find everything you need in the supply room already marked for this experiment. Remember what I said about clowning around. Okay, let’s go do some chemistry, shall we?” And with Brigette’s last question, everyone walked over to their assigned bin, took out their own eye protection then lined up to get what they needed from the supply room. Walter, of course, found something fascinating in the material he’d been reading, and was reading it now when he heard Brigette say, “Walter, you going to join us today?” Walter’s head snapped up, and looking around him, found the seats vacant and everyone lined up for the supply room. He chuckled then told Brigette, “Sorry, Mrs. Stokes, just reading something I found interesting in our textbook.” He got up from his seat, grabbed his eye protection from his assigned bin, and became tail end Charlie in the line for the supply room.

Brigette had told everyone which shelf the stoppered bottles of alcohol were on and there was enough for each person to have one bottle. Finding the milliliter beakers they would use didn’t require her instructions. Brigette had divided her attention to what each student took out of the supply room and having them take any lab table space that was vacant. As the students started filling their beakers with the required amount of water, Brigette lost track of the one student still in the supply room, Walter, as she made sure each student put on a pair of disposable gloves before removing the stopper from the bottle with the alcohol in it.

Walter had picked up the correct size beaker but when he looked on the shelf for the bottle of alcohol, he found it empty. He started looking at the other shelves and saw one bottle on the top shelf of the cabinet that should have been for inert chemicals only. Walter had always been self reliant, so the thought of talking to Mrs. Stokes never crossed his mind. He sat the beaker back down on the shelf it came from and stood back to determine how he could get to that one bottle of alcohol. He tested the height of the second shelf by lifting his leg and placing it on that shelf. “That will work,” he muttered to himself, as he grabbed the sides of the cabinet carcass with both hands, stepped up onto the second shelf and pulling himself up against all of the shelves, let go with his right hand and reached up and took the bottle off the top shelf.

Brigette had been helping one student who was having trouble removing the glass stopper from the bottle, when she heard a terrible crash coming from the supply room. A sudden thought struck Brigette and she quickly scanned the students at the various lab tables. Walter was missing. Some of the students closest to the supply room had started walking toward the room when they heard Brigette yell, “EVERYONE! STAY WHERE YOU ARE. PUT EVERYTHING DOWN, PUT THE STOPPERS BACK IN THE BOTTLE OF ALCOHOL, AND GO BACK TO YOUR SEATS!” When some stood where they were she hollered, “NOW!” After her last order, and seeing the look on her face, no one stayed where they were any longer than it took for the student in front of them to move.

When Brigette saw everyone, except Walter, had returned to their seats, she quickly made her way to the supply room, hoping it wasn’t as bad as it sounded. When she reached the door to the supply room she froze, as she saw Walter lying at the bottom of the cabinet carcass on his right side. As she surveyed the scene, she heard Walter moan, but also saw him covered in broken glass, broken shelving, and a mixture of all the inert chemicals that were stored on the shelves of that cabinet. She turned to the wall on her left, lifted the receiver of the phone on the wall and dialed the nurse, telling her when she answered, “Code RED in Science Classroom 1, Code RED in Science Classroom 1.” There was no need for her to hear what the nurse replied because it was a well rehearsed action plan for any accidents in any of the science classes. The teacher called the nurse, the nurse immediately called the office and repeated the Code. The office then called the paramedics who would bring the ambulance and make their way to the appropriate classroom; the rescue services had been given the school layout, with every classroom listed.

Part of the emergency plan called for getting the students out of the classroom, so Brigette went back out to the classroom portion of the room and told everyone, “I want you all to pick up your things and go out into the hall. Quickly now, I need all of you to hurry.” She waved off questions and almost screamed at a few who thought they had a right to know what happened. Eventually all of her students were out in the hallway when she told them, “Follow me, quickly.” She led them to the next door Science Classroom, and not bothering to knock, opened the door and told Bobbi Abbernathy, “Code RED!” Bobbi then turned to her class and told them, “Alright everyone, listen closely. There’s been an emergency in Mrs. Stokes class, so her students will be in with us until the first bell rings. I want everyone to behave themselves while they are here. All of you have reading to do so you can get busy reading. Mrs. Stokes, have your students sit at the lab stations in the back of the class. And if there aren’t enough seats they can sit on the tables.” Bobbi took over the responsibility for Brigette’s students, as Brigette ran from the classroom and back to hers. Once in her classroom she grabbed a rubber apron and chemical resistant gloves before going back into the supply room. Just as she stepped into the supply room, the nurse came running into the classroom, carrying an emergency kit doctors and emergency personnel suggested they have on hand. She too put on a rubber apron and chemical resistant gloves before following Brigette into the supply room.

Walter was moaning louder than when Brigette first saw him, which was good, but there was still the problem of the broken glass, shelving, and all the chemicals. The nurse went over to where Walter lay, got down on the floor, mindful of all the glass, and checked to make sure Walter didn’t have any broken bones. “Poor kid,” she said aloud, as she saw the lump on his forehead that had gone down. “Brigette, get a broom so we can get this broken glass on the floor out our way, so neither of us gets cut while getting him out of here.” Brigette didn’t move an inch, just reached around the door frame of the supply room door and pulled the broom back into the room. She handed it to the nurse who quickly swept everything she saw aside. Then the ladies went to work carefully pulling out the broken shelving laying next to and on Walter. Once the broken shelving was out of the way they worked on getting the bigger pieces of broken glass off him. Once those two steps were done, both women carefully lifted a dazed Walter to his feet and hurriedly took him to the emergency shower in the corner of the lab area. The two women had just got Walter, clothes and all, under the water when two paramedics came into the classroom. Since no one had said why the Code Red, and the two paramedics weren’t dressed for chemical problems, it was decided by the four to let the women continue holding Walter under the shower to make sure he was well rinsed off. Walter had started coming around as he was held under the spray of the shower, and bit by bit felt his clothing being taken off. For modesty they left his underwear on but handed over his clothing to the paramedics to be bagged and tagged.

As they took each piece of clothing off Walter, they could better see where he’d been cut by the glass. Some of the cuts were superficial, while others were quite deep and would need stitches. Even though those deep cuts were bleeding, they had to wait to be treated until they were sure all the chemicals were rinsed off Walter’s body. When the nurse said, “That’s enough time,” one of the paramedics turned off the water, while her partner found the towels used for emergency showers. The two paramedics had gloved up and while Brigette and the nurse held Walter up, the paramedics dried Walter enough to get him out of the shower and down on the floor, on more towels, so he could be treated.

The Principal had arrived by then, and Brigette and the nurse went over to talk with him while the paramedics worked on Walter. One of the paramedics got on his two-way and within a few minutes a fireman had brought in a gurney that would be used to take Walter out to the waiting ambulance.

.

Peter Stepel, the high school’s Principal, was as cool as a cucumber when it came to a crisis. He’d put in his time in some of the worst places people would ever see, and saw things he’d just as soon not talk about. “Brigette, what happened? How did Walter get hurt this time?” His eyes bored into Brigette’s eyes with more love and concern than anger and hate. “Peter...I...I really don’t know to be honest with you. I was helping a student with a problem she was having with a bottle of alcohol when I heard a loud crash. When I went into the supply room Walter was laying on his right side at the bottom of the cabinet carcass. It was the cabinet that held the inert chemicals. I immediately phoned nurse Bailey with a Code RED, got the other students out of the room, Dorothy checked Walter for broken bones before we moved him into the emergency shower and the paramedics arrived.”

Peter looked over where the paramedics were still working on Walter, covering the deeper cuts to stop the bleeding and stifle further contamination. He also noticed they had started Walter on an IV, likely a saline solution, if his memory served. “Let’s go see if we can’t figure out what happened. I guess we won’t know for sure until we can talk to Walter.” The three walked into the supply room and began looking closely at the shelving to see if they might give up a clue as to why they broke. There was going to be a thorough investigation because of the accident, and if they didn’t find anything then maybe the investigators would. As Brigette and Peter were looking at the broken shelving, Dorothy found something that struck her as funny. “Um, Brigette, why is there an unbroken bottle of alcohol there amongst everything else?” Brigette and Peter stopped looking at the broken shelving to look where Dorothy was pointing. There on the bottom left hand side of the cabinet carcass was one of the bottles of alcohol her students were to use for today’s experiment. Brigette looked at the shelf where that alcohol should have been, then back at that bottle of alcohol, then up and down that cabinet carcass, before saying, “I think someone put that bottle up on the top shelf of this cabinet. There couldn’t have been any way it went from that shelf,” and she pointed to the shelf where it should have been, “and end up there. Unbroken. I’m thinking Walter thought he could stand on one of those shelves and reach that bottle.” And Brigette was exactly right, Walter had stood on a shelf, thinking he could get the bottle of alcohol himself. When the shelves started collapsing, Walter had been pulling his body towards the shelves at his chest, thighs, and knees. As the shelves collapsed, his body weight was forward, and without the pressure from the three shelves, as those three shelves dropped, he went forward, hitting his head against the back of the cabinet carcass and falling to the bottom of that cabinet.

Peter frowned at Brigette’s idea, as he again looked at the broken shelving. “Maybe, Brigette. But look how thick those shelves are, they must be at least three fourths to an inch thick. Walter weighs what, maybe 130, 135 pounds? His weight shouldn’t have been enough to cause those shelves to break. Not the ones he wasn’t standing on. No, something else caused all this, something else caused those upper shelves to break and fall down to the lower shelves, which broke and fell until everything gave way and Walter fell. Well,” Peter said, walking over to the doorway to the supply room, “we can’t do any more now, we’ll have to let an investigators look into it. For now, let’s seal off this room, and we’ll look into getting you more supplies, Brigette; the room will also have to be decontaminated before it can be used again. When I find out where Walter’s being taken I’ve got another phone call to make. One that I dread.” First bell rang just as the paramedics had placed Walter on a backboard, placed a neck brace, secured him to the board, then lifted him and the board onto the gurney. As they were securing Walter to the gurney, Peter asked that they wait a few moments until the second bell rang so the hallway would be clear. He also asked where they’d be taking Walter and once he had that information, went to make a call he was going to hate making. A call he’d made once before. He just hoped he could sleep that night.

Once the second bell rang, the paramedics wheeled the gurney out to the waiting ambulance, with Peter following. Once the ambulance left, Peter started walking to the school office, thinking as he walked. ’Terry was going to be a mess when I tell her about Walter. She’ll want to speed to the hospital and maybe speed herself into an accident. With Shelby out of town, no one will be able to get her there and home again. To HELL with a phone call. I’ll help her myself.’ Peter’s mind made up, once in the office he went to Tina Strapworthy’s office, the school’s assistant Principal. He knocked on her office door, heard a, “Come in,” before opening the door, stepping into her office and closing the door behind him. “Um...Tina, we’ve had a bit of a situation in Science Room 1, Walter Williams was hurt and is right now being taken to the hospital. I’m going to his home to tell his mom, Terry, and then take her to the hospital. I may be gone the rest of the day, so I’d like it if you’ll take over for me. Make whatever decisions necessary when necessary, and knowing you, I’ll back whatever you decide. I’ll have to tell Margot about leaving, you know how she is,” and they both chuckled at Peter’s reference to Margot, “so, get with her and find out everything she has on schedule. Hopefully I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” Tina was a no nonsense person, but had a heart wider than the Grand Canyon. She had a way with the students that made them respect her as she confronted them about what they’d done. She never put that student down, only made him or her see how wrong they were to do what they did. Of course, that student got detention, or worse, but that was to be expected. Tina followed Peter out of her office, she didn’t want to miss Peter’s experience with Margot, his secretary.

Margot Dwater had been the Principal’s secretary ever since the Earth cooled and life began on its surface. She took no prisoners and would scare King Kong in returning to his island, but she was as fair a person as could be found. Peter walked to Margot’s desk, sat down in the chair in front of it and said, “Margot…” but never got the rest of his words out. “Yes, I heard. Walter Williams met another of his famous encounters. Damn, why him all the time?” She looked up at Peter, studied his face then told him, “And you can’t just make a phone call. You’re going to Walter’s house and tell his mom. And likely take her to the hospital and stay with her, so won’t be around the rest of the day.” And she looked around Peter to look at Tina. “And Tina will take over for you until you return, right?” Margot chuckled as she saw Peter’s expression, and said, “Peter, close your mouth, you’ll attract flies that way.” Peter closed his mouth as Tina chuckled behind him. All Peter could say in reply was, “Um...right. I’ve got to go.” And with that said, the two women watched as Peter grabbed some things out of his office before he all but ran out of the office and to the parking lot.

Margot looked at Tina before telling her, “Ya know, Tina, of all the Principals I’ve mothered at this school, that man is by far the best son I ever had. You make sure to take good care of him, RIGHT.” It was Tina’s turn to blush, since she thought no one knew about her and Peter, that they had been dating for several months and had fallen in love with each other. And that Tina felt Peter would ask her to marry her sometime soon. At least she hoped. “I will Margot, I most certainly will.” Margot hardly ever smiled, getting a pet name from the students. But this time she did, just after what Tina said. Peter had found himself a keeper, she thought to herself before going back to the task at hand.

Peter had sat in his car for a few moments in order to calm himself before he started the car and drove to Walter’s house. It wouldn’t do any good if he was involved in an accident on the way. Twenty minutes later he was pulling into the driveway for Walter’s house, again sitting for a few minutes before getting out of his car. Terry had seen a car pull up into the driveway and stood by the front window trying to see who it might be. Her stomach fell to her knees when she saw Peter Stepel get out of the car and walk up to the front door. He never got a chance to know of ring the doorbell, as Terry ripped the door open and in a hysterical voice asked, “How bad is he hurt?” Terry was shaking as Peter walked up to her, took her arm and walked her back into her house, closing the front door behind him. He guided her to the sofa, sat her down, found the kitchen and a glass, and brought her a glass of water before sitting down beside her.

With shaking hands, Terry accepted the glass of water, took a sip, and calmer this time asked, “How bad is Walter hurt?” Peter cleared his throat a couple of times before he told Terry, “Walter was in his first period Science class. The class was going to do an experiment that had them pouring alcohol into water and taking the resultant measurement. Each student was to have their own bottle of alcohol to use. Walter was the last student who went into the supply room to get his supplies. We believe the bottle of alcohol he would have gotten was put on the wrong shelf, and he tried to get it himself by standing on one shelf and reaching up to get the bottle. We don’t know why, but all the shelves picked that moment to collapse, and Walter fell into the cabinet and to the bottom as the shelves collapsed.” Peter let Terry take another drink of water before he continued explaining what they knew.

When Peter hesitated, Terry prodded him by saying, “Okay, but how badly was he hurt?” Peter looked down a moment, then looked up at Terry and replied, “The shelves in that cabinet contained inert chemicals in glass bottles.” And he held up his hand to forestall Terry from asking a question. “When those shelves collapsed, they fell down to the next shelf, which broke the bottles before that shelf fell, and so on. Walter was found at the bottom of the cabinet, covered with broken glass and a mixture of all those chemicals in that cabinet. His science teacher and the nurse got him as quickly as they could under the emergency shower in that room, after they removed as much glass as they could before they moved him. Walter has both superficial and deep cuts, those will need stitches. What we don’t know is how much of all those chemicals got into Walter’s bloodstream, or if any did, what effect they’ll have on him. A complete list of everything in that particular cabinet was sent with the paramedics for the doctors.” He held up his hand again and told Terry, “That’s all I know at this point. I’m going to take you to the hospital and stay with you as long as needed. Why don’t you get your purse, and whatever else you need and let’s get you up there.”

Terry reflected back to the day when she wondered when Walter was going to get badly hurt and need a hospital. Looks like that day has arrived, she thought to herself. “I have to call Shelby, he’ll need to know.” As she started to get up off the sofa, Peter gently laid his hand on her arm and reminded her, “Terry. Right now you only know Walter is in the hospital. You don’t know his condition at the moment. Why not wait to call Shelby after speaking with the doctors so you can give him that information at the same time?” Terry was quiet a moment, before nodding her head, setting down the glass of water on the end table, getting up off the sofa, grabbing her purse of the kitchen table, and taking a coat from the closet by the front door. She said no more as she opened the front, locked it, and started for Peter’s car. Peter followed her out the front door, closing it behind him. He then caught up with Terry, opening the front passenger door for her. She quietly got in, Peter walked to the driver’s side and got in the car, started the engine, backed out of the driveway and as calmly as he could, drove them to the hospital. His insides were doing flip flops at this point. He hoped he wasn’t taking Terry to see her dead son.

tbc
Chapter 3

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life changing.

Chapter 3

When the paramedics arrived at the hospital with Walter, and wheeled him in on the gurney, they handed the attending emergency physician the pages listing all the chemicals Walter may have been exposed to. All that doctor said was, “Holy shit, take him to station three.” She got on the phone and paged several other doctors. What she was going to be dealing with was out of her league and she’d need a few specialists to lend a hand. But she could start treating the minor cuts and stanch the bleeding for the deeper ones. She had a feeling suturing up the deeper ones was not an option right at the moment. And she was shown correct, as the specialists arrived and they too couldn’t believe what Walter had been exposed to. And it was the correct decision not to suture the deeper cuts. Not until they were decontaminated and blood taken to see what had gotten into Walter’s bloodstream.

Peter and Terry had arrived an hour after Walter had arrived at the hospital. Even before Pete had pulled into a parking space and completely stopped his car, Terry was out of the car and running to the emergency room entrance. Peter followed a few moments after and when he entered the emergency room found a very distraught Terry giving the receptionist a very bad time. “I’m Terry Williams, my son, Walter Williams, was brought into this emergency room an hour ago. I need to see him, a doctor, anyone who can tell me what’s happening and how he is.” When the receptionist asked Terry to take a seat and she’d look into it, Terry blew up in her face. “LISTEN, YOU DAMN BITCH! I DON’T WANT TO TAKE A SEAT OR ANY OTHER DAMN THING. I WANT TO SEE MY SON AND I WANT TO SEE HIM NOW! DO...YOU...UNDERSTAND...ME, BITCH?” Peter grabbed Terry by the shoulders, turned her around and told her, “Terry, I know you’re upset, and so does this lady, but you can’t take your frustrations out on her. Let her do her job. Give her a few minutes to find out where Walter is and what they’re doing for him. Okay?” With tears in her eyes, she nodded her head, then turned back to the receptionist and apologized. The receptionist patted Terry’s hand and told her, “Had it been my son? I’d have torn this hospital apart looking for him. Give me one moment.” She picked up the phone and said a code which doctor’s knew meant get their butts to the emergency reception desk, family was here. Peter had started steering Terry to the seats in the waiting area, when they heard, “Mrs. Williams. I’m doctor Marsha Taylor. If you’ll come with me, and you too sir. I’ll take you to your son, and try explaining what we’re up against.”

As Terry and Peter walked with Dr. Taylor, she started explaining why they were having trouble deciding what treatment to give Walter. “You see, Mrs. Williams, we have protocols set up to handle specific chemicals, but your son was exposed to multiple chemicals, which by themselves, if handled properly, aren’t normally dangerous. But they mixed when the accident occured, and we aren’t quite sure which chemical to treat him for. Besides myself, there are three specialists discussing treatment possibilities, and it looks like we may be leaning towards trying dialysis. We think it’ll be the best way to filter out what may have entered his blood. But we’re waiting on the blood test results before making our final decision. Walter has several superficial cuts, which were easy to care for. The deeper cuts we left open, but stanched any bleeding; we didn’t want to close them up until we decided on a treatment.”

The three arrived at the room Walter had been moved to, in order to isolate him because of his chemical exposure. The doctor handed Peter and Terry masks before they went into Walter’s room, and as Terry looked at her son, she saw how pale he looked, and more like the little boy who made it this far without getting banged up too much. He was hooked to a monitor, which was beeping with each beat of Walter’s heart. She also saw he was being given an IV, likely to replace the fluid he lost because of all the cuts. She went over to his side, sat down in a chair and softly said his name. “Walter, it’s mom. Can you hear me, sweetheart?” She was about to take his hand in hers but remembered the chemicals, and instead brushed a stray hair back off his forehead. As she looked at her baby, Walter’s eyes fluttered open and he slowly turned his head to his mom. “Um...hi...mom. Guess my luck finally gave out, huh?” He tried to laugh as he always did, but the pain he felt was too much for him, and he winced instead. “What...are...the...doctors...going...to...do, mom?” It almost took a breath a word, because of the pain, for Walter to speak. “Walter. You were exposed to a lot of chemicals. They know how to treat a person exposed to one or two chemicals, but they’re trying to determine the best treatment for all the ones you were exposed to. Don’t worry, sweetheart, I can tell they’re doing their best to help you.” Walter’s eyes closed just as Terry finished talking. He was asleep again. The doctor motioned for her and Peter to follow her, and the three stepped out into the hallway.

“Mrs. Williams, until we know more, I’d like to limit your time with Walter because of all the chemicals. Right now he’s doing fine, if in some pain. Why don’t you and your husband,” and Terry laughed when Marsha said husband, as did Peter. “Dr. Taylor, Mr. Stepel is the Principal of Walter’s high school, and my brother. My husband is out of town at the moment working on a project for his firm.” Marsha chuckled, apologized and continued with, “Why don’t you and Mr. Stepel go to the cafeteria and get something to eat or drink. Call your husband, tell him what happened and that we’re doing everything to come up with a treatment. I’ll know where you are and will come and get you if there is any change, and when we’ve decided how to proceed.” Terry so wanted to stay by Walter’s side, but understood the possible danger to her and Peter, so allowed Peter to put his arm around her waist and guide her to the cafeteria. Where she spent some time on the phone talking to Shelby.

Shelby Williams was a partner in an architectural firm, out of town working with a client on a large apartment complex. He was finalizing everything with their client, even helping the contractor order all of the special material and items that would be needed. As he was explaining things to Tom Warmer, the client he was working with, his cell phone rang, showing 911 from Terry. Tom saw the look on Shelby’s face as he answered the call. “Hi honey…,” but he never got another word said, as Terry proceeded to tell him everything and where they were. Tom watched as Shelby’s face went white, and poured a glass of water, setting it in front of Shelby. The other words Tom heard were, “Okay, I’m on my way,” before Shelby ended the call, took a drink of the water Tom sat in front of him and told Tom, “Tom, I’m sorry, but my son is in the hospital after an accident in his science class today. I’ve got to go.” Shelby didn’t wait for Tom to reply, he simply got up and started for the door. “SHELBY,” Tom said loud enough to break through the haze he saw in Shelby’s eyes, “come back and sit down, please.” Shelby saw the pleading look on Tom’s face and did as Tom asked. Shelby picked up the glass of water and drank more, as he watched Tom make two phone calls.

“Patrick? This is Tom. I want the Lear fueled, stocked and ready to go in thirty minutes. Where to?” And Tom told Patrick which city they’d be flying to with one passenger. He made another call and Shelby heard, “Charlie, bring the limo around in fifteen minutes, you’re taking Mr. Williams to the airport.” Shelby started to protest everything Tom was doing but failed in his efforts. “Shelby, I would have fired your firm on the spot if you hadn’t done what you just did. I learned the hard way that family comes first. Besides, my plane can get you home in an hour and a half. You fly commercial, and it’s what, two, two and a half hours? If that? And you’re in no condition right now, you’re too worried about your wife and son, to do anything for yourself. Go, we’ll pick this up when you feel you can come back. Git…,” and Tom made shooing motions with his hands.

Shelby didn’t even bother to get his things from the hotel. He just called them and told them he had a family emergency and would someone pack his things and send them to Tom Warmer’s office. He’d pick them up when he came back. By the time Shelby reached the ground floor, Charlie was waiting by the reception desk and led Shelby out to the limo. When they reached the airport, Charlie drove to the private terminal and took Shelby inside to find one of the two pilots waiting for them. Shelby went through what security there was, climbed aboard the Lear and was off the ground headed home to his wife and son. It was only after they were in the air that Shelby started crying, thinking the worst had happened to Walter. To Shelby’s surprise, the attendant sat down beside Shelby and held him as he cried. Giving the man as much support as she could without getting too personal. When Shelby had cried himself out, he told Patty, the attendant on the flight, everything, and shed a few more tears for good measure. Patty left him for a few moments and returned with a warm washcloth, which she gave to Shelby. Followed by a bottle of bottled water. When she asked if he’d like something to eat, Shelby realized he hadn’t eaten lunch and asked what they had. Patty brought back a menu that listed some things a person would only find in an up-scale restaurant. However, Shelby picked the meatloaf, corn, mashed potatoes, and coffee as his choices. Then he sat back in his seat and looked out the window, wondering how Walter was doing right now. It wouldn’t be long and he’d find out for himself.

The Lear did land an hour and a half later, at the airport in the city where Shelby and his family lived. The plane taxied to the private terminal, where Shelby was met by David, a driver who had orders from Tom to take Shelby to the hospital. When Shelby started to tell David which hospital David told him, “Mr. Warmer already gave me that information, Mr. Williams. I was told to tell you, sit back, and just think about your family.” What Shelby didn’t see was the police cruiser sitting not too far in front of David’s limo. David signaled the officer, who turned on his lights, and David, with Shelby in the back, was escorted to the hospital where Walter was awaiting treatment. Shelby didn’t even notice that David never stopped at any stop sign or traffic light, but went right through both. Shelby didn’t even notice when they’d arrived at the hospital until the limo stopped and David opened the passenger side door. “Mr. Williams, we’re here, sir.” Shelby didn’t even reply as he shot out of the limo and ran into the emergency room entrance where he was met by Peter.

“How’s Walter, Peter? What are they doing for him? Can I see him?” Shelby fired more questions at Peter, but Peter just told him, “I’ll let Terry tell you everything, okay? She’s been in contact with Dr. Taylor more than I have.” And with that said, Peter took Shelby to the cafeteria, where, when an anxious Terry saw Shelby walk into the cafeteria, bolted out of her chair, knocking it over in the process. She grabbed Shelby as he grabbed her and the two cried on each other’s shoulders for several minutes before a passionate kiss occurred. Peter stepped up to the couple and suggested, “Why don’t we sit down and you can fill Shelby in, Terry?” The couple followed Peter’s suggestions, and noticed others watching as the couple walked over and sat down at the table Terry had been using.

Peter brought Shelby a sandwich and a cup of coffee as Terry started telling Shelby everything that happened at school and with the doctors. Peter excused himself, using the excuse he needed the restroom, and left Terry and Shelby talking with each other. When Peter entered the men’s restroom, he looked in the four stalls to make sure no one was in the restroom with him. He walked to a wall just past the last stall, put his back to the wall and slid down onto his calves. And began to cry. He hated to see his sister and her family going through all this. Even his nephew, Walter, didn’t deserve what happened. They’d done a good job keeping the family relationship with Walter a secret, least others think Peter was playing favorites with Walter. Peter didn’t know how long he cried, or was in the restroom, before he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looking up, saw Shelby standing in front of him. Peter could see Shelby’s eyes were red from crying, and after Shelby helped Peter stand, the two embraced in an attempt to comfort each other. Peter broke the embrace and went to the sink to splash water on his face, before the two rejoined Terry.

While Shelby had been in the air, Dr. Taylor had come to the cafeteria to talk with Terry about the treatment they believed would have the best chance to rid Walter’s blood of the chemicals that had entered into his bloodstream. After Dr. Taylor and three specialists had had a roundhouse discussion of the pros and cons of suggested treatments, they finally came to a consensus that dialysis would offer the best hope to clean Walter’s blood. They’d also be giving him fresh blood at the same time, hoping the new blood would help push out most of the chemicals. What they were worried about was the amount his skin had absorbed, which would be absorbed by the fatty tissue. They reasoned that by cleaning what they could, the rest would eventually leach out into Walter’s bloodstream or simply be rejected by his body.

It wasn’t long after Shelby brought a still hurting Peter back to the table that Dr. Taylor came into the cafeteria. She sat down in the fourth chair at the table and told all three, “Well, Walter is hooked up to a dialysis machine, and we’re giving him whole blood. If you’d like, I can take you all to the Dialysis Unit so you can see Walter for a few minutes.” The three didn’t have to be asked twice, as all three quickly stood up and followed Dr. Taylor. Because of the chemicals he’d been exposed to, Walter was again placed in a separate room while the dialysis machine did its work. Before the three went in to see Walter, they were made to ‘gown up’ and wear gloves and masks.

When Peter, Terry, and Shelby walked into the room, Terry noticed the monitor was beeping the same rhythm it had been when she first saw Walter. The three took in all the tubes going to and from Walter, and the fresh blood hung next to the IV. Terry sat down next to Walter’s bed and again softly said, “Walter, it’s mom, hun. Can you hear me? Your dad’s here and so is Uncle Peter.” Walter’s eyes fluttered open and he took in first his dad then his Uncle, as he said, better this time, “Oh, hi dad, Uncle Peter. I must look a real mess, huh? You should see the other guy.” As before he tried to make light of the situation, but winced instead. “Guess I’m not going anywhere for a while, huh? What about school, Uncle Peter? About my classes?” Both Shelby and Peter replied to Walter’s hello, before both had to clear their throats several times before Shelby told Walter, “Ah, no, son. It looks like you’ll be in the hospital until the doctors think it’s safe for you to leave.” It was Peter’s turn as he said, “Walter, don’t worry about your classes, this is one heck of a reason to get out of school.” Walter could see his Uncle was trying to lighten the mood with his levity, and smiled but winced instead of laughing. Then he drifted off to sleep again. It was about that time Dr. Taylor told the three their time limit was up and they needed to come out of the room.

Once all three had removed the gowns, gloves and masks, Dr. Taylor took them to a waiting room, offering the three something to drink before she sat them down and became rather technical with them. She told them about the discussion the four doctors had and why they believed the dialysis would be the best upfront treatment. They could give Walter drugs designed to counteract a few of the chemicals in Walter’s blood, but wouldn’t affect the others. So they’d have to give him more to counteract the others. The four felt the side effects from the combination of several different counter agents were too risky for Walter in the long run. Marsha told them they were taking blood samples every half hour, and checking to see if, and how much, the level of chemicals in Walter’s blood was dropping. And so far, things look good. The levels were dropping. Marsha was completely honest with the three when she said, “The unknown right now is how much his body absorbed through the skin. Or if there would be any adverse effects over the long haul. That teacher did an excellent job of getting Walter washed off as quickly as she could, but there was still some absorption.”

It didn’t take a doctor to see the exhaustion on the faces of Peter, Terry, and Shelby. So Marsha was stern when she told them, “Now, you three. You’re exhausted. Waiting around here isn’t going to get things done any faster.” She held up her hand to forestall a complaint Terry was about to give. “I know, Terry, you’re concerned about your son, you all are. But you’re exhausted. Especially you, Shelby. And Peter, you aren’t much better. GO...HOME. Get something to eat and go to bed. I have all of your phone numbers and will call you if you need to be called. You can return in the morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed. And don’t worry, even though I know you won’t, we’ll take excellent care of Walter.” Marsha almost had a mutiny on her hands until she simply laid down the law, and told them sternly, go home, eat, rest.

All three saw the look on Marsha’s face and knew she met business, so as they talked amongst themselves, they decided to go out to eat supper, since it was almost 8 p.m. They thanked Dr. Taylor, and on the way to the parking lot, Shelby made a call to his partner, then to Tom. Peter made a call to Tina to tell her he may not be in school the following day. While none of them said they were very hungry, once they arrived at the restaurant, they ate like pigs, though polite pigs. After the restaurant, Peter drove Terry and Shelby home, hugging both, kissing his sister on the cheek, before going home himself. They all could feel how tired they were once they laid down in bed. But it would be several hours before anyone actually fell into a deep sleep. Their minds were on Walter.

It had been decided that Peter would pick up Terry and Shelby at 9 a.m. the next morning and take them to the hospital. Terry and Shelby tried to argue with him, but as he pointed out, Walter is their son, and they are still upset. Terry tried to pull the “But you’re upset too” trick, but Peter, knowing his sister, countered with “Yes, I’m upset, but you are his parents.” Terry had simply kissed him on the cheek and thanked him for being there for them.

Peter rang the Williams doorbell at 9 a.m., almost getting run over as Terry came flying out of the house, followed by Shelby, who locked and closed the front door. He looked at Peter and told him, “She’s been like this since 6 this morning. We’d better get going.” Though the situation was serious, Peter chuckled and followed Shelby to his car. Terry had already called shotgun, though no one heard her actually say it, and was so fidgety that Shelby and Peter thought she may need something to calm her down; they’d talk to Dr. Taylor when they arrived at the hospital. And when they did arrive at the hospital, Terry did the same thing she did the first time Peter brought her. She jumped out of Peter’s car even before it’d completely stopped moving in the parking space. And as before, ran into the hospital. Peter looked at Shelby, and he Peter, and both knew Dr. Taylor had to give Terry something to calm her down.

When both men entered the hospital, they saw Terry standing at the reception desk, pacing back and forth. Shelby told the receptionist who they were and why they were there, before both men took Terry by the arms and forced her to go with them and sit down. “Terry, you’ve got to calm down or you’re going to end up here when Walter’s released. Dr. Taylor told us they’d do all they could for Walter. She also told us, last night, that she would call if we needed to be called.” Shelby then gently reached up and cupped his wife’s chin, turned her head to face him and asked, “Did we receive any calls from the hospital last night?” He then took his other hand and gently wiped the tears of Terry’s cheeks. And as the tears fell, Terry told her husband, “But he’s my baby, Shelby,” and leaned into him and let the tears fall.

Marsha had just turned the corner and started into the waiting room, when she saw what was taking place between Terry and Shelby. She stopped, backed up a step, and waited until she felt it was right to approach the three people. When Terry started wiping her eyes, Marsha felt it was the right time to intrude, and started walking again, sitting down in a chair she pulled over and turned around to face Peter, Terry, and Shelby. She reached over and took Terry’s hand, before telling them, “The dialysis did as we hoped. The levels of chemicals in Walter’s bloodstream have dropped to almost nothing. It will take his body a few days to kick out the rest, but he’s going to be okay. Now, as I told you yesterday, we don’t know how what his body absorbed is going to affect him or if it will affect him. So he’ll need to come see us once a week for the next month. He’s off the dialysis machine and was washed down again, his deep cuts have been sutured, and we’ve moved him into a private room. By the looks on your faces, I’d guess you’re anxious to see him. He’s in room 410 on the fourth floor.” Peter had to grab Terry to slow her down, as she all but rocketed out of her chair. Shelby told Peter, “You go ahead and go with Terry, I’d like to talk with Dr. Taylor a bit.” When Terry and Peter were out of earshot, he told Marsha about how Terry had been acting since yesterday, and was worried she’d end up in the hospital if she didn’t calm down. Marsha patted Shelby’s hand and told him, “I’ll have a talk with her, and prescribe something to help with her anxieties.” Shelby thanked Marsha before he took the elevator to the fourth floor and walked into room 410, only to find a tearful Terry holding her bright eyed son’s hand with a gloved hand. He thought to himself as he looked at Walter, ‘That boy has a smile that just doesn’t quit.’ Then he too started wiping tears out of his eyes, and joined his wife and son.

Marsha gave the three about an hour with Walter, alone, before she walked into the room and exclaimed, “My, don’t you look better this morning, Walter. How do you feel?” She waited for his answer as she checked his chart on her tablet, checked his vitals, then stood and looked at him. Terry knew her son was feeling much better when they all heard him say, “Well, now I know how a car feels when it has its oil changed. It’s no wonder they are a bit slow afterwards.” Terry dropped her head, shook it from side to side before laughing and telling Marsha, “Yep, he’s feeling better, Marsha, when he starts saying corn like that.” Marsha had pulled back the covers, lifted the gown Walter was wearing and took a close look at every place that had been sutured. She helped Walter roll to his side so she could look at his back. She helped him roll back onto his back, pulled the gown back down, then gently pulled the covers back over him. “Well, young man, all of those stitches look fine, as do the superficial cuts. We drained a bit more of your blood several times during the night and even that looks fine. You still have some of the chemicals in your blood, but we believe your kidneys should be able to filter even that little out.”

Then Marsha got real serious, and looked at all four before she told them, “What we’re worried about the most is the amount absorbed through your skin, Walter. We can’t very well take samples to find out or you’d be full of holes where we took the samples. We believe, and here I’m giving you our best guess, we believe your body will eventually get rid of what it absorbed without any help from us. We’re trying to come up with a way to actually look at your entire body to determine how to measure what you absorbed, without having to stick you a bunch of times to take samples; my colleagues are right now talking to some of the best in that field. However, we want to see you once a week for a check up and blood test. And if you continue to improve as you have, I don’t see any reason you can’t get out of here and go home on Saturday. Providing you eat all your vegetables at meal time.” Marsha smirked when she said the last part, getting the reaction out of Walter she wanted. Walter had rolled his eyes, chuckled, held up the corner of the white sheet covering him, waved it in the air and declared, “Okay, doc, you win, I’ll eat those nasty tasting things. It would be nice if the cook made up his, or her, mind, though. Are they going to be uncooked or cooked, ‘cause in between just doesn’t taste right.” Everyone chuckled at this, having just been given a sign by Walter that he was going to be okay after all. Terry, Shelby, and Peter all wiped tears out of their eyes.

tbc
Chapter 4

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life changing.

Chapter 4

Marsha could see Walter was getting tired and told Terry, Shelby, and Peter, “Walter looks like he could do with some rest before lunch. Let’s go and let him get that rest, then you all can come back and have lunch with him here in his room; I’ll have three extra trays brought up.” Marsha actually had an ulterior motive for wanting the three out of Walter’s room, she wanted to talk with them out of Walter’s hearing. After telling Walter they’d be back for lunch with him, they followed Marsha out of the room, and into another room when she had signaled them to follow her there. She closed the door, had the three sit down and went into what she had to tell them. “I wasn’t lying to Walter about everything looking good, so far. But what I didn’t tell him was our concern about long term effects. You see, all of the chemicals he was exposed to are called inert chemicals, and if stored and handled correctly, are harmless by themselves. It’s just we don’t know how Walter will be affected by the combination of all of them on a human body. His body could expel everything as we hope, or some time, years from now, something more serious could develop.” Marsha saw the worry in Terry’s eyes and looking at her said, “I’m sorry to have to tell you that, Terry, but I won’t lie to you at any time. That possibility has to be considered. That’s part of the reason we’ll want to see him once a week for three months, then twice a month for six months, then once a month for a year. I hope you don’t think I’m goulish when I say, Walter has become a test case for this type of accident. We hope the data we collect will help us if/when something like this happens again. Now, you all can stay in this room and relax or go to the cafeteria and get something to drink. I’ll come get you when it’s Walter’s lunch time.”

Before Marsha left, she knelt in front of a tearful Terry and softly told her, “Terry, Shelby and Peter are worried you’re too wound up over what happened to Walter. As his doctor, I’m telling you he will be alright. Now,” and she pulled a pad from her lab coat pocket, and wrote on it, “I want you to get this prescription filled. It’s a mild sedative and will help you relax and get the rest you need.” Terry started to protest but Marsha actually put her fingers up to Terry’s lips before telling her, “Even I can see how wound up you are. And I’d guess you hardly slept last night, did you?” When Terry shook her head no, Marsha replied, “Uh, huh, I thought so. Listen to me Terry. You aren’t going to be any good to your son if you wear yourself out and end up here in the hospital. He doesn’t need that right now. He needs the mom I can see he dearly loves. Now, no more protest, get this filled,” she sternly told Terry, and handed Terry the piece of paper.

After Marsha left Shelby got up out of his chair, walked over to Terry, put his arm around her shoulders, pulled her into his side and suggested, “How about we go and get something to drink? I could kill for some coffee.” Terry nodded her head, let Shelby pull her up out of her chair, and with his arm around her waist and Terry’s head on his shoulder, walked out of the room; Peter was holding the door open.

Peter sat with Terry as Shelby went to buy everyone what they wanted. When he came back he was also carrying three pastries; he knew they all needed something to eat if only to take the edge off. Peter excused himself, walked a few feet away from Terry and Shelby, and made a phone call to Tina. When she answered he asked how things were going, then filled her in about Walter’s condition. He also asked her to get Brigette a message to call him when she had time, he wanted to let her know as well. Nothing was on fire, the students hadn’t run anyone up the flagpole, and with Walter likely coming home Saturday, he decided to be at school tomorrow, Friday. He went back to the table, sat down and started in on his pastry, not realizing how hungry he actually was. He hadn’t noticed it at first, but Terry now had a second pastry in front of her, as did Shelby. He laughed as Shelby lifted his arm from under the table and set another one in front of him. They all laughed at Shelby’s little joke, they needed to release their pent up tension.

It was 12:30 p.m. when Marsha came to get them so they could have lunch with Walter. As the four walked back to Walter’s room, Terry and Shelby noticed how close Peter and Marsha were as they walked ahead of them. Terry smirked, Shelby smirked, they looked at each other, and knew the other was thinking that maybe Peter found a woman he was interested in after the death of Pamela, his wife, five years ago from metastatic cancer. He’d never dated since. They didn’t know about Peter and Tina. Yet.

Peter and Pamela had been trying to conceive since a year after they were married. Both wanted a big family, so when Pamela failed to get pregnant they went in for fertility testing. Their phone rang at 6 a.m. the following day, with the doctor telling Pamela he wanted to see them now. The urgency in the doctor’s voice caused the couple to simply use the toilet, dress and head to the doctor’s office. They didn’t have to wait, once they told the receptionist who they were. Once in the doctor’s office, he got right to the matter, didn’t sugar coat anything, but simply told the couple the reason Pamela couldn’t conceive. She had cancer, and they believed it was metastatic cancer, but would need to do more tests to be sure.

The additional tests confirmed their beliefs, Pamela did have metastatic cancer. She was then rushed to Oncology, where they did more tests before immediately starting her on chemo. Thirty days later Peter, his friends and family attended Pamela’s funeral. She never had any symptoms that anything was wrong. Never had any pains, or signs that something was wrong until they had the fertility test done. By then even the chemo medication couldn’t combat what had taken over her organs.

Peter was a mess for weeks after the funeral, until his Assistant Principal, Tina, visited him one evening after school. Peter could see she was pissed, she had the look he’d seen on her before, and lit into him once she was in his home, literally kicking his butt verbally. It was that night he learned Tina’s brother had been killed several years ago by a hit and run driver as he was crossing a street. And it was seeing how hurt Tina still was over the death of her brother that snapped Peter out of the funt he was in, if only to comfort Tina at that moment. He returned to school the next Monday.

Walter wasn’t blind either as he saw Marsha and Peter walk into his room, followed by his parents. The three could see how the two were standing, how they looked at each other, and when Walter looked at his parents, he gave a head nod towards Peter and Marsha and raised an eyebrow. He watched as both of his parents nodded their heads, Terry showing she had her fingers crossed. It was a few moments later when their lunches arrived and Marsha excused herself to go have her lunch. Walter, Terry, and Shelby watched how the two parted ways, and smiled when Peter turned towards them and saw the three smiling. “WHAT?” He basically yelled, as Terry walked over to her brother, hugged him, then told him, “Don’t let her get away.” Peter laid his head on his sister’s shoulder and cried, the memories of losing Pamela overwhelming him at that very moment. “Peter,” Terry softly said, “we can see how interested you two are in each other. Isn’t it time you start sharing your life with someone again? You’ve been alone for far too long. Eat, then go after her. Please?” She kissed him softly on his cheek, gave him a tissue she pulled from the pocket of her slacks, and watched as he nodded his head and told Terry, “Yeah, you’re right, I have been alone too long. But all of you are wrong about Marsha and I, she’s just an interesting woman to talk with.” He took a deep breath before saying, “I already have a girlfriend, one I hope to marry.” By the look on Walter’s, Terry’s, and Shelby’s faces, you’d think they were watching some murder mystery, until Peter said, “It’s Tina.”

It took a moment for the three to process the name Peter spoke, but when they did, Walter had a smile on his face, while Terry and Shelby had shocked expressions on their faces. It was Shelby who asked, “Um, Tina like in your Assistant Principal, Tina?” Sheepishly Peter nodded his head, before Terry asked, “How long have you two been going together?” Walter put his hand over his mouth to keep from giggling, he was enjoying seeing his Uncle act like a kid who got caught cutting into the dessert for dinner. Peter was looking down, shuffling one foot, then mumbled, “Several months. We started as friends after Pam died, Tina actually pulled me out of my depression. And it wasn’t long before we became more than friends. I’m planning to ask her to marry me.” He looked at Walter, who was almost giddy with glee, and told him, “And you, kid, keep this to yourself. Alright? Please?” Walter just nodded, then held his arms out to his Uncle, who came over and the two hugged. It was Walter’s turn to speak, as he told Peter, “I’m really happy for you, Peter.”

Walter’s lunch tray had been set on the portable table, rolled up in front of him. Terry and Shelby each took a tray and the two chairs in the room. Walter took one look at what he was brought, made a face before telling his parents, “Well, one nice thing eating at the hospital. I won’t gain any weight, not with this stuff.” His parents, and Peter, chuckled along with him as the four had a quiet lunch together.

When Peter arrived at school the following day, Friday, Tina swore he was walking on air. She saw him after Walter got hurt, how scared he was and worried for his sister’s family. Today, though, he was happy, almost giddy, as he walked into the office, kissing Margot on the cheek and telling her, “Good morning, Margot,” before going into his office. Margot looked at Tina then did a slow turn to look at Peter’s back as he walked into his office. “Now what do you suppose got into that lout, Tina?” Margot asked, as she continued to stare in Peter’s direction. Tina chuckled as she told Margot, “Um...love, Margot. Love.” Margot turned back to look at Tina, giving her a stink eye before Tina nodded her head and repeated what she just said. “Well, I’ll be. It’s about damn time some gal roped that bull,” Margot said as a real smile grew on her face. And Tina agreed. She didn’t tell Margot that Peter had called last night, telling her he told his family about her, and his plans for their immediate future. They’d talked about marriage before, about how they felt towards each other, and the problems their jobs might pose if they were married. Peter had scoured all the rules and regulations, but couldn’t find anything about his and Tina’s situation. There might be those who felt they’d work better at separate schools, but there weren’t any rules against married couples working at the same school.

Peter spent time with Tina, catching up on everything from the past two days. As he found out, the school was still in one piece, with a few minor problems taken care of. He then told Margot he was going to speak with Brigette Stokes, and talk to her first period class. He again kissed Margot on the cheek, getting a fake swat from Margot, before actually skipping out of the office. Margot reached up and felt where he’d kissed her on the cheek. She also wiped a few tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks. She muttered to no one in particular, “That man will make that gal a fine husband.”

Brigette Stokes was in early to her first period science class, so Peter had a chance to tell her everything before the students arrived. When the first bell rang, he sat back and let Brigette conduct her class after the second bell. After Brigette had taken roll, she turned the class over to Peter. “Morning everyone. I wanted to let all of you know that Walter is going to be alright. The doctors put him on a dialysis machine that was able to filter out the majority of the chemicals that enter into Walter’s bloodstream. He was run through a very detailed decontamination process, which washed out all the cuts he sustained from the broken glass. Most of the cuts were superficial, but he did have several deep cuts that had to be closed with sutures. Now, we still don’t know why the accident happened, the lab everything was taken to is still processing it all. But it’s more important that Walter is going to be alright and returning to school on Monday, if everything still looks good on Saturday, when he will be released from the hospital. He will be under restrictions because of the sutures. He will have to see the doctor once a week for three months, then twice a month for six months, then once a month for a year. I won’t lie to any of you, there are still some unknowns. While the dialysis machine was able to filter out the majority of the chemicals, and his body is doing more, the doctors still have no idea how much of the chemicals he absorbed through his skin. And that’s why the scheduled visits. They’re hoping, given time, his body will eventually rid itself of everything, and Walter will be back to his normal self.” Several students laughed, and one who knew what Walter’s normal self was, said, “Principal Stepel, don’t you mean his normal accident magnet self?” Peter laughed because of what Patsy said. “You’re probably right, Patsy. We can only hope this will be his last Wrong Place at the Right Time.” Peter thanked the class for their attention, and Brigette for letting him have the time, left the classroom and took the long way back to his office. Thinking about his time here as a student and the girl he met, while here, who became his wife.

There were a few problems that Peter had to solve during the rest of the day, nothing unusual though. And when the last bell of the day rang, and the students had all gone home, or to practice, and he’d finished his work, he quickly left the office and headed to the hospital. Wanting to see how Walter was doing today.

When he arrived on the fourth floor, he found Marsha doing paperwork and looked around for Terry, being told by Marsha she was with Walter. As the chance presented itself, Peter asked Marsha frank questions about Walter, and his chances of having his normal life again. Marsha understood the reason for Peter’s questions, and looking around, to make sure Terry wasn’t near, told Peter, “It’s as I told all of you yesterday, we just don’t know what’s in his future. I imagine you saw the mess after the accident, so you likely saw what happened to those bottles of chemicals. Chemicals Walter was lying in and which covered his body. I’ve tried to put an upbeat spin on all of this, for Terry’s sake, but, Peter, things could get interesting down the road. We honestly don’t know.”

Marsha went back to her paperwork and Peter went to Walter’s room. Terry, Shelby, and Walter only smiled at each other as Peter came bouncing into Walter’s room, each giving the other a knowing smile. The old Peter was back. The happy, energetic man who they’d missed these past five years. And Terry secretly hoped nothing would go wrong for him, she dearly loved her brother.

The old Peter they all knew was back because he’d finally told them about Tina, and his plans to marry her. He no longer had to worry about hiding their relationship for fear of what the three would say. The three made it plainly clear how happy they were for him.

When Saturday finally arrived, Peter picked up Terry and Shelby and drove them to the hospital. It was 9 a.m. Marsha had called the lab first thing, they would have taken another blood sample around 7 that morning. Walter, Peter, Terry, and Shelby only heard her say, “That’s great, thanks,” before she hung up the phone. She then started checking the sutures for the deeper cuts, and Walter’s chart. She played it up big, or tried too, as she frowned, picked up the backpack, solemnly walked over to Terry, tried to look sad as she looked Terry in the eyes before telling her, “Terry, I hate to say this,” and saw immediately it was a mistake, as Terry’s eyes filled with tears.

“Oh, Terry, I’m sorry, I was trying to play all this up but goofed. I’m so sorry.” Marsha hugged a distraught Terry before telling her, “He’s doing fine, take him home. Get Walter dressed and I’ll have a nurse come afterwards. I’ll go get the release papers started, come to reception when you’re ready.” The tears flowed from Terry’s eyes, as she heard Walter could come home. But Marsha wasn’t finished, as she released Terry and turned to Walter. “Walter, everything looks good and I’m going to kick you out of here.” She walked over to stand right near him and told him, in no uncertain terms, “Listen to me good, young man. You are not out of the woods just yet. Your body has gone through a tremendous event, one I hope you never go through again. You need to rest the remainder of the weekend, give your body a chance to build itself back up. Do not do anything that puts a strain on all your stitches. Do not exercise until we tell you it’s okay. Maybe short walks, but with someone.” Walter interrupted Marsha by asking, “What about school? Can I go back to school on Monday?”

Marsha gave Walter a serious look before telling him, “Walter, it depends on you. If you’re completely honest with your parents come Sunday, and if you’re feeling well enough to go back to school on Monday, then I see no reason you can’t. However, if you feel like crap Sunday but tell your parents the opposite, just so you can go back to school, and end up back here, you’re going to miss a lot of school while you recover right here in the hospital. Do you follow me, young man?” Walter could see Marsha was not playing around, she was deadly serious. He also realized then how much she really cared about him, she might one day become his Aunt. “Yes, ma’am, I understand.”

Before Peter and Marsha left Walter’s room, Marsha told Terry and Shelby she didn’t want Walter walking to school or riding the bus to school until she gave the okay. For the time being, it would be best if they took him to school and picked him up afterwards. Just for a couple of weeks, she thought, just until his body has had time to settle down, and the deeper cuts had time to heal.”

Terry and Shelby were so happy Walter was going to be released, they gently pulled Walter into a group hug, before someone cleared their throat, causing the three to look towards the door to see a nurse standing there. “Pardon me for breaking up a wonderful site, but I need to unhook Walter from the monitors so he can get dressed and go home.” With that said, Terry and Shelby stepped back to give the nurse room to work, after which she turned back the covers over Walter and helped him get out of bed, before saying she’d be back when Walter was dressed. Shelby closed the room’s door, as Terry removed Walter’s clothing from a backpack and helped Walter get dressed. Once the door was opened again, the same nurse was back with a wheelchair, and with a smile on her face, pointed from Walter to the chair. Walter got the message and sat down in the chair, as the nurse then took him and his parents to reception, so he could be signed out of the hospital to go home. Once they reached the reception desk, Marsha took the time to give Walter another speech before his parents signed the release forms and the six headed to the elevators and down to the parking lot, where Peter pulled his car to the curb so Walter wouldn’t have to walk far.

Peter was careful driving them home, trying to miss any divots in the road, and bringing the car to as soft a stop as he could when they had to stop. Once Peter helped Shelby get Walter into their house, and left, tiger mom raised its head when they got into the house. She immediately went into super protection mode, having Walter sit down, not work on any school work he wanted to get done, before Walter cried out in a way Terry had never heard. “MOM! I’m okay. Please, stop being overprotective. I know you’re worried about me and I love you for it, but please, let me do a few things for myself.” It was only then that Terry saw what she was doing, and sitting down next to Walter, gently pulled him into her and cried softly on his shoulder. “I was so afraid we’d lost you, Walter. I’m sorry,” she said to him before pulling back and looking into his eyes. “But I do want you to take it easy the rest of the weekend. Understand?” Terry asked, as she wiped tears off first her cheeks then Walter’s. “Yeah, mom, I understand. And I love you bunches too.”

Terry could see that Walter was thinking about something, and found out what it was as he told her, “Mom. Don’t ask me how I know, ‘cause I’m not sure myself. But it feels like my days of unintended accidents have come to an end. I think this is the last one.” Terry studied Walter’s face for a moment, then had the same feeling herself. Walter saw the frown on his mom’s face and asked, “What is it, mom? Something wrong? I have jelly on my face, or something?” Both Walter and Terry laughed at his levity, before she replied with, “More like something, Walter. Something tells me, too, this is the last accident you’ll be involved in. And like you, I can’t explain how I know. Enough of our silliness, you get some rest while I fix you something to drink and snack on. Okay?” Terry’s last words got a nod from Walter, as Terry got up from the couch and went into the kitchen. Terry didn’t see the look on Walter’s face as he thought about what his mom just told him, about her also knowing his unintended accident days were behind him. He muttered to himself, “I wonder how we both know the same thing?”

tbc
Chapter 5

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life changing.

Chapter 5

The phone calls started about 11 a.m., calls from some of those students in Walter’s Freshman science class. Some wanting to talk with Walter and see how he was doing, and some wanting to see if they could come see him after lunch. When Walter asked, “Mom, can I have visitors after lunch,” Terry was about to put her foot down and tell him, no. But she thought back to what Walter asked her, to do some things for himself. So instead of giving a resounding, “NO,” she simply said, “If you feel up to them visiting.” Of course Walter felt up to having visitors, after all, he’d missed two and a half days of school. Which meant two and a half days of not seeing anyone at school. So Walter told those who want to come by, “Sure, but I can’t have you stay long. The doctor wants me to get plenty of rest.” When everyone heard he had doctor’s orders, they were more than amicable in agreeing not to stay long.

Terry had fixed grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and soup for their lunch. The talk around the dining room table was light when the phone rang. Walter and Shelby had just tucked into their sandwiches, so Terry answered the phone. “Hi Terry, it’s Brigette Stokes.” Terry covered the mouthpiece of the phone and mouthed to Walter, “It’s your science teacher.” Walter still had a mouth full of sandwich so pointed to his mom to take the call.

“Hi Brigette, how are you?” Terry could tell by Brigette’s voice that she wasn’t doing very well. “Um, Terry, and I’ll understand if you say no, but I’d like to come over and see Walter. Talk with him, tell him how sorry I am for what happened to him.” Brigette’s voice had betrayed her as the tears were flowing down her cheeks. “Brigette, you have nothing to apologize for, none of this was your fault. Walter is fine, though a few pints shy of a full load.” Several napkins flew Terry’s way because of what she said. “But yes, I think Walter would love to see you and talk with you for a while. We have to limit visits because his doctor wants him to get plenty of rest this weekend before he returns to school on Monday.” There was silence for a moment, before Terry heard a whispered, “Thank God. I’m glad to hear that. Um...okay, right. I’ll be over around 2 this afternoon. Would that be okay?” Terry was nodding her head as she answered Brigette, “Yes, Brigette. Around 2 this afternoon will be fine. We’ll see you then, okay? Bye now.”

It was around 1 p.m. when the show started, as Walter put it. Actually he told his mom, “Well, mom. Here come the clowns.” Terry playfully swatted him on the arm as Walter sat himself down on the couch, getting as comfortable as he could with the still healing cuts in places he didn’t know he had. And in some places he wasn’t going to talk about. Terry had set a glass of water near him as his classmates started to arrive along with others in school. True to their word, each stayed only about ten minutes, after finding out he was okay and would be back in school on Monday. When 2 p.m. rolled around, it seemed all the students who were going to visit had visited, and the next knock on the front turned out to be by Brigette Stokes, Walter’s science teacher.

Terry had been answering the door and when she opened it to Brigette, she could tell the woman had been crying. And still was. She took Brigette into a hug, whispering, “Brigette, it wasn’t your fault. Walter will be fine. Come on, come in and see for yourself.” Brigette let Terry guide her into the house, and Terry kept her arm around Brigette’s waist. When Brigette saw Walter for the first time after the accident, she didn’t realize just how much he’d been cut by all the broken glass. He was wearing pajama bottoms, because they were loose on his legs, so she couldn’t see the cuts and sutures on his legs and hips where he fell into all the glass. But she could see the cuts on his face and arms, some minor and some sutured. It was a good thing Terry had a hold of Brigette, because she burst into tears upon seeing Walter. Walter slowly got up off the couch, walked over to Brigette, put his arms around her and while hugging her said, “Mrs. Stokes, none of this is your fault. It was my stupidity that got me into all this. Please, Mrs. Stokes, come sit down. Please,” he pleaded before Terry helped Brigette to the couch.

After Brigette was seated, Terry went to the kitchen to get Brigette a glass of water, and the box of tissues. Shelby had been sitting nearby but hadn’t said anything until Brigette had wiped her eyes and had a good drink of water. “Brigette, I’ve been talking with Peter, and he with the investigators. And they’re not sure yet, but they think there was something wrong with all those shelves other than Walter standing on one and leaning on the others. It will take them some time for them to be sure, but based on their preliminary inspection, they think those shelves had been over stressed long before you took over the class. Until they can do a microscopic exam and speak to your predecessor, they won’t give a definitive answer.” Shelby’s words seemed to help cheer Brigette up, a bit. They didn’t keep count of the number of times Brigette apologized, but each time she did, they stressed it wasn’t her fault. And not to play the ‘if I only had’ game with herself, as she kept saying, “If only I’d kept an eye on everyone this wouldn’t have happened.” As Brigette was taking another drink of water from her glass, Terry and Shelby saw the smirk form on Walter’s lips before he said, “But hey, Mrs. Stokes. At least now with all these cuts, I finally match my reputation of being a cut up in class.” Terry and Shelby rolled their eyes before they both groaned. Brigette, on the other hand, had been drinking water from the glass Terry gave her, and spit water, choked, and laughed all at the same time. Spraying Walter and the couch. When she finally stopped choke-laughing, she told Walter, “Williams, that is by far the worst of your word plays yet. But, young man, it’s good to hear them again.” And she leaned over and gently hugged Walter, before saying it was time she left.

As Brigette got up from the couch, Walter tried to be a good host and get up with her. But Terry and Shelby saw how tired he looked and asked him to stay where he was, they’d see Brigette out. The three talked a bit more at the front door before Brigette, feeling much better, walked to her car, got in and drove home. When Terry and Shelby returned to the living room, Walter was stretched out on the couch, sound asleep. Shelby covered him with the afgan they kept thrown over the back of the couch, and the two quietly left the room. Fours hours later, both parents heard the toilet flush, before Walter walked into the kitchen. “Sorry about falling asleep when Brigette was here, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.” Shelby walked over to Walter, put his arm gently around Walter’s shoulders, and told him, “Walter. Your body has been through a lot in the past few days. It’s going to need time and rest in order to be as it was before all this. You don’t need to apologize for getting tired. Now come and sit down, mom has supper almost ready.”

The rest of their Saturday was quiet, with the three watching TV that evening and Walter just taking it easy. Walter was sitting in one of the easy chairs and Terry and Shelby had settled themselves into a cuddle on the couch. Terry glanced over at Walter, who was sound asleep, and nudged Shelby, using her head to indicate Walter. “That kid, I don’t know how he’s made it all these years going through all the things he has,” Shelby softly told Terry. “Come, on,” Terry said as she untangled herself from Shelby, “let’s get him to bed.” Terry gently woke Walter, telling him, “Hey kiddo, how about we get you to bed?” Walter didn’t argue, as he once would, as he let both of his parents help him out of the chair, and take him to his bedroom. Shelby stayed with him as he used the bathroom, allowing Terry to tuck him into bed. She kissed him on the cheek before saying, “Sleep well, my little warrior.” Walter never heard his mom call him her ‘little warrior,’ he was asleep before his head had found a comfortable spot on his pillow. Shelby held Terry as the two looked down on their sleeping son. “Honey, I sure hope what Walter told me is true, about his feeling this was the last of his unexpected accidents.” Shelby pulled Terry closer and whispered back, “I think he’s right.” Terry gave Shelby a funny look as she whispered back, “You too?” Shelby simply nodded.

Both parents had kept an ear open as they slept, in case Walter needed them. So while Walter appeared better rested than the day before, they were a bit shabby. Terry and Shelby heard the toilet flush and knew Walter was up, so they too thought it was now their time to ‘rise and shine,’ as best they could. Terry and Shelby had just walked into the kitchen, as Walter was already getting out the needed pans to cook scrambled eggs and bacon. When Terry saw what Walter was doing she started for him, in order to stop him from exerting himself. But she only took half a step, before Shelby grabbed her arm, shook his head, and pulled Terry back towards him. He turned his head to whisper in Terry’s ear, “He’s doing fine. Don’t overreact.” Terry stood where Shelby had stopped them, not exactly happy with her husband, even though she knew he was right, and saw Walter was doing okay and was taking things slow. Walter turned to go to the fridge when he saw his parents and said, “Hi, good morning. Ah, would one of you mind getting the eggs and bacon out of the fridge? I’m afraid bending over isn’t what it once was, right now.”

One of the sutured cuts was just at Walter’s right waste line, where a jagged piece of glass had cut a deep gash, and was causing him a bit of pain if he had to bend over or twist. He found this out as he bent down to take the pans out of one of the lower cabinets. “Sure, sweetheart,” Terry told him, as Shelby let her go to get what was needed out of the fridge. “How are you feeling today, kid?” Shelby asked, as he pulled out plates, glasses and silverware to set the table. “Well, dad,” Walter started, taking the eggs and milk from his mom, thanking her, and setting them next to the stove. “I’m still sore, and have to be careful how I sit and move, but I feel more rested than I did yesterday.” He then put the bacon in one pan, turned on the burner below the pan, cracked the egg shells and emptied the contents into a bowl, before adding a bit of milk, salt and pepper, and stirring until everything was well mixed. As Terry watched, hovering just behind him, Walter took a fork and turned the bacon, getting a plate down and putting paper towels on it to drain the bacon. Once the bacon was out of the pan, he poured the egg mixture in the pan, stirring it into the bacon grease. He kept his eye on the eggs, and when it was time started stirring them until they were as fluffy as his family liked. Walter turned off the burner, took the now scrambled eggs out of the pan, put them into another bowl, picked up the bacon place, turned and said to his parents, “Madame et monsieur, breakfast is served.” Terry had taken the butter and jellies from the fridge as Shelby was in charge of the toast. Both chuckled at Walter’s antics, very glad they still had him to hear his antics. Both could see after Walter fixed breakfast that he was going to need a rest, and shooed him out of the kitchen after they’d finished breakfast. They both, almost at the same time, told him to go and rest, watch TV or read. Walter didn’t argue, and soon they heard the TV showing one of Walter’s favorite programs. When they finished clearing the table and had the dishes and pans washed and put away, they too went into the den to watch TV only to find Walter sound asleep in one of the easy chairs. They settled onto the couch, cuddled, and joined Walter. The TV being ignored. This would be the pattern for the rest of Sunday, meals then napping. All three had had three very exhausting days. Walter more than his parents, since he was the one who was put on dialysis and had blood samples taken every half hour. And was the one who came into contact with more chemicals than he should have, with lasting effects still unknown. When bedtime came, Shelby and Terry had no trouble getting Walter up to bed. Shelby again stayed with him in the bathroom, and Terry tucked him into bed. And as he had the night before, he was asleep before his head found that comfortable spot on the pillow. After Terry and Shelby left Walter’s room, it was Terry who pulled Shelby into their bedroom, kissing him passionately before she closed the bedroom door. It was 9:30 p.m. when they fell into bed, and a little after midnight before they fell asleep.

Terry and Shelby awoke earlier than normal, and got out of bed an hour later. While Terry went to the kitchen, Shelby went in to wake Walter; it was going to take him longer to get ready for school, until everything healed. As he had been doing, Shelby stayed with Walter in the bathroom, helped him put on all of his clothes, then picked up Walter’s backpack and followed his son to the kitchen, where Terry had a simple, but filling, breakfast ready for her two men. They had talked last night, Shelby telling Terry he would take Walter to school because he wanted to go into the office early. He needed to fill his partners in and wanted to talk with Tom. Walter did seem better this Monday morning, he didn’t seem as tired and was moving a bit better, still favoring some of the cuts he sustained. Terry’s men kissed her goodbye, before going out to Shelby’s car. “How are you feeling this morning, Walter?” Shelby asked this before starting his car, he wanted to make sure Walter still felt he could return to school. “Dad, if you don’t start the car, the wheels can’t roll and you can’t get me to school on time.” That was all Shelby needed to hear from his son, as he started the car’s engine, backed out of the driveway and headed to the high school.

There seemed to be quite the commotion when Shelby and Walter pulled up in front of the school doors. As Walter was about to get out of Shelby’s car, Shelby told him, “Son, please take it easy today. It’s your first day back and you’re still recovering. If someone wants to carry your backpack, let ‘em, they mean well. And if you’re allowed to leave class early to make your next class, do it. Your teachers mean well too. Promise me, Walter, that you will take it easy.” Walter leaned over and hugged his dad before telling him, “I promise,” and got out of Shelby’s car. Shelby stayed a few minutes and watched Walter walk up to the group who had gathered around the school doors. And as he watched, he saw student after student either hug Walter or shook his hand, welcoming him back to school. Shelby wiped his eyes before leaving the school and heading to his firm.

Peter had called the night before to make sure Walter hadn’t changed his mind about coming back to school on Monday. When he found out he was still coming, he told Shelby he wanted to talk with Walter first thing when he arrived at school. After Walter made it through all the well wishers, he headed directly to the school office. Margot saw him come into the office and told him, “He’s expecting you, go right in. And Walter,” she added as Walter had walked past her desk, “it’s good to have you back.” Walter smiled at Margot before saying, “Thank you, Mrs. Dwater, I’m glad I could come back.” Walter knocked on Peter’s office door and went in after Peter called, “Come in.” After Walter closed the door Peter pointed to a chair in front of his desk. After Walter had sat down Uncle Peter went to work. “How are you feeling? I realize you’ve just been grilled by the same question, but your Uncle needs to know.”

Walter looked at his Uncle, and his Uncle saw the smirk form on Walter’s mouth. That smirk had always signaled Walter was about to say something that would sound innocent but would guarantee either laughter or groans, or both. “I feel fine. I’m more rested than when I came home Saturday, and am following Marsha’s orders to take it easy. And who’s idea was the welcoming committee this morning? I didn’t know that many had thought about me.”

Peter got up out of the chair behind his desk, walked around to the front of the desk, turned the second chair there to face Walter, sat down and looked at his nephew. “Walter. You don’t realize how much you affected each of those kids’ lives. More than half of them grew up with you, watched as everything happened to you and how you reacted each time. You gained their admiration because of how you reacted. You never treated any of them with anything but kindness and care. You helped them when asked, and never put any of them down for any reason. And since you’ve been here, in high school, those who got to know you, and saw those unintended events, and how you reacted, also grew to admire you for the character you displayed.” Peter stopped speaking as he gathered his thoughts. When he spoke again it wasn’t something Walter was expecting. “Walter, you may not see it, but you have been a Godsend to this high school. In the few weeks you’ve been here, and made it through the events, and your reactions, the students are all acting differently. Oh, there still are those who think they are the cock-of-the-walk, but the majority are more outgoing, helpful to each other, and if something occurs to them, have a different attitude in how they react. Walter, believe it or not, you’ve been a lighthouse for everyone.” And here Peter lowered his voice in a sonspitory way. “And between you and me, even ol’ Margot has softened a bit.” That caused Walter to laugh, since he knew how Margot was when he first came to high school. Margot had no trouble taking the ‘F’ out of fun at one time.

Peter then went on to tell Walter all of his teachers knew his condition, and if he needed any help just let them know. Peter would normally scruf Walter’s hair before saying goodbye or have him go to class. Instead he gently laid a hand on Walter’s shoulder before telling him, “I know you’ve already heard this from Marsha and your folks, but you are to take it easy today, and for the next few days. Ask for help, don’t get all bull headed, as you usually do, and think you can’t do things on your own. Because if you end up with the nurse because you got bull headed, and tried to do something you shouldn’t right now, I’m going to be really pissed you didn’t follow doctor’s orders.” Peter then told Walter he better get to class. Walter made it to his locker and then his first period class, science, just as the first bell rang.

When he walked into class he wasn’t expecting anyone to be there except Mrs. Stokes. What he saw as he walked in was a room full of students, those he usually saw during class. He’d was stopped dead in the doorway by what he saw, but wasn’t expecting everyone to stand up and applaud for him. It was their way of welcoming him back. Walter found he had something in his eye that had to be wiped off, before walking to the desk he normally sat at. They were still applauding as the second bell sounded; Walter found it hard to see through wet, blurry eyes. Brigette got everyone to finally settle down and took roll. She asked Walter to see her after class so she could give him the assignments he’d missed. And to see when he could come in after school to do the hands-on experiments he’d missed. Walter just nodded his head, and Brigette carried on.

The rest of his day went well. He had volunteers help him get to his next classes. While in the halls, other students gave him the right of way, so as not bump into him. At lunch, the boy Walter helped off the floor, then gave his lunch to, helped Walter get his lunch and even bused his tray. No one said it, but they all could see how tired Walter would get going from class to class, doing better once he was in class and had a chance to rest during class.

As the days passed, they could also see Walter improve, so the help he had been receiving slowly leveled off, until they could see he was back to his old self and didn’t need their help anymore. They knew he was back when he let go with a few of his word plays during a few of his classes, garnering the groans and laughter they needed. No one had said it when Walter came back to school, but almost everyone had missed him being in school. He had a habit of brightening people’s days.

tbc
Chapter 6

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 6

Walter had his first weekly checkup with Marsha that Wednesday after he’d been released from the hospital. She could see that Walter was feeling better just by the way he walked into the exam room. She ran through a battery of general questions, how have you been feeling, are you sleeping okay, have you had any pains or other ailments, etc. With each question Walter answered either ‘no’ or ‘okay,’ or explained some things. Marsha then took a few blood samples, wanting them rushed so she’d know the results before Walter went home.

Two things had been happening since Walter was released from the hospital. Shelby had gone into the office each morning to continue working on the project for Tom Warmer. And Terry insisted Walter take a nap the moment he got home from school, hence the reason the students at school saw Walter improve each day.

Shelby had also called Tom to let him know how Walter was doing, and Tom again told Shelby to let him know when he felt he could return and he’d send his Lear for him. That night, when he got home, the day Walter had his first checkup, Shelby found out Walter’s checkup showed everything was as the doctor’s had hoped, the chemical levels in Walter’s blood were almost completely non-existent. There were still a few traces but even those, they felt, weren’t enough to cause any problems. After supper, Shelby conference called his partners and Tom Warmer, telling them the results of Walter’s checkup, and feeling he could catch a flight in the morning to continue the work with Tom.

Ever the blunt, straight forward person he was, Tom said, “Bullshit, Shelby. I told you to call me when you felt you could come back out and I’d have the Lear waiting for you at your airport. Now, while you may think you’re back to your old self, I’ve a feeling you’re still worried about Walter. And you don’t need the hassle of all the crap you’d have to put up with flying commercial. My Lear will be waiting for you at 8 a.m. at your airport, and the same folks will be onboard; they were as worried about your son as I was. And Shelby, thank you. Thank you for showing me that family is important.” Shelby hadn’t been able to get a word in the entire time Tom was speaking. It was quiet for a few moments until Lori, one of Shelby’s partners, asked, “Shelby, are you still there?” All four heard Shelby clear his throat a few times before saying, “Um, yeah, Lori, I’m still here. I’m just overwhelmed by Tom’s generosity.” Charging right ahead, Tom blurted out, “Right, then, Shelby I’ll see you about 10 tomorrow morning,” before his line went dead. The partners had worked with Tom Warmer on several projects, and still had trouble adjusting to his no nonsense style of business, and his bluntness. “So, Shelby,” David, another of the partners, started, “you’ll fly out tomorrow morning just after 8? You have everything you need from us?” It was quiet again until Marti, the third partner, asked, as had Lori, “Shelby, you still there? Are you alright?” Again they heard Shelby clear his throat several times before he told them, in a throaty voice, “Yeah, I have everything I need. I still have all of my family.”

That night over supper, Terry and Shelby discussed getting Walter to school and Shelby to the airport. Terry didn’t see the need to let Shelby take his car then leave it parked at the private terminal for however long he’d be gone. So they decided they’d take Shelby to the airport first, then take Walter to school, since it was only a fifteen minute drive to the airport, then another fifteen minute to the high school. They’d leave the house at 7:15 a.m. so they could allow for traffic both times.

The next morning they did make their departure time of 7:15, and arrived at the private terminal a little after 7:30; traffic wasn’t as bad as they feared. Walter started getting out of the car, following his parents, when they both told him at the same time, “You stay here. Save your strength for school.” Terry looked at Shelby, and he her, then at Walter, and the three laughed because of what they both had just said, at the same time. Shelby came around to the passenger side of the car, opened the back passenger door, knelt down, and took Walter into a hug, telling him, “You take care of yourself, you hear me? Do what your mom and Marsha ask. I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay? And son, I love you.” He then helped Walter out of the backseat, and into the front passenger seat. No sense making it look like he’s being chauffeured. Walter hugged his dad again, before getting into the front passenger seat, and watched as his mom and dad, arms around each other’s waist, walked to, and into, the private terminal. It was only a few minutes later when Terry came walking back to the car, wiping her eyes as she walked. And only a few minutes later they arrived at school and the start of another school day.

The days leading up to Walter’s second checkup were uneventful, thankfully. Walter would get up in the morning, hit the bathroom, and do everything he needed to do, before getting dressed and going down to breakfast. Terry would get up in the morning, do her bathroom routine, get dressed then get breakfast ready for her and Walter, before driving him to school. Some days after dropping Walter off at school, she’d go shopping, either for groceries or just for herself; she was still a bit wound up after what happened to her son, and needed to do just for herself once in a while. Shelby would call in the evenings to see how Walter was doing, before he and Terry had their own version of phone sex, both taking longer falling asleep when they did go to bed; Walter never heard any of those conversations since he was in his room doing homework. He was able to speak with Shelby, though, before the couple had their exciting conversations.

It was the second Wednesday since Walter had been released from the hospital, and the day for his second checkup. He’d stayed up late Tuesday night, studying for two tests and finishing his homework. Terry came running into his room and shouted, “WALTER! WAKEUP UP, WE’VE OVERSLEPT!” Terry’s shouting was the equivalent of someone banging a metal spoon on the bottom of a metal pan. Walter was instantly awake. He looked at his clock and saw it was already ten minutes to 8, and he had to be at school at 8:30. He jumped out of bed, Terry flew down to the kitchen, Walter threw on his underwear, socks and pants, then headed to the bathroom.

Because they both overslept, there wasn’t time to fix a hot breakfast. Instead, Terry got two bowels out of a cabinet, cereal out of another, and the milk from the fridge. She had just sat the milk on the table when she heard Walter scream, and a thud coming from upstairs. She ran from the kitchen and up the stairs, where she found Walter sitting on the floor hugging his chest, crying and saying through sobs, “Oh, GAWD it hurts,” over and over again as he cried. Terry got down on the floor with him, and gently moved his hands aside, and saw a faint pink line running down across Walter’s left nipple. When she asked what had happened Walter told her, “I was hurrying and turned into the bathroom too quickly and hit the door jamb with my chest. Oh gawd it hurts, mom.” Walter had moved his hands back as Terry had found him, so she again gently moved his hands out of the way.

The line down across his nipple was now a darker pink, and as Terry touched his nipple, Walter flinched and cried out. Terry thought she’d felt something, and much gentler now, felt around the nipple. Then she felt his right nipple and the surrounding area. “Come on, let’s get you into the bathroom so you can use the toilet.” Terry helped Walter up, and helped him to the toilet and with pulling his pants and underwear down; he was still hugging his chest. She had him sit down and pee, then reversed everything before flushing the toilet and walking him into his room. She had him sit on his bed and told him she was going to make some phone calls and would be back. Her first call was to Peter, telling him she was taking Walter to see Marsha and he wouldn’t be in school today. When Peter asked why, she simply told him, “I don’t know for sure, Peter, so I’d rather not say right now.” She didn’t wait for the pleasantries of goodbyes, and simply hung up and dialed Marsha’s number. When Marsha heard what had happened, and what Terry discovered, she told Terry she’d be waiting at the emergency room entrance for them.

Terry ran back upstairs and into Walter’s bedroom. He was still clutching his chest, and tears still running down his cheeks. Terry grabbed one of his button up shirts out of the closet and was about to help him put it on, when she stopped and thought, ‘If what I think is happening, is happening, then they’re going to be tender.” She laid the shirt on Walter’s bed then ran into her bedroom, opening a dresser drawer and taking out a white, satin, camisole. She ran back into Walter’s bedroom, and knelt down in front of him and said, “Walter, look at me.” When Walter brought his head up and was looking at Terry she went on with, “I think I know why your chest hurts so bad where you banged into the door jamb. No, don’t ask questions now, just let me put this camisole on you before putting on your shirt. It will feel better against your skin than just your shirt.” Walter just nodded his head, and after Terry had him raise his arms, his left arm went up slower than his right arm, she slipped the camisole over his head, pulled it down, then helped him put his shirt on. After it was buttoned, Walter again hugged his chest, and Terry helped him to his feet and back downstairs. She grabbed her purse, pulled out the car keys, and holding Walter by the waist, took him out to her car. She was careful opening the front passenger door, mindful of where Walter was standing. He slowly got into the car, Terry fastened the seatbelt for him, ran around to the driver’s side, got in, did her seatbelt, started the car, and left tracks as she backed out of the driveway. To say she exceeded the speed limit, or didn’t break a few traffic laws would be far below an understatement. But they were at the hospital ten minutes later; it’s normally a twenty minute drive. And she may have angered a few other drivers on their way to the hospital.

Terry received a lot of dirty looks, as she sped into the drive for the emergency room entrance. A security guard had started walking Terry’s way until he saw her jump out of her car, run around to the passenger side, and help a boy get out of the car before they went into the emergency room. He remembered back when he was about that age, and the times his parents had done the same for him. He hoped the boy would be alright.

Marsha was waiting for them as she had said, and told them to follow her as she led them back to an exam room. A lab tech was already waiting and was told to go ahead and get blood samples from Walter. After taking four vials, Marsha told the lab tech to put a rush on those samples. When he gave her a ‘look’ she told him it was very important. Then when he still looked at her funny, she told him, “This is the same boy we treated two weeks ago for that chemical contamination.” It was only then the tech’s light went on and he hurried out of the exam room.

Marsha had had Walter initially lie down on the exam table when he first entered the room, so she could look him over from head to foot. When saw nothing that caught her eye, she helped him sit up, then said more to herself than to him or Terry, “Let’s get this shirt off you and see why it hurts so bad.” After what Terry told her she wasn’t surprised when she saw the camisole, her own mother had done the same for her when she first started to develop breasts. She saw Walter winch as he raised his left arm so she could take off the camisole. Terry saw how much more pronounced that line had become, explaining to Marsha what she saw at first. “Walter,” and she gently cupped his chin and lifted his head until he was looking at her, “I’m going to be as gentle as I can, but it might hurt a bit. Understand. I need to feel around your nipples to see if what your mom suspects is really happening.” There was a knock on the door just as Marsha had started to palpate the left side of Walter’s chest. Marsha opened the door and saw Dr. Gale Stomer, the resident Ob-Gyn standing there. “Hi Gale, thank you for coming,” Marsha said to Gale as Gale walked into the room. Terry knew Gale, and the field of medicine she practiced, and the two exchanged pleasantries as Marsha returned to Walter.

“Okay, Walter, here we go. I’ll try to be as gentle as I can.” To show Walter she meant what she said, instead of starting on the left side of Walter’s chest she started on the right side, palpating the nipple then the surrounding area. Then, even more gentler, she started palpating his right side, eliciting a cry from Walter as she palpated near the top and bottom where the line from the doorjamb ran. When she was done, she used her head to have Gale come over, and after introducing her to Walter, she told him she just wanted another doctor to double check her findings. Even before Gale started her exam of Walter’s chest, Walter saw Gale’s ID badge and asked, “Um...why are you having an Ob-Gyn doctor look at me, Marsha? That field of medicine deals with women and pregnancies.” The look he gave Marsha and Gale, then his mom, let Terry know he was not a happy camper. She’d only seen that look one other time, and it didn’t turn out well for the boy who was bullying a small girl.

Marsha hadn’t been around Walter that much, but could spot steam coming from someone’s ears with ease. She actually pushed Gale back, got into Walter’s face and told him, in no uncertain terms, “Listen, young man. You will NOT get upset at me, Gale, or your mom because of what we may or may not find. You WILL keep that temper of yours in check so we can find out why you are in so much pain.” She then softened her approach by placing the palms of her hands against each of Walter’s cheeks before she told him, “Walter, I know you are scared, so is your mom. But you have to trust us to do what’s best for you. Don’t go all space cadet on us now.” She used the fingers of both hands to wipe tears from his cheeks, and he apologized and let Gale start examining his chest. As Marsha did, she started on the right side of his chest, then moved to the left side, again getting a cry of pain from Walter as she palpated the areas near the dark line running across Walter’s left nipple. Gale looked at Marsha and nodded, as did Marsha. Terry knew why they were nodding and tears started falling from her eyes.

Though Walter was still in pain, he was not blind, and caught the nods of Gale and Marsha. And the tears falling from his mother’s eyes. “Um...HELLO! Remember me, Walter? The one in pain? The one half dressed in a room with three beautiful women?” Walter’s antics cause all three women to chuckle before Gale replied, “Yes, Walter, we know you’re there. Keep your shorts on.” Terry actually laughed even as tears rolled down her cheeks. Walter just met another person able to give him his own medicine, figuratively and literally.

Gale was another doctor who wouldn’t pull punches when she talked with a patient. She pulled up a stool so she could sit directly in front of Walter, as Terry walked around behind him and put her hands on his shoulders. Gale looked him directly in the eyes as she spoke. “You asked why an Ob-Gyn doctor was checking you out, medically? Though if I were several years younger you’d be quite a catch. Walter, has your chest seemed...puffy to you recently? Have you felt like you’ve just eaten a lot at times but haven’t? Have you noticed anything different about your genitals lately?” Gale finished her questions and watched as Walter thought about her questions; Terry also tightened her grip on his shoulders.

Walter hadn’t really thought much of it, but he could answer ‘yes’ to all of Gale’s questions. And that’s how he answered. “Well, yeah, my chest has seemed kind of puffy, but I just thought it was because of the treatments I have been given. And now that you mention it, I have felt like I’ve just eaten something when it’s been several hours since I ate anything. And...um...my...genitals have seemed a bit different than I remembered. What’s all this mean? Am I turning into a girl or something?” Walter laughed as he said the last bit, but he was the only one who did. Gale took his left hand and told him, “Walter, I’m going to guide you hand and I want you to gently feel around your right nipple. Very gently now.” Gale controlled Walter’s hand as he gently felt in the areas she led him. When he gave her a questioning look, because he did feel something, she told him, “Walter, hold onto your hat. You are developing breasts.” Terry braced her son as he fainted and fell backward.

Walter scrunched his eyes and tried to swat the odor away, as the ammonia ampoule was broken under Walter’s nostrils. The ammonia smell made him start coughing, but brought him back around. Where he had been sitting on the exam table, he was now lying down, looking up at three worried faces. “Um...Hi? What happened?” Terry moved an errant bit of hair off his forehead and told him, “You fainted after Gale said you were developing breasts.” Walter looked from his mom, to Gale, to Marsha, and all three were nodding their heads. He was developing breasts, and what he had felt, what all three women had felt, were breast buds. “Um...and all the other things? They’re part of me developing breasts?” Marsha took Walter’s left hand in hers before telling him, “We think so, but we’re not sure. While you were sleeping, Gale and I decided to run you through a few machines to look at the inside of you, and do a few more ‘female’ tests. Walter mouthed ‘female tests’ before he asked, “What type of female tests?” Just then there was a knock on the exam room door. Gale opened it, spoke to the person there, took the pages she was handed, closed the door and walked back over to the exam table and their little group.

As Gale and Marsha are looking over the pages Gale was given, it dawned on Walter that something was missing. He looked down the length of his body and saw he was wearing a paper gown. When he lifted the collar of the gown, he saw he was in his birthday suit, as naked as he could be. “Um...I’ve another question for you three voyeurs. Why am I naked under this paper dress?” Terry clamped her hand over her mouth, as Marsha giggled

Marsha gently reached down and wiped the few tears that had escaped Walter’s eyes. “I’m sorry Walter, I was trying to help you get through this.” He just nodded as more tears rolled to his ears. “It’s okay, I’m just scared.” As Walter gathered himself, he noticed Gale was attaching two ‘things’ to the exam table. “Um...what are those,” and he pointed to the two metal stirrups Gale just attached to the table.

Terry chuckled and gently placed her left hand on Walter’s right shoulder. “Well, Walter,” Marsha began, “you remember I said we wanted to perform a few more ‘female’ tests on you? Well, putting your feet in those stirrups will allow Dr. Stromer to examine your genitals better.” Terry saw it coming, because of the smirk on Walter’s lips, but there was nothing she could do. “What, you want to play with my woo hoo?” It wasn’t so much what he said but how he said it, and the pantomime he added by just flicking his fingers back and forth, and the lilt in his voice. It got real quiet in the room for a moment, then all three women couldn’t help it, they cracked up. Marsha ended up leaning against one wall laughing. Terry against another, also laughing. And Gale simply dropped her head on the examination table, right between Walter’s legs, and was the worst of all. When the three had collected themselves, it was Gale, still chuckling, who told him, “Yes, Walter, I’m going to handle your woo hoo. And I’ll be as easy as I can. You ready?” Walter knew it was a rhetorical question, shook his head ‘no’ before ‘yes’ then following Gale’s instructions, lifted his legs, put them into the stirrups, scooted a bit towards Gale, laid back and tried to relax. A thought occurred to him and he laughed, but Terry told him, “Don’t you dare say it.” That caused both of them to laugh. “Okay, Walter, here we go. Please try and lay as still as you can. We don’t want anything to happen to your woo hoo.” Gale chuckled to herself just after she said that, glancing up to see Walter rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

There was no humor in Gale’s voice as she told Walter, “Okay, Walter, you may put your legs down and scoot back a bit. I’m through with the exam.” She picked up the pages she’d set down before examining Walter’s genitals, looked through them much slower this time, got up off the stool she’d been sitting on and pursed her lips before saying, “Walter, you can sit up now.” Gale walked over until she was directly in front of Walter, and speaking to him, and Terry, who was again standing behind her son, said, “I’m not sure how you’re going to take this, Walter, so brace yourself. Besides the breast development we discovered, your genitals are shrinking. Your testicals are about half the size they should be for a boy your age, as is your penis.” Terry had placed both hands on Walter’s shoulders, and could feel Walter shaking. “And your testosterone levels are dropping, being replaced would be a better choice of words.” Gale could see the question Walter was about to ask and told him before he could ask, “Being replaced with estrogen. Walter, I believe your DNA is being written, or parts of it are being switched on, and it will continue until you have become a full fledged girl. With all the parts natural born girls are born with. That’s why I want more tests run, beginning with several imaging ones.” She reached up and gently wiped off the tears running down Walter’s cheeks, telling him, “We’ll be here for you Walter, my word of honor.”

Walter suddenly spun around on the exam table, grabbed his mom and burst out in tears. Marsha and Gale felt it best to let his mom comfort him and stepped out of the room. Gale showed Marsha the pages she’d received, and got a whistle out of Marsha as she read through all of the results of the blood tests. “Oh, GAWD, that poor boy. First all of those accidents and now this. Did you read the report on his last accident, the one he had two weeks ago?” When Gale shook her head ‘no,’ Marsha pulled out her tablet, opened the file containing Walter’s last accident, and handed the tablet to Gale. “Whoa, shit,” was all Gale said as she handed the tablet back to Marsha. Gale got a questioning look on her face before asking, “You think all the chemicals he was exposed to are doing this, don’t you?” Marsha nodded her head and replied, “Yeah, I do. And maybe we would have seen this coming had we thought to look for it. But we were so worried about getting the chemicals out of his bloodstream we never considered something like this might happen.” The door to the exam room opened and Terry poked her head out, telling the two doctors, “You can come back in now. Walter and I had a nice talk.”

When the doctors again saw Walter, his eyes were red from crying, his face was tear streaked, and his nose was running; the trash can now had more tissues in it. Marsha picked up the box of tissues, offered them to Walter, who took one and wiped his eyes before wiping his nose. As he held the tissue in his hands, he asked in a quivering voice, “Um...what now? How long before I’m a full girl? Can it be stopped? Is it because of all those chemicals?”

Marsha had watched Walter go through all of the treatments to remove the accumulated chemicals he was exposed to from his bloodstream. Right now, though, his pleading face showed that he was a boy who had been beaten down by what he just learned. “Walter, you know I don’t pull punches when I tell my patients things they may not want to hear? Well, I’m not going to start now with you. Now, we’re going to run more tests on you, starting with imaging, as Gale said. I’m afraid we will need more of your red go juice, because I want more exhaustive tests run. As to how long, I don’t know, no one does. As far as I know, you’re the first person to have this happen to you. Can it be stopped? Walter, I’m sorry, but, I don’t know. No one does at this point.”

Marsha was close enough to Walter that he leaned forward, put his head on her chest, reached around her waist, pulled her closer to him, and began crying again. Marsha reached over and pulled him into her, looked up at the ceiling as tears ran down her cheeks. As she stood holding Walter, and Walter held her, Terry and Gale wrapped their arms around her from opposite sides, with Gale saying so all four could hear, “We’ll get through this, however it turns out.”

It was several minutes before the group hug broke up, and the trash can gained more tissues. Gale went to the phone on the wall, picked up the receiver before punching a few numbers, and when the phone at the other end was answered, asked, “Do you have anything scheduled right now?...That’s good. I have a patient I was a full workup done on, right now. ...That’s right, right now. ...Yes I consider it an emergency. And when you read the full report, so will you. ...Okay, good, we’re on our way.”

Gale hung up the receiver then turned to the other three. “Imaging doesn’t have anyone scheduled right now, so, Walter, we’re going to go and get a few pictures of your insides. Terry, this will take a while, so why don’t you go to the cafeteria and get something to eat or drink. And maybe you’d want to make a phone call of your own? We’ll come and get you when we’re done.” Gale picked up the receiver on the phone and punched in a few more numbers, asking for a gurney to be brought to exam room 3. Terry put her arms around her son and pulled him into her, stroking his hair as she did so. “Sweetheart, we will get through this, just like all the other times. You’ll see.” Marsha had been around Walter enough to know what a smirk on his lips meant, and she wasn’t disappointed as he said, “But mom, my woo hoo wasn’t at stake those other times.” Terry just shook her head, dropped her chin onto the top of Walter’s head and said, “Only you could make light of a situation like this.” About that time there was a knock on the door, before it opened and an orderly came in pulling the gurney Gale had ordered. Terry kissed Walter on the top of his forehead before telling him, “It will be okay, Walter. Do you understand?” Walter nodded his head before telling Terry, “I love you, mom.” The orderly and Terry helped Walter get onto the gurney, before Gale told him where they were going, and followed them out of the exam room.

Marsha saw the look on Terry’s face and grabbed her in a hug and let Terry cry on her shoulder. “He’s going to be okay, Terry. He may become a she, but he will get through this. I’ve seen that strength in him the short time I’ve been with him. All of us will get through this together.” The two women embraced a few moments longer until Marsha patted Terry’s back and told her, “Come on, let’s go fix our war paint. Then go to the cafeteria and get something to eat and drink. Gale doesn’t need me right now, she’s a big girl, she knows what she’s doing.” Despite how Terry was feeling at that moment, she had to laugh at Marsha’s flippant words. They walked out of the exam room arm in arm, stopping by Marsha’s office so she could grab her purse, before going to the women’s restroom then on to the cafeteria.

tbc
Chapter 7

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 7

Marsha had just taken the last bite of the omelette she’d ordered in the cafeteria when her cell phone rang. She picked it up, accepted the call and Terry heard her say, “Okay, I’ll be right there.” As Terry was still eating the scrambled eggs and bacon she’d ordered, Marsha told her, “They’ve finished taking pictures, so I’m going down to see what they think. You sit here, finish your food, and make that phone call you’ve been putting off. I’ll come back and get you when we know more.” She kissed Terry on the cheek before walking off towards the imaging department. Terry’s last bite was rather difficult to swallow, since she knew she couldn’t put off calling Shelby any longer. She continued eating as she tried to think of all she needed to say to her husband. She chuckled at herself as the thought of, “Hi Shelby. Guess what. We’re going to have a new daughter any day now. No, I’m not pregnant. Our son will soon become our daughter.” She just shook her head at her own silliness. She ate the last bit of bacon she had, washed it all down with the rest of her coffee, went up to the cooler, took out a bottle of bottled water, paid for it and sat back down before taking out her cell phone and dialing Shelby’s number. When Shelby answered he asked, “What’s up, sweetheart.” With tears in her eyes she told him, “Shelby, you need to come home. They discovered Walter’s changing into a girl.” All he said in return was, “I’m on my way.” She folded her arms on the table top, put her head down on her arms and silently cried. She felt an arm go around her shoulders and pull her into a hug. She didn’t really care who was holding her just then, but was surprised when she heard, “It’s okay sis, we’re all here for you guys,” as Peter held her tight. When she asked, “Who?” Peter replied with, “Marsha.”

When Terry let go of Peter he let go of her, then pulled a chair around so he was sitting right next to, and facing, his sister. Terry took a tissue out of her purse, dried her eyes then opened the bottle of water and took a long drink. “What else have they told you?” Peter asked, while Terry drank. She shook her head as she swallowed, then recounted everything that took place from the time Walter hit the door jamb, to Gale taking him to imaging, to Marsha getting called to go there. She didn’t know any more. Peter gently rubbed the back of Terry’s neck, as she drank more water. He got up, went to the cooler, took out two bottles of water, paid for them before returning to the table and again sitting down next to Terry. She thanked Peter for getting the water, before opening the new bottle and taking another long drink.

It was 11:30 a.m. when Terry suddenly jumped up from her chair and ran off towards the cafeteria entrance. Peter didn’t know why she took off like a shot until he turned around and saw her fiercely holding Shelby; the luggage he’d been pulling forgotten behind him at the moment. He saw Shelby was speaking but couldn’t hear what was being said, though he felt it was clearly meant to put Terry at ease. When Terry and Shelby finally reached the table where Terry and Peter had been sitting, Terry didn’t realize Peter wasn’t there, until a tray was placed on the table, full of food and drinks. Peter put his arm around Shelby’s shoulders before asking, “How was the flight?” He didn’t have to ask ‘how are you doing,’ it was written on Shelby’s face. When Shelby and Terry saw what Peter had set before them, they both gave him a questioning look, because it was a little of everything they liked for lunch. Peter just shrugged his shoulders, chuckled, and replied, “I’ve been around the two of you far too long.” Terry gave her brother a hug then sat down and started eating, as did Shelby before he too sat down to enjoy what Peter bought for them.

Peter stood for a moment more, watching his sister and her husband, as they ate. They were going through something right now that might have torn other families apart. But these two people clung to each other when they were hurting the most. He just hoped he and Tina would do the same when their times came. He then sat down and grabbed something before his sister and her hungry husband ate it all.

Terry’s cell phone rang at 1:00 p.m., it was from Marsha. After taking her phone out of her purse, and accepting the call, all Shelby and Peter heard her say was, “Okay, give us a few minutes.” She put her cell phone back in her purse then told Peter and Shelby, “They’ve finished taking pictures and want to see us in the Imaging Department’s waiting room. But not before I use the little girl’s room.” Terry, saying she needed to visit the restroom, hit both men at the same time, as did a warning from their bladders. They’d been so busy comforting each other that they’d ignored the dire request from their own bodies. And both men moved at light speed to honor that now urgent request. In fact, by the time Peter took the tray and plates back, Shelby was nowhere in sight. But Peter didn’t question where he’d gone, as he saw the door to the men’s room, just outside the cafeteria, closing. And he was not far behind Shelby.

The two men were waiting for Terry just outside both restrooms, as Shelby started to pace. Peter put his hand on Shelby’s shoulder, as he passed by, and told him, “You need to relax, we’ll get there when Terry is ready. She gave birth to Walter, so this is especially hard on her. And from the number of times I’ve seen her like this, since this whole thing started, she needs to take all the time she wants.” Peter’s words had the desired effect on Shelby, they made him stop pacing and realize his wife had been here by herself, and dealing with it all, by herself. A few moments later the door to the ladies room opened and Terry walked out, looking much better than when she went in. She’d combed her hair and fixed her makeup. Though she looked physically better, she was still a wreck inside. She latched onto Shelby and the three headed to Imaging.

When the three reached the Imaging Department’s waiting room, they saw Gale, Marsha, and a fully dressed Walter. Terry introduced Gale to Shelby before Gale suggested they use one of the small conference rooms to talk. She and Marsha led the way and all six entered the indicated room. As everyone took a seat, just after Terry sat down, Walter sat down in her lap, latching onto her. Terry kissed the top of Walter’s head before telling him, “It’ll be alright, baby.” Shelby was sitting to Terry’s left, and had put his hand on Walter’s shoulder just as Gale started explaining what they’d seen in the images.

“When we initially examined Walter, we believed he had developed breast buds, something a girl starting puberty would develop. And I know it isn’t what you want to hear, but they are developing nicely.” Walter lifted his head off Terry’s chest, turned his head to face Gale, and stuck his tongue out at her. She laughed before telling Walter, “Yes, I know, Walter. That isn’t something you want to hear. But would you want me to tell you something much worse?” Walter just shook his head ‘no’ before laying his head back on Terry’s chest. “Also, we know the average width of the hips of boys about Walter’s age. It appears his hips are slowly getting wider. And his pelvis is showing slow changes as well.” She held up her hand as Walter had again turned his head to face Gale. “Yes, Walter. I know, you hate hearing that too.” She watched as he put his head back on Terry’s chest before she continued. “And Walter, I really know you hate hearing this part, so go ahead, stick out your tongue at me before I continue.” Walter just laughed and stayed as he was against Terry’s chest. “We had several people look at the images of Walter’s groin, and everyone is in agreement, he is developing new structures in his lower abdomen.” Gale had become quite adept at reading the questions on people’s faces over the years, so when Shelby’s face was asking ‘what type of structures’ Gale told him, “Yes, Shelby. Ovaries, a uterus, and fallopian tubes. They are in the very early stages, but they ARE forming. And we believe once Walter’s genitals have totally disappeared, the vagina will then form.”

Terry felt her blouse getting wet where Walter’s head lay, and her tears were dripping onto the top of his head. Even Shelby had to wipe his eyes several times during Gale’s talk, but he never let go of his son’s shoulder. Peter had seen a small fridge in the corner of the conference room, and had taken three bottles of water out of it and placed them on the table in front of the hurting three. He looked at Gale and Marsha, pointing to the bottles of water, and both nodded to him; he got three more out of that fridge.

It was Marsha who took up explaining things to the three as she told them, “The blood samples we took were sent off for extensive testing, so it’ll be several days before we know the results. As was said in the exam room, we don’t know if only parts of Walter’s DNA are being affected or if his entire DNA is being rewritten, but we’ll know for sure once we get the results of the tests. For now we wait. Walter is in good health,” Walter turned his head toward Marsha and stuck his tongue out at her, before turning back to his mom’s chest. Marsha dropped her head, and laughed before telling Walter, “Yes, you don’t think you’re in good health by transforming into a girl. But you are, despite your likes or dislikes. The chemicals that entered into your bloodstream have all but vanished, the levels are acceptable. Your mom and dad are here and love you deeply, some aren’t so lucky, Walter. And,” and here she laughed a bit as she told Walter, “you get to go with your mom to buy your first bra.” Walter looked up at his mom and gave her a stink eye, before he did the same at a smiling Marsha. “Whoopie,” he said, and dropped his head back on Terry’s chest, causing her to tell him, “Hey, miss, watch what you’re slamming your head into.” Walter looked up at Terry and stuck his tongue out at her. That got a laugh from everyone.

Peter had been quiet throughout the entire talk; he was sitting to Terry’s left. He got out of his chair, pushed the chair out of the was so he could kneel where Walter could see his face, and told Walter, “Walter, look at me.” Peter had been watching Walter all through the presentation, and had seen his stare but not ‘see anything look.’ It was still the look he saw when he told Walter to look at him, he wanted Walter to focus. When Walter’s eyes finally sought his Uncle, Peter went on with, “I’ve seen how you dealt with those incidents at school. Your mom has told me how you’ve dealt with all of the incidents while you’ve been in school. Even the ones you encountered when not in school, and each time you took them in stride and laughed at them all. You need to hang onto that attitude now. Now is not the time to start acting anything but you are in your heart. You’ve proven you’re better than anything you’ve experienced, and what you’re going through now is another of those experiences. Don’t let it make you bitter, and DON’T get angry and take it out on those trying to help you get through this. They are truly concerned about you and love you very much. As Marsha said, some aren’t as lucky as you are, having so many wanting to help you. Some parents would have kicked their own children out of the house, even if it was no fault of their own. It wasn’t your fault those shelves broke. It wasn’t your fault that bottle was on the wrong shelf. Your only fault was thinking you could get that bottle without any help, a fault you seem to have developed early in your life. It’s okay to depend on yourself most of the time. But, like now, and in getting that bottle, there’s nothing wrong with asking for help. Or letting others help you.”

Peter was the only one who could see Walter thinking about everything he was just told. But everyone heard him say, “You’re right, Uncle Peter. I’m just really scared, more so than I’ve ever been. I feel like the dog that’s been beaten so much it can’t tell the difference between a loving hand and the one that’s going to hit him again. And it’s hard for me to ask for help when I’ve been doing a lot of things for myself for so long. I feel like I’ll let me down if I do.” Peter reached up and wiped tears off Walter’s face before telling him, “Self reliant can only get you so far, Walter. Sometimes it’s necessary to ask for help if you want to get anywhere.”

Peter could see Walter thinking about what he just told Walter. He saw another look on Walter’s face, before Walter said, “So, one day I’ll get married, oh, wait. That would mean we’d, um, that he would,” and he looked up at Terry and continued with, “that means you and dad...I think I’ll become a nun.” Terry and Peter facepalmed themselves. Marsha had fallen backward laughing so hard. Gale sat down hard in a chair laughing, and Shelby was shaking his head and laughing. Terry reached with her left hand and gently cupped Walter’s chin, lifting it so he was looking at her. “Don’t you think that one was a bit over the top, even for you?” And then Terry got a softer look to her as she told Walter, “Soon to be daughter of ours. When you have your soulmate in you it’s the most wonderful feeling in this world. At that moment the two of you are one,” and she turned her head to look at Shelby. “And in that moment, you lose sight of all the other problems you think you have.” Shelby had wiped his eyes because of what Terry was not only saying to Walter but to him as well.

Peter saw the smirk again appear on Walter’s face, as Walter continued to look at his mom. “Um...mom? You mean it only lasts a moment? Isn’t that rather a short amount of time to, you know?” Shelby scrunched his eyes closed, then held his face in his hands, shaking his head as he did so. Marsha, Gale, and Peter lost it, and the room was again filled with laughter. Terry, on the other hand, slowly turned her head back to look down at the innocent smile on her soon to be daughter’s face. “Young lady! If it only lasts a moment, then it isn’t love, and you better be getting a good price for your services, or part of the movie rights?” When Terry said that, Shelby could be heard saying, “Oh, gawd, not that,” and looked up at the ceiling, again scrunching his eyes closed. It was several minutes before Peter, Marsha, and Gale could stop laughing. Even Terry couldn’t hold back laughter because of the banter between her and Walter. She actually felt relieved because she knew Walter was back. She didn’t know if it was because of what Peter told him, um, her, or if Walter finally realized he’d need all the help he could get. She didn’t really care, he/she was back.

Peter had helped Marsha up off the floor before he went to the small fridge in the corner and took out six bottles of water, giving one to everyone. It was Walter who posed the question of, “What now? Do I need to do anything special? I mean, this turning into a girl is all new to me, or becoming one at any rate. And I don’t know how to be a girl.” Peter had pulled his chair back to the table and sat down. He looked over at his Nephew, reached over and wiped off tears that had escaped from his eyes. He looked at Walter and told him, “Nephew, you have three very experienced women in this room who might be willing to help you in the girl department if you asked them nicely. Plus, you have several cousins who would love to help.” It was a subdued Walter who asked the question no one could answer, “How are others going to take me becoming a girl? How about the rest of our family, will they understand? Will anyone who’s known me as a boy understand when I become a girl?” He let his tears fall freely as he buried his head in his mother’s chest. Terry didn’t try to stop her own, as she fiercely told him, “Walter, to HELL with what others think. If they can’t understand this was caused by an accident, then to HELL with them. And if anyone gives you any grief at school, they’ll have to deal with me, regardless.” Shelby had reached over and placed his hand on Walter’s back, rubbing it to help sooth his new daughter. What Shelby said next was with a voice Walter had never heard him use. “And I’ll deal with their parents, daughter of mine.” For the first time since they met in the small conference room, Walter turned around, got off Terry’s lap and went over to Shelby. Walter wrapped his/her arms around his/her father, was pulled into Shelby’s lap, and let out his/her frustrations and hurt while being held by Shelby. And Shelby couldn’t help letting his own tears fall. He hated seeing his child hurt to the point he couldn’t do anything to make things better.

Peter claimed he had something in his eyes, as he wiped them. Marsha and Gale were not ashamed to let their tears slide down their cheeks, and when everyone had calmed down, Gale told Terry and Shelby, “I think we’ve told you everything we know up to this point. It seems to be the chemicals absorbed through Walter’s skin that have started the transformation process, and I’m sorry we didn’t have a way to remove any of it. Terry, Walter will need something to protect his developing breasts, you’re likely to remember how sensitive they are when they start developing. And Walter. Look at me Walter.” Walter lifted his/her head off Shelby’s chest and turned his/her head to look at Gale. “Walter, I realize all of this is hard on you. But don’t try to fight what’s happening to you, you’ll only get more upset. Let your mom help you, learn from her, learn from your other girl friends. I won’t trivialize that some people aren’t going to like what’s happening to you, and they may get downright nasty. Some will even call you a liar when you explain how it happened. But what I know of you, and everything Marsha has told me, there are a lot more people who will be there to help you when you need help. Williams family, go home. Eat, sleep, plan. And we’ll see Walter next Wednesday.” Walter got off Shelby’s lap, and walked over to hug first Marsha then Gale. Terry and Shelby shook hands with the two doctors, and thanked them for all they were doing for Walter.

Peter followed his sister, nephew, soon to be niece, and Shelby out of the small conference room before he told them, “I’ll clear Walter for being out of school today. Please let me know if Walter will be there tomorrow.” They hadn’t taken but a few steps when Walter said, “I will be, Uncle Peter. I may be changing but I’m not sick.” Peter smiled at his soon to be niece, and put his arm around his/her shoulders. Terry put her arm around Walter’s waist before she brought up a subject Walter was going to love to hate. “Um...I think before we head home we need to find the appropriate protection for those breasts you’re developing, daughter of ours.” Walter let out an audible sigh then said, “Yeah, I guess you’re right, mom. I hope no one gets upset tomorrow if they discover I’m wearing a bra. Some of the guys could get awful mean about it.” Terry pulled Walter to a stop, looked down at him and told him, “If anyone gives you any trouble you first let them know it will be me and your dad who they will have to deal with in Court. They will be charged with a hate crime, and I’ll work my butt off to see they go to jail. You tell them that.” Peter knew how angry his sister could become when something pressed that button. But this was new even to him, she was actually breathing fire as she spoke to Walter. “And Walter, if you do have any problems I want to hear about it. If you can’t get to me go to a teacher, I will be briefing all the teachers; Gads, I’ll even have to go to the school board. But that’s my cross to bear.

They went their separate ways, when they reached the parking lot. Peter had a lot on his mind and faintly heard the three goodbyes as he walked to his car. He waved a hand in the air but never turned around. “I hope the school board doesn’t give him any grief over this,” Terry said to the air. Shelby put his arm around Terry’s waist and told her, “He won’t be the one they come after. It will be us. But I think we have them over a barrel because of the accident, and those faulty shelves. We’ll have to wait and see which way the wind blows.” Neither Shelby nor Terry saw the smirk on Walter’s face, as he stuck his left index finger in his mouth then held it up in the air. “Um, dad, the wind is from the southwest today.” Both Shelby and Terry dropped their heads to their chests and shook them. “Walter, sometimes I don’t know about you, or where you inherited that quirk. But I love you all the same.” Terry said, then pulled Walter into her, kissed him/her on the top of the head just as they reached their car.

The three drove to a mall that was a ten minute drive from the hospital and their home. Terry could hear Walter mumbling the whole time during the drive. When his/her mom looked at him/her, she had an understanding look on her face. “I can appreciate how you feel about this, son, but believe me your chest will feel much better with something protecting your developing breasts. And I’m going to guess it itches too, right?” Walter nodded, then told his/her mom, “Yeah, been like that for a few days now. And again, I just thought it was something I was allergic to or something about the shirts I was wearing.” Terry nodded her head and answered with, “I can see how you could think that, given you wouldn’t expect to be developing breasts like a girl your age. Walter, and I’m serious, if there’s anything else you’ve noticed, tell us. No more surprises, okay? You have to remember what may not be important to you, may be important to Marsha and Gale. And to me.” Terry reached back, across the front seat, and gently stroked Walter’s cheek, as he nodded his head in understanding.

When they reached the mall, Shelby was fortunate to find a parking place near one of the entrances. As they left their car and walked towards the entrance, Terry said to the air, “First we find bras, then panties while getting the bras. Then while we’re here, look for tops, skirts, dresses and shoes.” Terry was so intent on her mental shopping list, and Shelby was walking with Terry, that neither noticed Walter had stopped walking several feet behind them. Terry turned her head to the left to ask Walter a question and noticed he wasn’t there. “Shelby,” Terry said, as she stopped and turned around. What they saw broke their hearts.

There was Walter, shaking as he was standing there, with his hands covering his face, crying. “Oh, Lordy, what have I done?” Terry said as she ran to her son and held him tight. Tears were flowing down her cheeks as she told Walter, “Oh, Walter, I’m sooo sorry. My excitement to help you got out of hand. I should have talked to you first and told you my idea. Instead, I decided how we were going to do things. I’m such a fool.” In a muffled voice Walter replied, “No you’re not, mom. You’re a very loving mom. But I do wish you’d told me your idea first, instead of springing it on me. I might have been able to handle it better.” Shelby had been standing next to Terry as she held Walter. He put his arm around his/her shoulders before telling him/her, “Walter. If you want, we can just get the bras so your chest feels better then go home. There isn’t any rush on the other items.”

Shelby could see Walter was shaking his head ‘no,’ when he said, “No, dad. Mom’s right, I’ll need those things. We’re here so we might as well look for the things mom mentioned. A girl needs to learn how to shop. And what better teacher than her mom?” Shelby bent down and kissed Walter on the top of his/her head, then told the two, “Come on, let’s go tear up some shops.” Walter just chuckled, then said, “Okay, let’s.” This time as they walked to the entrance, Walter walked between his parents. Terry with her arm around his/her waist, Shelby with his around his/her shoulders. It was the best support a kid could get.

Walter’s facial features took after Terry, with an oval face, an almost button nose, high cheekbones, and a more feminine brow ridge, and he had the bluest eyes anyone had ever seen. He’d always kept his hair shoulder length, so it wasn’t unusual for him to sometimes be mistaken for a girl.

The mall had several stories which catered to the ‘tween’ girl, so when they entered the ‘tween’ lingerie store, a woman came up to them and asked, “Hello, madam. How may we help you and your daughter today?” Walter looked up to his dad, rolled his/her eyes, then shook his/her head. Shelby bent down and whispered in Walter’s ear, “Just go with the flow, kid. Go with the flow.” Walter nodded his/her head and kept his/her mouth shut. Terry explained, “That their ‘daughter’ had just started puberty and needed a few training bras. They also wanted to get her more panties, a few slips, and some sleepwear.” Walter again looked up at his/her dad, with a disgusted look on his/her face. Shelby just patted his/her shoulder before saying, “Just remember what I said.” Walter did three things at once. S/he rolled his/her eyes, shook his/her head, and nodded, all at the same time. Shelby chuckled at Walter’s antics, then put his arm back around his new daughter’s shoulders.

After Terry told the woman what they wanted, the woman turned to Shelby and said, “Sir, if you’d like to wait, we have a small waiting room right over there,” and she pointed to a small alcove just inside the store. Shelby shook his head and replied, “No, that’s quite alright. I’ll stay with my family. It’s not everyday a father gets to see his daughter get her first bra.” Hearing himself referred to as his father’s daughter, made Walter turn right into Shelby, hugging him and saying, “Thanks dad. That means a lot right now.” The woman had a questioning look on her face that Terry answered with, “Her father has been working out of town until recently. And she’s been missing him terribly.” The woman told Terry, “Oh, I understand,” and led the three to find the items they wanted. Terry looked at Shelby, shrugged her shoulders, causing Shelby to laugh, as they followed the woman deeper into the store.

It was three hours later, plus a pit stop at the food court, that Shelby became their pack mule. Terry and Walter each had four bags, and Shelby carried the other eight. The dread Walter felt before they entered the mall faded as Terry allowed her to decide on most of the items they purchased. She also explained things as they shopped, so Walter wasn’t as clueless as he’d been. And Walter found out she was more comfortable wearing a bra.

tbc
Chapter 8

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 8

The first thing Peter did when he got back to school was to send an email to all the teachers, letting them know there’d be a short meeting in the office conference room. Coaches included. The next thing he did, after talking with Tina, and answering Margot’s questions, was to call the President of the school board. She asked how Walter was doing, how badly he was hurt, and a few more questions, before Peter told her, “Um, it’s about another matter with Walter. One I don’t feel comfortable discussing over the phone.” She told Peter she was free the rest of the day, and perhaps they could meet in his office after lunch at one. Peter countered with “Lunch, here at the school. Then we can talk afterwards.” She agreed and they met fifteen minutes later when Margot brought her into Peter’s office.

Margot knew Peter was alone, so she knocked on his office door, then opened it and let Mary Turner go into Peter’s office before closing the door behind her. Peter got up out of his desk chair, walked around his desk, held out his hand and told Mary, “Mary, it’s nice to see you again. And agreeing to meet me on such short notice. But I assure you, it’s important.” Mary shook Peter’s hand before telling him, “It’s good to see you again, Peter. And it must be important, as you usually schedule meetings days in advance.” Peter nodded his head and replied, “It is, Mary. Very important. Let’s get some lunch then I can tell you everything.” Peter opened his office door and let Mary walk out first, then followed, closing the door behind him.

As the two walked towards the cafeteria, Peter wasn’t sure if he should tell Mary about his impending marriage. He quickly weighed the pros and cons before telling her, “Mary, I’m planning to ask a wonderful woman to marry me, though some might have a problem with it.” Mary stopped, turned to face him, she ignored the last part of his statement, for the moment, as she grabbed him in a huge bear hug, and told him, “It’s about time you did, Peter. I think Pamela would like that you’ve finally found someone to share your life with. I’m really happy for you. So, why might some have a problem with your upcoming marriage?” Peter stopped walking, looked down at his shoes, then back at Mary, before saying, “Because it’s Tina I’m going to ask. I’ve checked every regulation I could find, every rule out there, and nothing says a married couple can’t work at the same school.” Mary could see how nervous Peter was, just like a student caught cheating on a test. She decided not to prolong his agony and told him, “Peter, there isn’t anything which says a married couple can’t work at the same school. I’ve known a few in the past who have. And if any of those stick in the mud morons I work with have a problem with it, I’ll just have to be my sweet self and ask them to show me where it says they can’t. Now, before I starve, can we go eat?” Peter laughed, offered his arm to Mary, who took it, and as they walked to the cafeteria Mary peppered him with questions about this all came about with Tina.

“...and that’s the whole story, Mary. My nephew will soon become my niece, unless they can find a way to reverse the effect those chemicals are having on Walter’s body.” Mary sat back in her chair, blew out some air before saying, “Wow, we may have bigger problems than we thought. I read the prelim report the investigator sent us about those shelves having been overloaded at some point, which was the cause of their failing, but nothing about all this. Did you send a report to us? Because I don’t remember seeing one.” Peter opened a desk drawer and took out several sheets of paper, giving them to Mary to read. “We never received any of these. Who’d you send them to? Peter had a questioning look on his face as he told Mary, “I faxed them to your normal fax number. You should have received them, because my machine said they were received. I don’t understand. Here, let me print out the fax history.” Mary waved him off saying, “No need, I can check our machine instead. Before I go, Peter, how’s your nephew handling all this, this transformation? I would guess he isn’t too thrilled about it?” Peter was quiet a moment, wiped his eyes, then told Mary, “He’s putting on a brave front, but he’s scared. Right down to his boots. Even so, he’s handling it better than some people might. It just might be he’s handling it better than some because he’s had more experience with strange encounters than most. I think he’s really afraid of what others are going to say, how they’ll react. And that he’ll become a target for the morons here at school. And Mary, there’s not a hell of a lot I can do to help. Except be there if/when he needs me.” Mary looked at Peter for a moment before she told him, “You know, Peter. Sometimes the only thing we can do to help someone IS be there for them. I know you’ll handle anything that happens to him here at school, and pity the jerk who does, I know the temper Terry has. And just do the best you can the rest of the time. Well, I have my own investigating to do, so I better get going. I’ll let you know what I find.” Peter got up out of his desk chair, walked around his desk to shake Mary’s hand, but didn’t count on her hugging him instead. He opened the office door for her and watched as she walked down the short hallway to his office, said bye to Margot before walking to the main office door. As he was about to close his office door, Margot stuck her head in and told him, “Peter, Walter will be okay. Boy or girl.” Peter snickered, shook his head, not understanding how Margot found out things, and said, “Thanks, Margot.”

After Mary had left, Peter called Terry and asked if she, Shelby, and Walter could come to the school earlier than usual so he could tell them about his talk with the school board President. Terry told him it wouldn’t be a problem, and they’d see him the following day.

The three were sitting in Peter’s office the following morning, talking, when they heard, “WHERE IS THAT BASTARD OF A PRINCIPAL? NEVER, MIND, I SEE HIS DOOR,” a man yelled. Then Margot could be heard yelling, “SIR, YOU CAN’T GO IN THERE. THE PRINCIPAL IS BUSY IN A MEETING AT THE MOMENT.” The door to Peter’s office slammed open, hitting the wall, and the glass threatened to fall to the floor, but didn’t, and a pig of a man barged into Peter’s office. The man filled the doorway because of his girth, and shouted at Peter, “WHO IN THE HELL GAVE YOU THE AUTHORITY TO CALL AND TALK TO THE SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT?” He then waddled over to Peter’s desk, his girth had actually caused Terry and Shelby to lean left and right, as he’d forced his way between them. “YOU WANT TO TALK TO HER, YOU GET PERMISSION FROM ME,” and he brought up his right hand and pointed to himself with his thumb. “I’M THE ONE WHO DECIDES WHO TALKS TO WHO BECAUSE OF THAT BRATS ACTIONS. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THIS WILL COST THE SCHOOL?” The man stepped back a step before looking at Walter and said in a snide voice, “So, this is the freak that’s costing this school system all the money. What’s wrong with it, has it come to shake down the school for more money?” He’d raised his hand to slap Walter on the back of the head, when Terry growled at him, “You do and it will be the last thing you ever do on this Earth, fat man” Terry’s voice, and the look in her eyes caused the fat man to change his mind, and take another step back.

Bill Wordsman, actually, William Charles Wordsman III, often used his great weight to intimidate people, but it wasn’t working this time. Shelby had also seen what the fat man was about to do to Walter and had stood up and almost got into the man’s face. Peter had seen this man’s antics before, and wasn’t threatened by them in the least, as he calmly picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Robert, hi, it’s Peter. Are you boys busy right now? No? Goood. Would you gentlemen please come to my office, equipped, I’ve a little problem that I’d like you to handle.” Robert Walker was the head of the school’s security, and he was all muscle, as were the others who worked with him. After talking with Robert, Peter phoned Mary, and filled her in. Robert and his team showed up in Peter’s office moments later, Mary a little after.

When Robert and his team had arrived, only then did Peter address Bill Wordsman. “Bill, here’s the deal. You can go with these gentlemen quietly to one of the conference rooms down the hall, or they’ll take you to one of the conference rooms down the hall.” Peter had stood up when he started speaking to Wordsman, and was now blowing fire as he leaned on his desk, telling the fat man, “But you are going to one of those conference rooms down the hall” Bill had never failed to intimidate people with his great girth, but he’d failed this time, and he could see it in all of the faces that were looking at him. Mary’s included; she had walked around Peter’s desk and was now standing next to him.. And they all had the same fire in their eyes as did Peter and Terry.

Bill felt sweat trickle down the side of his face, he knew he’d stepped into it this time. He waved a hand at Peter and told him, “Well FUCK you, mister high and mighty.” Robert then stepped in front of Bill, cracking his knuckles after doing so. Bill held up both hands to Robert before telling the big man, “Alright, alright, I’m going, I’M GOING!” Two of Robert’s partners led the way, with Bill behind them and Robert and one other following. As the five walked down the short hallway leading to Peter’s office, those in Peter’s office, and those in the outer office, heard the fat man say, “GAWD! What a FUCKED UP mess!” They then heard a loud pop, then, “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?” and another loud pop before Robert said, “Watch your language.”

Walter couldn’t help himself, and started laughing. He was laughing so hard that when he took a breath, he snorted, which caused him to laugh harder. And snort more. His laughing and snorting had the effect of causing the others to start laughing as well. When he’d finally slowed down, and was able to talk, he said, “That man reminds me of a scene in Animal Farm, where the pigs come walking out of the farm house on their two hind legs, chanting, ‘Four legs good, two legs better’.” And he started laughing again. Margot had judiciously closed Peter’s office door after the parade was clear of the short hallway. She came back a few minutes later, opened the office door, walked into the office, and placed five bottles of bottled water on Peter’s desk, before leaving and closing the door behind her. She had to chuckle after what Walter said.

Peter handed out the bottles of water, as everyone was starting to calm down, even wiping their eyes from laughing so hard. It was Mary who spoke first, and was not happy when she said, “I found out it was,” and she pointed in the direction of Bill, “who collected that fax you sent me, Peter. We had some trouble some time back with people taking faxes without letting anyone know. So we went to a vendor and they worked with us to come up with a fax machine that wouldn’t immediately spit out the fax. In order to get the fax, the person had to put in their ID code, and only then would the fax be printed. Dumbo forgot that our machine keeps a history of everything done on that machine.”

After Mary explained about the missing fax, Terry asked, “So why is he so fired up thinking we have to go through him to speak with you?” Peter sat back down in his chair, and Shelby, seeing Mary looking at a chair against one wall, walked over and brought the chair to Peter’s desk. Mary thanked him then said, “Bill thinks himself more important than he is. He is only the accountant for the schools, not the head cheerleader. We’ve had problems with him before, doing something similar, and warned him, but I guess having a big head he forgot what we told him. Plus, his taking the fax in order to keep me, or the other members, from seeing it is his last straw. Now…” And Mary outlined everything she’d talked with the other board members about, concerning Walter and his transformation. And the accident, which was still under investigation; extensive lab work was being done to determine why those shelves failed.

“...so that’s it. None of the other school board members have a problem with Walter being in school as Walter the boy, or if you continue to transform, Walter, as a girl. Most were only concerned when you’d start coming to school as a girl and how the other students would react. Plus, since you’d be new to being a girl, you might dress a bit, um, how should I put this?” And Terry finished with, “Slutty?” Mary chuckled, smiled at Terry, and told her, “Well, it was what they were thinking but I didn’t want to put it that way.” Terry looked at an amused Walter before telling Mary, “Don’t worry, Mary, no slut will leave our house for school.” Terry and Peter saw the smirk first, with Peter saying, “Don’t say it, Walter!”

Mary got serious as she looked at the Willams family. “Now there is another matter we need to address. Because Walter was hurt on school property, the school will cover all of his medical expenses, up to the point he was found to be transforming.” She held up her hand to stop Shelby from speaking, as she went on with, “But, we’re not sure if we can cover the rest of the medical expenses. That’s why we’ve given it to the School Board’s attorney to look into. We believe, based on the preliminary findings of the investigations, the school is also at fault for those shelves failing, so would be liable for any further medical expenses. My personal opinion, and it doesn’t leave this room, the school should foot whatever bill is necessary for Walter’s good health. And yes, Shelby, I’m mindful this whole thing could end up in court if the legal opinion goes against Walter. But I doubt it will. That’s all the school district would need, experts going into a courtroom and pointing out it was the schools fault those shelves failed. The settlement would be much more than we would be willing to settle for. But as I said, that’s my personal opinion, so you didn’t hear anything from me.” The first bell sounded, and Walter was told he best get to his first period class. He wouldn’t be needed for this next part of their meeting. Walter heard Mary chuckle as she repeated, “Four legs good, two legs better,” over and over again.

After Walter headed for his first period science class, Peter said to the other three, “Well, shall we go and butcher Bill, the pig?” And as they started filing out of Peter’s office, Mary told them, “And I’ll make all the necessary cuts.”

The door to the conference room Robert and his fellows had escorted Bill to was standing open, and they could hear Bill ranting and raving over being kept waiting. They heard, “WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY,” before they heard a pop and Robert say, “I won’t tell you again. Next time we’re going to gag you and tie you to a chair.” Bill was rubbing the back of his head, again, where Robert had not bothered to control the force he used to smack Bill in the back of the head; Bill’s head actually snapped forward from the force of the blow. When they walked into the conference room, Mary spoke first by telling Bill, “Sit your butt down and keep your mouth shut. You’re in it deep this time, mister.”

Bill made the mistake of getting up in her face before he told her, “NO BITCH TELLS ME WHAT TO DO!” Bill suddenly went flying backwards, grabbed by the back of the neck by Robert, and thrown into a chair. His hands were pulled back behind him and tied, as a gag was forced into his mouth and tied tight at the back of his head. Mary’s hand-print on his face deepened in color. Robert leaned down so he was in Bill’s line of sight and told him, “If I were you I’d go see an audiologist. You seem to have trouble with your hearing. And if you EVER speak to a woman like that again, in my presence, I will knock you so far into last year you’ll need a calendar to find your way back to the present.” He waved at Bill and said to Peter, “He’s all yours, boss.”

Mary and Peter took the seats on either side of the chair holding a tied up William Charles Wordsman III, self appointed financial director of the School Board. Peter asked Terry and Shelby to sit across the table from them, lest they be tempted to kick the shit out of Bill; Peter knew the two would, given that Bill was about to slap Walter in the back of the head. Once everyone was seated, Robert’s partners standing outside in the hallway, came into the room, closed the door and stood guard. No one was getting into that room who had no business in that meeting. Robert and his other partner stood behind Bill on either side of the chair.

“Bill,” Mary said in a calm, yet firm, voice. “I really don’t know where to begin. You pulled this same stunt several months ago and we told you never to do it again. But here we are, and you did it again. For those of you who don’t know Bill’s position with the School Board, it’s as an accountant, nothing more. Several months ago we had a problem at another school, which required a settlement, and mister William Charles Wordsman III, thinking himself more important than he is, chewed that Principal out because she and I spoke, much like we did Peter. He got a few days off for that stunt, and I had to do some fast talking to prevent an excellent Principal from quitting. And here we are again, Billy.” Mary knew Bill hated to be called Billy, it’s how he was teased while in school. “So, Billy, what are we to do with you? Give you more days off without pay, like last time? Noooo, you showed today you didn’t learn from that.”

“You’ve also shown how ignorant you are about new technology. You thought if you got the fax Peter sent me before I did, you could prevent our meeting from taking place. Well, Mr. Ignorant, you didn’t seem to know about our new fax machine, besides requiring a person’s ID, it also keeps a history of everything it does. And when I pulled up the history, imagine my surprise when it showed your ID was used to accept a fax from this school. TO ME!. Now why did you think an accountant would need to see a fax sent, TO ME? Answer, YOU DIDN’T AND DON’T! No, Bill, I’m afraid you’ve shot yourself in the foot this one too many times, and we’ve not choice but to,” and Mary leaned over to look Bill right in the eyes and snarled when she told him, “KICK YOUR ASS DOWN THE ROAD! YOU’RE FIRED! You will go collect your personal things from your desk, while escorted of course, hand your ID badge and any and all keys to the people escorting you, AND GET THE HELL OUT OF THE BUILDING.” Very calmly, Mary sat back in her chair and looking at Peter said, “Um, your turn.” Hamming it up, Peter replied, “Why thank you kind lady.”

Peter turned to look at Bill and started with, “You know, Billy, you caused a lot of problems this morning. Problems we didn’t need. First you come into the office acting like the ass you appear to be, which, I guess, is true to form. Then you come storming into my office and interrupt a meeting I was having, which was none of your business, by the way. It probably never occurred to you I may have been meeting with someone else about another sensitive matter, did it? No, it didn’t, but you didn’t care anyway, did you Billy. Because you’re the big bad William Charles Wordsman III, an accountant. Billy, if you ever storm into my office like that again, Robert there, won’t be the one knocking you into last year. It will be me, then we’ll send you to the butchers to get dressed out.” Peter had said all this with a calm voice, but with fire in his eyes. Then he pointed to Terry and Shelby sitting across the table from the three.

“You know, Billy, I should let you and the Williams, there, have your own meeting, one I don’t think you’d like. You almost hit their child. You almost had your eyes and jewels taken out by an enraged mother, who saw what you were about to do.” Bill had looked across the table and saw the same fire in the eyes of Terry and Shelby as he saw in Peter’s eyes. “Ya know, Billy, I won’t let that happen, your meeting with the Williams alone. I don’t want to make any more work for the janitors than they already have. So here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to ask Robert, here,” and he pointed to Robert, “to escort you out to your car. He’ll make sure you don’t fall down and hurt yourself on your way out. He’ll also make sure you keep your tongue silent, or he will take you down, call the police and have you arrested for trespassing on school property. So, Billy, I won’t tell you to have a nice day because yours hasn’t started that way. Untie him Robert, and make sure he gets safely to his car and off school property. And I meant what I said, Billy. You open your mouth until you’re off school property and Robert and his men will take you down and call the police. Nod your head if you understand me?” The fat man was pissed. ‘How dare they treat him like that, including that bitch,’ he thought to himself as Robert untied hands and took the gag off.

William Charles Wordsman III had always been a slow learner, in understanding he wasn’t as important as he thought he was. The minute his hands were untied, and the gag removed, he turned to Mary and snarled at her, “NO BITCH FIRES ME,” and backhanded Mary across the face, knocking her out of her chair and onto the floor. He started to get up and pound on her, but forgot about Robert and his men, as he was again picked up by the back of his neck and slammed onto the floor face first. This time handcuffs were used to secure his hands, and as he started spewing filth, the gag went back into his mouth. Peter took out his cell phone and dialed the nurse, telling her where they were and to hurry. Robert took out his cell phone and called the police, explaining the situation and where they were. The nurse arrived out of breath, and carefully helped Mary back into a chair, after making sure she wasn’t seriously hurt. Mary had a split lip where Bill had hit her, and that would be used to file assault and battery charges against Bill. Because of Bill’s actions, Peter would be filing trespassing charges as well. Bill had just earned himself a trip to jail, and court.

It wasn’t long before four police officers had arrived. Margot had escorted them to the conference room, knocked on the door, and when Robert’s other two men saw who they were, let them into the room. The situation was explained to the four officers, and why Bill was gagged and cuffed. The two female officers spoke with Mary, while the other two officers, and Robert’s men, helped get Bill off the floor and out into one of the patrol cars. When statements had been taken from everyone who witnessed the event, and pictures of Mary’s face had been taken, the officers gave Peter and Mary the needed case information about Mr. Wordsman. The school nurse then took Mary to the school infirmary to treat her split lip, while Peter, Terry, and Shelby went back to his office. Mary returned to Peter’s office a short time later, looking better but now with a split and fat lip, and bruising on her left cheek; the nurse saw it developing and took a picture, sending it to Mary’s and Peter’s phones. They in turn sent it to the police. They talked a bit more about Walter being in school as a boy or girl, a bit about what Bill had done, before going their separate ways. Both Mary and Peter telling Terry and Shelby to contact them if Walter started having any trouble at school or with himself.

Mary had to go to the police department to file an official report. She called the office after she got into her car and told them what happened, asking that all of Bill’s personal things be boxed and taken to reception; she’d get everything else from the police. It was only then that what had just happened hit her, and she broke down in tears. As she was crying there was a knock on the driver window. Mary looked up and saw Peter standing there, and she opened the door to him. He reached in and a tearful Mary held onto him as she cried. “It will be alright, Mary, you’ll see,” Peter softly told her as she let her cry on his shoulder. After a few moments she pulled back, laughed because his shirt was wet on the shoulder, told Peter she’d be alright now, closed the driver’s door after Peter stepped back, started her car and drove off.

Shelby knew Terry was going to need time to cool off, so he took them to their favorite cafe to get something to eat and drink. Terry was quiet the entire time, though when he parked the car in the cafe’s parking lot, she blew up. “How DARE that pig think he was going to hit my child. Who the HELL does he think he is? Give me five minutes with that BASTARD and there’ll never be another child in his lineage.” Shelby knew to let Terry unwind herself, it was safer for him that way. When Terry wound down, he asked, “Ready to get something to eat?” Terry blushed before saying, “Sorry, yeah.” Shelby rubbed the back of Terry’s neck and told her, “I know how you feel, honey. But it’d be safer for Bill if we let the police and the courts handle it. Okay?” Terry tried to give him ‘the eye,’ but failed, as he started laughing before pulling her close and tried to see if her tonsils had grown back.

tbc
Chapter 9

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 9

As Walter walked to his first period class, he was careful not to bump into anyone or anything, his chest was still sore from when he hit the door jamb. Plus, he discovered, tender because of the developing breasts. He also had another reason not to bump into anyone or let anyone touch him, Terry made him wear a bra to school so his developing breasts wouldn’t be bothered by his shirt rubbing against them. The last thing he wanted was to be found wearing a bra and having to try and explain why. But what he wanted and what was about to occur weren’t sympatico.

Walter ended up being the last student to walk into his first period science class, walking from the office to class through the throng of students did take time. He sat in his usual seat just as the second bell rang. Brigette closed the classroom door and before taking roll, told the class, “Walter, it’s good to have you back. How are you doing?” Walter’s hands were folded on top of his desk as he had leaned forward and told Brigette that he was doing better, now. Jeffery Stoneman sat to Walter’s right, and in his zeal to welcome Walter back, slapped Walter on the back. He just happened to slap Walter where the bands of the bra fastened together in the back, and when he felt something under Walter’s shirt, reached over and rubbed up and down on Walter’s back. Walter immediately sat up, looked at Jeffery just as he asked, “Dude, are you wearing a bra?” Walter went from pink all the way to red, since Jeffery had asked his question out loud. Every face turned to look at Walter and Jeffery continued with, “Dude, you are wearing a bra,” and he began to laugh, as did the other boys in the class.

Marge Stillman, the girl who’d had a crush on Walter since grade school, wiped tears out of her eyes, as she watched the boys making fun of Walter. She wanted to go over and slap Jeffery’s face off, but knew she’d likely get suspended and besides, it wasn’t the right thing to do. Instead, she got up out of her chair and walked over to Walter, seeing tears sliding down his cheeks, took his hand and told him, “It’ll be alright, I’ll stand with you, Walter.” Walter leaned his head into her side, as she then put her arm around him and glared at the rest of the class. “So, you boys think it’s funny because he is wearing a bra. After what he’s been through, did you morons ever stop to think why he has to? Did any of you see him after he was cut by all that broken glass? No, it looks like none of you did.” She reached up and wiped tears off her cheeks, as she bent down and kissed Walter on the top of the head before telling him again, “It will be alright, Walter. I’m here for you.” Many of the boys had tried to go out with Marge over the years, or tried to get her interested in them, but she always refused them. Now they understood why, she wanted to be with Walter. After kissing him on the top of his head, Marge returned to her seat, where she received looks of admiration from the other girls.

Peter had met with all the school staff, coaches included, and had told them everything about Walter’s physical condition, with Terry’s and Shelby’s permission. Brigette came and stood by Walter, looked down at him and asked him, “Might be the right time to be honest with everyone Walter, including yourself. Would you feel up to being honest with everyone today?” She saw Walter start to shake, and put her hand on his shoulder to reassure him she was there for him. Walter looked up at Brigette and told her, “I’ve been hoping they were wrong, that maybe they’d find a way to stop it all. But I guess I’ve been fooling myself, huh?” Brigette nodded her head, and answered with, “Only you can answer that question Walter. It’s up to you, but it will get around about you wearing a bra today,” and she looked at Jeffery Stoneman as she told him, “And you, mister, I’ll see after class.” Walter hung his head, laughed then said more to himself than anyone, “Yeah, I’ve been fooling myself into thinking something more can be done.” He looked up to Brigette before saying, “Yes, Mrs. Stokes, it’s time I’m honest with everyone.” He got up from his seat and walked up to stand in front of Brigette’s lab desk.

Since it had been discovered he was wearing a bra he decided to start there then tell the rest of what happened. Walter took a deep breath, looked at the faces watching him, Marge especially, who was nodding her head, then said, “Jeffery’s right, I am wearing a bra. Because I’m starting to develop breasts. This was discovered last Wednesday at my checkup. I overslept and was rushing into the bathroom and hit the door jamb with my chest.” Walter saw all of the girls cringe, and some even putting their arms across their own breasts, just as though they’d been there and done that. “I thought at the time I’d just hit one of the deep cuts that had to be sewn closed, but when my mom felt around where I’d hit my chest, she called my doctor and was told to get me to the emergency room right away. Two doctors looked at my chest, Dr. Taylor, my doctor, and Dr. Gale Stomer, an Ob-Gyn doctor. After they looked me over they then took me to the Imaging Department and took a bunch of pictures of my insides, and determined I was indeed developing breasts. Right now I have breasts buds, what girls develop when they start puberty. Their best guess, right now, and they won’t know for sure until the in-depth blood test results are back, but they think all of the chemicals absorbed through my skin combined to start affecting my DNA. They don’t know, yet, whether it’s only a few parts of my DNA or all of my DNA. And unless they can find something to reverse all of this, sometime soon I’ll be a full girl. And yes, I said, full girl. Because some of those pictures showed the development of internal structures in my groin region.” After he finished speaking he hung his head, as tears flowed from his eyes. Marge again got up from her chair, walked up to Walter, put her arms around him and pulled him into her. Where he laid his head on her shoulder and cried. Chuckling could be heard in the back of the class, and then there was a loud, smack, as the girl sitting in front of Jeffery and turned around and put everything behind the slap she gave to his face. Jeffery picked himself off the floor, as Brigetter told him, “You best rethink your attitude right now, mister. It will be interesting to see what your parents have to say about your conduct in this class this morning.” Jeffery suddenly went white. Brigette had walked over to Jeffery’s desk, as she said it. And as she started walking to the front of the class, she patted the girl who’d slapped Jeffery on the back.

Jeffery received two weeks detention, and was grounded, by his parents, for the rest of that semester, and was volunteered by his mom to work two hours after school at the shelter where she worked during the day. Where she was one of four psychologists counselling abuse and battered spouses. The girl who slapped Jeffery? She received accolades from the other girls and some of the boys. And admiration for Walter grew even more, after he had the courage to stand up in front of his science class and tell them everything. Those who had grown up with Walter, and seen his other encounters, knew this time things were going to be different. But they did wonder what name he would eventually go by.

As with all schools, word of Walter becoming a girl, because of the accident, spread like wildfire. Most felt sorry for him, for him having to go through all this. Some thought it was a play for sympathy, saying, “He just wants you to feel sorry for him.” More than one of those received a very stern talking to by those who knew Walter and had witnessed some of his encounters. And some hated the idea of Walter becoming a girl, accident or not. And it was three of those who hated the idea who were going to show Walter how much they hated the idea this very day after school. But a mother bear protects her cubs with a ferocity like no one can believe. And those three boys would see it in action for themselves.

Terry had arrived early to pick up Walter, and had parked in the ‘loading/unloading’ zone at the curb in front of the main doors. As she watched school let out, she spotted Walter walk out of the main doors and start towards her car. Suddenly, she saw three boys grab Walter and take him around the corner of one of the classroom wings. Terry had had a scare a little over a year ago, and when talking to a detective about it, she asked how she could protect herself if something like that happened again. The detective told her she might think of enrolling in a self defence class, or, “And you didn’t hear it from me,” and told her about carrying a collapsible baton, like the officers carried. She researched the baton and ended up buying one for her purse and one for the glove box in her car.

Terry opened the glove box, grabbed the baton, and fired out of the car, running across the lawn towards where those three took Walter. Peter had just come out of the office and spotted Terry running across the lawn, snapping her hand as she did so. He recognized what she was now carrying and started running to follow her.

When Terry rounded the corner of that wing, she saw two of the boys holding Walter by the shoulders against the building, while the other boy was punching Walter in the abdomen. She never let up on her speed, as she reached the boy punching Walter and swung the baton and caught the boy behind his left knee. She continued her swing and caught the boy holding Walter by his left shoulder on his knee cap. The third boy got a shot in the groin. Peter had come around the building in time to watch the first boy fall, then the second one as he was hit hard on his right knee cap. Then the third boy go down as Terry hit him in the groin. He watched as Terry caught a falling Walter before he fell forward onto the ground. He was out of breath when he reached Terry and Walter, and felt the wrath of her eyes as she yelled at him, “SO THIS IS HOW YOU PROTECT MY SON?” Peter called Robert and his men, then called the police and school nurse. Then he called Margot and told her to call the parents of each boy’s name he gave her. All of the noise had caused students to see what was going on, and Peter had to forcefully tell them to go home.

Because of Walter’s condition, the nurse looked at him first. He had a bruise forming on his left cheek where he was first hit, and bruising starting on his abdomen where he’d been repeatedly punched. The nurse told Terry the bruise on his face didn’t look too bad, but she couldn’t say about the punches, and best get him to the hospital to be examined. Peter called Marsha and told her to stand by, Walter had been beat up and was going to be heading to the emergency room. Walter was finally able to breathe better, and after Terry helped him up, helped him to her car. She started the car and ended up breaking more than one traffic law as she sped to the hospital.

Robert and his men arrived and handcuffed the three boys. When the police arrived they took Peter’s statement, and after asking about the victim, were told the boy’s mother had already taken him to the emergency room; he gave the police Terry’s information so they could contact her. The police also radioed to have another unit go to the hospital to get a statement from the boy and his mom. EMTs arrived to examine the three boys, saying all three needed to go to the hospital. The parents of the three boys arrived shortly after the police, and Peter took them to his office to explain what they had done. Robert saw the look on one of the fathers and had sent two of his men with Peter. It was wise of him to do so as one of the fathers said, after Peter told what happened, “Serves that faggot right. Any boy wanting to be a girl should get the same treatment.” The man turned white when a deep voice, from one of the men Robert sent with Peter, said right next to his ear, “Sir, that boy didn’t choose to be a girl. He was involved in an accident in his science class and exposed to a lot of chemicals. Sir, NO ONE deserves to be treated like your son treated that boy. But it’s now clear where he got his attitude from.” Peter went on to explain that the police had arrested their sons, and were taking them to the hospital to be examined. He also told the parents, as of now all three were suspended, pending a formal hearing by the school, and pending a hearing in Court. When they asked what would happen to the woman who hit their sons, Peter looked at the woman who asked the question and asked her, “What should happen to a mother protecting her son from a beating by three thugs?” The woman dropped her head and said, “Nothing, she was doing the right thing.”

When Terry got Walter to the hospital, Marsha and Gale, along with an orderly with a gurney, were waiting for them. They helped Walter out of the car and onto the gurney, where they rushed him inside to one of the exam rooms. Terry left her car where it was and ran in behind them, going into the exam room with her son. As Marsha and Gale were examining Walter, the police, and EMTs were bringing the three boys into the emergency room. A short time later six parents came into the emergency room and asked about their sons. The receptionist, and the police officer by reception, told the parents their sons were being examined at the moment. And if they could be released from the hospital, they would be taken to the police station and booked for assault and a hate crime. And a short time after the Parents arrived, Peter arrived, asking about Walter.

It wasn’t long after Peter’s arrival Marsha was bringing Terry out to the waiting room, while Glae and the orderly took Walter to the Imaging Department. After Marsha sat Terry down, she went to get bottled water from the staff lounge. Peter had just sat down next to Terry, put his arm around her, when an officer asked if she was Terry Williams. She said she was and the officer asked if she could give him a statement about what happened at the high school. Marsha had returned with the bottled water, gave one to Terry, and sat down on Terry’s other side, as Terry told the officer everything she saw and did to protect her son. When the parents heard Terry give the officer her statement, all six came over where she was sitting and started giving her a hard time for hurting their sons. Terry knew of these parents, and figured out which son was with which set of parents.

Peter saw Terry was about to get out of her chair and put his hand on her shoulder, getting a dirty look from Terry. With fire in her eyes she asked the six, “So, you consider your boys’ actions appropriate?” Pointing to the parents of the two boys who held Walter against the building she asked those four, “You consider it appropriate for your sons to hold MY son against a building,” and here she pointed to the other parents, “so your son could repeatedly punch MY son in the abdomen?” Marsha now put a hand on Terry’s other shoulder because she was trying to shrug off Peter’s hand. “And you’re angry with ME because I protected my son from the beating he was getting by YOUR sons? “HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF ANY WRONG DOING. HOW DARE YOU THINK MY SON DESERVED WHAT THOSE ANIMALS DID TO HIM BECAUSE OF SOMETHING HE HAD NO CONTROL OVER!” This time it took Peter and Marsh the use of both hands to keep Terry seated. Still seething, Terry told the six parents, “It will be a pleasure to take all six of you to court because of your sons!” Hospital security had to move the parents away from a still seething Terry, just as Marsha got a text on her phone. “Come on, they’re through taking pictures,” and took Terry’s arm, pulling her out of the chair and forcing her to walk down the hall to the Imaging Department; Peter had taken Terry’s other arm.

With Marsha leading, the three found Gale and Walter, he still lying down on a gurney, in a side room in the Imaging Department. Terry rushed to Walter’s side, asking how he was feeling. Typical of Walter, he asked, “Did anyone get the license of the truck that hit me?” Then laughed, then winced, and told his mom, “Except for a sore cheek and stomach, I feel okay.” Terry then looked at Gale and asked her how he was doing. Gale said they’re still waiting on the pictures, but from what she saw, none of his internal organs had been damaged by the repeated blows. And when the pictures did come back, and Gale could study them more closely, she again told Terry nothing had been damaged. Walter would be sore for several days, and the bruising would eventually fade, but otherwise, he was okay.

Peter, Gale, and Marsha stepped outside the room while Terry helped Walter get dressed. Once he was dressed, the five walked back to reception, where an officer asked to speak with Walter. As Gale and Marsha were signing Walter out, Terry and Peter sat with Walter as he gave the officer his statement. The officer thanked him, gave Terry his card, and said if they had any more information they could reach him at the number on the card. He also told Terry they’d be in touch if they needed any further information. He then quietly told Terry, “I wouldn’t worry about any charges being brought against you, after what those boys were doing to your son. But just in case, you should contact your own attorney and let them know what happened. Terry’s seething look returned as she told the officer, “Oh I plan on doing just that. They are going to pay for hurting my son!” Seeing Terry’s eyes, the office was glad it wasn’t his son who was mixed up in this mess.

Gale told Terry Walter was checked out so they could leave when they wanted. Peter excused himself as he needed to get back to the school and make some phone calls. When Terry got Walter home, the phone was ringing. When she answered it she told Walter, “There’s a Marge Stillman on the phone and walks to talk with you.” Walter took the phone from his mom who then went into the kitchen and had a quiet cry while Walter was talking to Marge.

The next day at school, Tuesday, when Jeffery walked into Brigette’s science class he seemed different. He wasn’t goofing around with the other boys, or being loud as he often did. He simply walked into the class and sat at his usual seat. After the second bell rang, and Brigette took roll, Jeffery raised his hand and asked if he could say something. Brigette expected him to have some snide remark about Walter again, but wasn’t prepared for what he actually said.

“Um...I owe all of you an apology for my behavior yesterday, you most of all, Walter. Um...my mom volunteered me at the shelter she works at during the day, a shelter for abused and battered spouses. Um...she...um...picked me up after school and took me there to sit in on one of her group meetings. I...um...never knew men could be abused or battered as well as women. Um...there...um...there...was one man who lost his job due to downsizing and he and he decided to stay home to take care of their seven month old daughter and keep house, and do the cooking. Um...his wife came home angry, and when he told her what he’d fixed for dinner, she became enraged because she didn’t want that for dinner. She picked up a fry pan and hit him with the bottom of the pan on the right side of his head.” Everyone could see tears sliding down Jeffery’s cheeks, and the girl who slapped him, got up, stood next to him, put her arm around him and told him, “It’s okay, go on.” Jeffery nodded his head, told her thanks, and continued with his story. “She...um...hit him so hard it knocked it to the floor and dazed him. When he finally regained some sense of things, he heard their daughter screaming. When he went into their daughter’s room, his wife had picked up their daughter and was shaking her. He got his wife’s attention by calling her a ‘bitch’ and after she roughly put their daughter down, she came at him and he punched her in the jaw, knocking her out. He then picked up their daughter, wrapped her in a blanket, called 911, explained what had just happened, and told them the police would find him and his daughter with the next door neighbors. Um...the little girl was okay, according to the EMTs who looked at her, but the guy had to go to the hospital. When his wife hit him with that fry pan, the bottom of that pan hit him squarely on the right side of his head, right on his right ear. He’s just now getting his hearing back in that ear.” Jeffery wiped tears off his face before he continued.

“Um...I...um...there...a woman told her story and it...um...her husband...he...a...he...a...came home drunk and she confronted him about it. He punched her in the face with his fist, knocking her out. And while she was unconscious...he...he...um...um...he took a knife...and um…he...um...a...took a knife...and he...um...cut off one of her breasts.” Jeffrey was sobbing now, and the girl holding him pulled him into a hug and let him cry on her shoulder. Several in the class were wiping their eyes after hearing what Jeffrey told them. With a catch in his voice, after lifting his head off the girl’s shoulder, Jeffrey told the class, “Um...I’m really sorry for the way I acted yesterday,” before putting his head back on the girl’s shoulder. It was a few minutes before Jeffrey sat down, as did the girl, and Brigette could try and salvage class time. Jeffrey was calming down, but wouldn’t be concentrating on science today, so Brigette decided to skip her lesson and do something different.

When Tanya Stoneman, Jeffrey’s mother, heard what he had done in his first period science class after Walter had told the class everything, she wasn’t really surprised. He had been acting differently ever since her husband had been killed in a botched bank robbery. Her husband had been talking to a teller as he was making a deposit, when two men came into the bank, ordering everyone to get down on the floor and not to move. The teller her husband had been talking with, while she did the necessary transaction to add the deposit to their account, moved a little to her left and pressed the alarm button. One of the gunmen saw her move just as the alarm sounded, and became so angry he pointed his hand gun at the woman. Steve stepped into the man’s line of fire, he was shot once in the chest, killing him instantly. With the alarm sounding, the two men ran out of the bank and into the line of fire of four police officers. The four had been next door in a cafe on their scheduled break, when they heard the alarm and received the call over their radios. One of the bank robbers gave up immediately, the other thought he was Rambo and started shooting at the officers. For his bravado, he received six shots to his chest. He died before he ever fell to the ground.

Something changed in Jeffrey when he learned his dad had been killed in that botched bank robbery, and it had really worried Tanya. As a psychologist, with her doctorate, she could see all the signs of grief in her son, and how that grief was being bottled up inside Jeffrey. He and his father had been close, they’d done a lot of things together, and her husband had been even handed when it was necessary to discipline Jeffrey. She even scheduled Jeffrey to meet with a grief counselor, but he never really opened up to that counselor.

Tanya worked as a counselor, during the day, at a shelter for abused and battered spouses and their children. It didn’t matter to those who ran the shelter if they were men or women, if they’d been abused or battered, they were welcome. After hearing what her son had done in class on Monday, Tanya decided a good dose of reality was needed to show Jeffrey what others had gone through at the hands of someone else; he would spend two hours a day there after school helping out as part of his being grounded.

Tanya had taken the time to come from the shelter to pick up Jeffrey after school that very day, Monday. They arrived at the shelter just about the time her afternoon group meeting was about to start. She introduced him to those attending the group meeting, it was open to anyone at the shelter who wanted to attend, and then had him sit back from the circle and listen. When the session was over, Tanya couldn’t find him in the room and started looking for him. When she finally found him, he was sitting on the porch steps, his arms across his knees and his head resting on his arms. And he was crying hard. She went out onto the porch, sat beside him, put her arm around him and pulled him into her in an effort to try and comfort him as he cried.

His crying finally eases and with tears in his eyes, he looked up at his mom and asked, “How can people do such things to others?” Tanya didn’t immediately answer his question, as she reached up to wipe the tears off his face. Instead she asked him, “Didn’t you do the same thing to Walter, after he told all of you what he’s going through? Oh, you didn’t beat him or do anything physical to him, but laughing at him hurts just as bad.” Jeffrey looked down as his mom still held him and after a few moments told his mom, “Yeah, I guess I did, didn’t I?” He looked up to his mom and saw she was nodding her head. She then asked, “So, what do you plan to do about it?” Tanya saw the little smile, then heard the chuckle, and heard her son say, “I’m gonna have to apologize. To Walter and the whole class.” He looked up at his mom and again saw she was nodding her head.

Tanya was looking into Jeffrey’s face and saw the tears start to fall again as he asked her, “Mom, why did dad have to die?” In eight months, Jeffrey had never acknowledged his dad’s death. And now he wanted her to answer a question she didn’t know how to answer. Steve had always been one to stand up for the other guy, when the other guy was getting the short end of the stick. Tanya felt it best to emphasize this part of his character as she told Jeffrey, “He died protecting another person. It’s who he was as a person. While I know you and I miss him, be proud of his actions so that another person could live.” The two sat on the porch steps until another of the counselors came and got Tanya. She then took Jeffrey inside and showed where he could help for the rest of his time there.

“Jeffrey, thank you for having the courage to tell us what you did. And for apologizing for yesterday. It was evident it wasn’t easy for you. So, class, we’re going to do something different for the rest of class. It will be about what Walter told us yesterday, and what happened to him after school, and what Jeffrey just told us.” And Brigette went on to start talking about treating everyone how they themselves wanted to be treated. And no one sat quietly during the entire time.

When the first bell sounded, Jeffrey stood up and started walking out of the classroom. It was a bit of a shock when someone took his right hand in theirs. Jeffrey looked to his right and found the girl who slapped him, and held him, walking next to him and holding his hand. “We have second period class together, and I thought we could walk together.” Jeffrey smiled, the girl gave him a peck on the cheek, and together they walked to their second period class. What occurred wasn’t lost on Brigette, as she thought about how different relationships had started.

As a side note, Jeffrey and the girl, Paula Garber, stayed together the rest of their time at that high school. They attended the same University, Jeffrey following his mother and going into psychology, eventually getting his Doctorate. And Paula went into medicine, eventually specializing in psychiatry. They both had their own clinic where they helped those who’d been abused and/or battered.

tbc
Chapter 10

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life changing.

Chapter 10

For three months, Walter met with Dr. Taylor once a week. And for three months, Walter’s health was found to be good. During some of his checkups, Gale would also be there to give him a ‘female’ exam. Over the course of several weeks, Walter’s breasts had increased to where he needed an ‘A’ cup bra. And over the same course of weeks, his genitals became even smaller.

Walter had now started seeing Dr. Taylor, and on occasion Dr. Stomer, twice a month. It was the day he was to have his third twice a month checkup when it again hit the fan. He got up to get ready for school, as he always did, and made his way to the bathroom to pee. Terry was downstairs fixing breakfast when she heard him scream. The last time she heard that scream, he’d run into the door jamb and the discovery he was developing breasts. When she made it to the bathroom, Walter was standing in front of the toilet, totally naked, looking down at his groin. “Walter, what happened? Did you hurt yourself again?” Frantically, Terry went over to Walter, but all she heard him whispering was, “I can’t find it,” over and over again. When Terry looked down to his groin, she saw his right hand feeling around his groin region. Then it dawned on her what he meant, he couldn’t find his penis, it was gone. She bent down to have a closer look, and saw the same thing she’d see on a natural girl. She stood up, physically turned a shocked Walter around, pushed him until he was sitting down on the toilet, and told him how to pee. She actually had to shake him because he was so shocked, but once she had his attention, she again explained how to pee. She reached up and wiped tears off his cheeks, as Walter told her, “Mom, I can’t find my penis.” All Terry told him, as he peed, was, “I know, honey. I know.”

When Walter was finished peeing, as before, Terry took him, her, to her bedroom and helped her get dressed in some of the girl clothes he’d been wearing around the house. She then took her daughter downstairs, sat her in a kitchen chair, and called Marsha, telling her it had finally happened. Marsha understood what Terry meant, as they’d discussed this very thing some weeks ago. Marsha told Terry to bring Walter in and she’d have Gale standing by as well. Terry then called Peter, telling him she was taking Walter to the hospital, and why. Terry almost had to spoon feed Walter since he was still somewhat shocked by not finding his penis. She left the dishes on the table, grabbed her purse, and guided her daughter out to the car. Walter was still not responding normally when they reached the hospital, so she had to get her out of the car and again guide her where they needed to go in order to meet with Marsha and Gale.

The two doctors saw Walter and Terry walking down the hall towards them, and the dazed look in Walter’s eyes. They also realized that Walter wasn’t actually walking on his own, but guided by Terry as they walked. The two directed Terry into an exam room, and had her help Walter get up and sit on the exam table. Marsha walked over to a cabinet, took out a vial, walked back over where Walter was sitting, broke the vial, then waved it under Walter’s nose. The ammonia caused Walter to shake his head and try to back away from the pungent smell. But it did what Marsha wanted, it snapped Walter out of the daze she was in. Walter looked at the three women looking at her and said, “My penis is gone, and so are my balls. Does that mean I’m now a full girl?” Marsha stepped up and embraced the distraught girl, letting her cry on her shoulder. As Walter cried on Marsha’s shoulder, she told him, “We think so, Walter. That’s why Gale is here.” Marsha felt Walter nod his head, then asked in a muffled voice, “Pictures too?” Gale and Terry had gone on either side of Walter and put their arms around his back. As Marsha held Walter, Gale told him, “Yes, Walter, more pictures too. But after you get your ‘female’ exam.” Walter’s head was facing Gale, and she laughed at Walter when she stuck out her tongue at Gale.

When Walter had calmed down, and let go of Marsha, Marsha walked over and closed the exam room door, as Gale and Terry helped Walter off the examination table. The two women then helped Walter undress, completely, and put on his favorite ‘paper dress’ before helping her back onto the examination table. As Walter lay on the table, she saw Gale again attach the stirrups to the end of the table and said, “Oh, joy, I get to ride the horsey again.” Even though Walter had made a startling discovery that morning, her crack about riding the ‘horsey’ showed her old self seemed to have risen to the occasion.

As she’d done several times before, Gale instructed Walter where to put her feet, and to move closer. But this time, the ‘female’ exam was more thorough, with Gale using instruments she’d not used before. She took a deep breath, let it out before telling Walter, “Walter, examining the exterior of your groin region, I’d say you were a naturally born girl. Anatomically, you look no different than any other girl I’ve examined. And like any other girl I’ve examined, I have to look inside of you. Which might be a bit uncomfortable for you. But it has to be done, especially because of what you’ve gone through. I’ll try and be as gentle as I can, okay?” She quirked an eyebrow as she said the last part, actually waiting for Walter to respond. All three women saw the smirk at the same time, as Walter responded to Gale’s question, “Do I get a blindfold first?” All three women shook their heads because of what Walter asked.

Because of Walter’s size, Gale had decided to use the smaller speculum to inspect her vagina and cervix. But she failed to tell Walter that it might be cold as she inserted it into her vagina. As she started inserting the speculum, Walter let out an, “Whhoooaaa, there doc,” and raised her head to look at Gale. “Holy frozen popsicles, doc! What’d you stick into me? That thing’s cold.” Gale used all her willpower not to laugh, as Terry and Marsha were doing. She removed the speculum, showed it to Walter, and explained what it was used for. She also told her, “I’m so sorry, Walter. I forgot to tell you it might be a bit cold.” Walter looked at the speculum Gale was holding, then at Gale, then back at the speculum before she said, “Cold? That thing is cold enough to freeze a polar bear, doc.” This time Gale did laugh, but told Walter to hang on and she’d soon be through with her internal exam. Gale started inserting the speculum again, Walter let out a “Brrrrr,” and Gale did a thorough inspection of Walter’s internal female structures. She could even see Walter’s uterine walls. She gently removed the speculum, set it in a basin, had Walter take her legs down and sit up.

There was a knock on the exam room door, and when Marsha opened it, Walter’s ride to Imaging had arrived. When Walter saw it was the same orderly who had been her chauffeur, she said, “Ah, my ride’s here. And so is my favorite chauffeur.” The orderly smiled at Walter then asked, “Are you doing okay, Walter? You look real good.” Walter raised one hand, fluttered it in the air, shrugged her shoulders, and replied, “Given that I just found out I’m all girl now, eh, I’m okay.” Gale then told Walter to hop up on the gurney, but Walter had other ideas, first, as he told Gale, “Um, good idea. But I need to pee first.” Terry gave Walter a look, which asked ‘do you need help.’ Walter rolled her eyes, looked to the ceiling as she shook her head, and told her mom, “Ah, no, mom. I remember what you said about peeing as a girl. I don’t stand up.” The toilet was heard flushing, and so was the water from the faucet, before Walter came out of the restroom and hopped up onto the gurney. She laid down, then got that smirk, as she said, “Home James, and don’t spare the horsepower.” Terry took a deep breath, let it out, shook her head then said, “Waalltteerr.” Walter giggled, surprising herself, since she seldom giggled as a boy, before the gurney and Walter were taken to Imaging.

Marsha took Terry to the cafeteria to get something to eat and drink, getting the pictures of Walter’s interior would take time. As the two women sat and ate what they’d purchased, taking sips from their drinks now and then, their conversation went from Walter to Shelby and Peter and everything in between. When the topic was Walter, Terry asked Marsha if she thought it a good idea to have Walter attend counseling sessions in order to help her come to terms with her change. Marsha thought about that for a few moments, before she said, “Judging from the way Walter has been taking it all, I’d talk with her before you made any decisions. I think right now,” and she stopped talking to take a sip of her coffee, “she needs a lot of information about being a girl and how to take care of her body. If your mother was like mine, we had a girl’s day out, where she laid everything on the table. Told me everything about being a girl and how to take care of myself.” Terry nodded her head, because her mother had taken her aside and done pretty much the same. “One thing I’ve noticed about your family, Terry, is the closeness the three of you have. It’s obvious Shelby and Walter love you very much, so if you ask Walter what she would like, I think she’ll give you an honest answer.” Marsha took another bite of her sandwich, swallowed before adding, “Though, it wouldn’t hurt if she saw someone for a short period of time. Just to make sure she isn’t hiding anything because of the change. But I still would talk with her about it.” About that time Marsha’s phone pinged with a message, picture taking was done. “Well, it looks like our movie star has finished shooting a scene. Let’s go find out how the pictures turned out,” Marsha told Terry, then drained the rest of her coffee.

After the two women left the cafeteria, Marsha guided Terry to a small conference room a few doors down where Walter had her exam. When Marsha opened the door and they started to walk into the room, they saw Walter, already dressed, and Gale already seated around the small table in the room. Terry saw the smirk on Walter’s face but beat her to the punch by asking, “Well, daughter of mine, did you sign any autographs while having your pictures taken?” Terry’s question didn’t cause Walter to lose the smirk on her lips as she hoped; it was still there. Walter answered her mom’s question with, “No, mom, no one asked.” And then getting a dreamy look on her face, or as dreamy as Walter thought she was displaying, said, “But I did see this dreamy looking tech there.” And she fluttered her eyes at Terry, before all four women burst out laughing. Terry walked over to her daughter, put her arm around her, pulled her into her side and told her, “Don’t ever lose that sense of humor you have, Walter. It’s priceless.” She then kissed Walter on the top of her head before pulling out the chair next to Walter and sitting down.

Gale had a remote control in her hand, and pressed one of the buttons on it, causing a panel off to her side to light up and display an image. “Okay, everyone, this is our first slide of Walter’s insides, to use a simple term.” With a laser pointer she pointed it to Walter’s groin region in the image. “This is the picture we took of Walter’s groin region, as I believe the three of you can see. Walter, here and here are your ovaries. Here and here are your fallopian tubes. This structure here is your cervix, and here,” and Gale ran the laser light up and down then said, “is your vagina. Walter, from now on you have to be very careful or you will get pregnant. You will have to learn how to properly take care of this entire area,” and Gale used the laser pointer to indicate Wlater’s pelvic region. “Your penis and testicles are gone, reformed by your body. And Walter, you’re going to start having periods.”

Walter was just shaking her head at everything Gale was saying and showed her, trying to take it in stride as she’d done time and again before. All three women were looking at Walter, trying to judge her feelings for what Gale just told her. Terry saw the look on her daughter’s face, the one she got when she was trying to form a question. “Um...I’m kind of new at being a girl, ya know. So I’m going to need a lot more information than fireworks and ‘yea, you’re a girl now.’ How do I handle my period? How often will I have a period? How do I keep from getting pregnant before I want to? Ya know, little things like that.” Terry had seldom seen Walter as serious as she looked at this moment. She also looked scared, as tears threatened to leave her eyes. “I’m sort of scared right now, cause I don’t know how to be something I wasn’t born to be. I could sure use help from all three of you.” And tears did start rolling down her cheeks. Terry turned her chair to face Walter. She then turned Walter’s chair to face her before she pulled Walter to her and held her tight. Telling her, “Baby, all three of us are here for you. We’ll teach you what you’ve missed out on all these years.” As Walter held her mom, she said, “Thanks mom. I love you.”

Gale excused herself and left the conference room. She came back a little later with a hand full of material for Walter. For the rest of the time, the three women started explaining to Walter the mysteries that surrounded being a woman. They were blunt, leaving nothing out. They even explained what occurs between men and women ‘in the bedroom.’ Walter’s response to that was, “Ewww, oh yuck.” Her mom gave her the stink eye as she told her, “Yeah, how do you think all of us got here in the first place? By stork?” Terry then went on to explain to Walter that ‘ewww’ and ‘yuck’ go out the window when a woman finds her soulmate. “She’ll want him in her and as often as they can. Walter, it becomes a magical moment between two people who deeply love each other. And if they’re fortunate, they’ll produce wonderful kids like I did with you.” Gale sat a box of tissues on the table, because all four needed one. Their meeting finally came to an end. Walter and Terry left with an arm load of information for Walter to read through. Gale and Marsha sat and talked a bit more about Walter before both headed back to their own work.

Walter made it back to school towards the end of her third period class. But before she could go to her fourth period class, she and Terry had to go and break the news to Peter that he now had a full fledged niece. And all Walter’s records would have to be changed once Terry and Shelby applied for a name change. Until that took place, things were going to be a bit complicated with a name like Walter, and when she came to school the following day dressed as a girl. And how would the school board react to the news?

Once Terry and Walter were done in the school office, Terry went out to her car and after getting in, called Shelby. He had gone back to work with Tom Warmer after he found out Walter was going to be alright after Walter’s second check up. Terry dialed his number, and prayed. When Shelby answered his phone he asked, “How’s Walter,” before Terry had time to even say, “Hello.” “Um...weeelll…,” Terry said, drawing things out just a bit. “You are the proud father of a healthy bouncing new girl. In every way. Inside and out. One who can give us a grandchild some day.” Shelby didn’t say a word, and Terry thought they’d lost their connection, until she said, “Shelby? Are you still there? Say something, I could use some help here. For instance, Walter won’t do for her first name anymore. Shelby? Damnit, say something?”

Shelby suddenly realized that Terry had just cussed at him, which meant she was getting extremely mad because he’d remained silent. “Um, yeah, Terry, I’m here. Um, grandchildren, someday? Um, a new daughter? Ho boy… What about school? Are there any problems with, um, Walter, attending as a girl? What’d Peter say? Terry, I just don’t know what we need to do now. It’s not every day a son changes into a daughter. Um, call Marshall and Marshall and give them everything up to now, and find out what we need to do. I should come back and help you, but how? I’ve never talked to a daughter before, and she, um, actually needs to hear the facts of life from a woman’s perspective. And what about clothes, she’ll have to get a new wardrobe. And shoes, and…” “SHELBY,” Terry shouted, to get Shelby’s attention, because he was almost in hysterics. “Um, yeah, Terry?” Shelby replied before listening to Terry. “Shelby, calm down,” Terry told her husband. “Don’t you remember the day we went shopping at the mall, the day we brought home twelve bags of clothing and things for Walter? We have the clothing angle covered. What we need now is to find out what to do next. Walter the boy is now Walter the girl, and that needs to be changed on all of his, oh damn, her records. Will Marshall and Marshall be able to help us in that area? And what about his, aw crap, her birth certificate? And Shelby, stay there. There’s nothing you can do here now that I can’t do if it involves getting records, and names, changed. The sooner you finish Tom’s project, the sooner you’ll be home. And the sooner you can be in me...sweetheart.”

Terry giggled when she heard Shelby stutter in trying to talk to her after her last statement. “Ah...you…gads, this is embarrassing. I hope no one comes into this office right now. Or I’m called to go anywhere right now. You devil you.” Terry giggled then said, “Ooohhh, is little Johnny standing at attention? You know where he likes to hide, don’t you?” Terry giggled again when she heard Shelby softly curse to himself. “You just wait. You’ll pay for what you just caused.” Shelby heard Terry laughing so hard he had to wait to finish what he was going to tell her. When he heard Terry winding down, he said, “Yes, Marshall and Marshall can get the ball rolling, or knows who can. I’m sure they will check with the State about the birth certificate, hopefully they won’t get some lame brain fool who can’t understand the situation. As to a new name, I think we best talk to Walter first. She might have a few things to say about her new name. Are you sure I shouldn’t come back? Tom will have me flown back as before?” Shelby paused to hear Terry’s response. “Yes, stay, get finished so I can have more time letting you fill me like you do. I’ll go see Marshall and Marshall right now and see what they say.” This time Terry laughed as Shelby tells her, “Darn you, woman! It just relaxed and you just caused it to get hard again. You are going to pay for this when I get home.” And in a husky voice Terry tells her husband, “I certainly hope so.”

Walter had walked out of the school office and started heading to her fourth period class. As she was walking down the breezeway, a hand slipped into her right hand, startling her for a moment. She stopped walking and turned to see Marge standing there, holding her hand and smiling. “Um, so, another doctor’s visit this morning?” Walter was so taken in by Marge’s smile that she didn’t really hear what Marge asked. Marge thumped her on the chest before asking, again, “Hey. Did you have another doctor’s appointment this morning?” Shaking her head, Walter told her, “Um...not exactly.” Walter looked around them, at the number of students walking near them and told Marge, “Um, I do need to tell you something, but maybe now isn’t the best time. Too many ears, and all.” Marge’s smile never left her face as she said, “Okay, tell me at lunch. Oh, wait, too many ears again. How about after school, when we can be alone?” Walter nodded her head as she again started walking to her fourth period class. The same class Marge was in.

Terry’s impromptu visit to Marshall and Marshall caused her to wait until one of the partners was free. Twenty minutes later, Marshal Sr. came out of his office and greeted her, before showing her to his office. Terry started asking about getting records and names changed before she told Brett Marshall Sr. the whole story. He started getting puzzled when Terry asked about changing genders on a person’s birth certificate. Brett stopped Terry and asked, “Terry, what’s this all about?” And Terry explained everything, including the findings a short time ago. Brett was silent for a moment before he picked up his phone and dialed a two digit number. “Son, are you busy right now? I think I’m going to need your help on a matter that just landed in our laps.”

When Brett Jr. came into his dad’s office, dad had him sit down and asked Terry to tell his son her story again. When Terry finished the story, Junior whistled, ran his hand through his hair and said, “Wow, that is a wild story. You have proof of everything, right?” He asked Terry, and watched her pull a thick folder out of a satchel she had with her. “It’s all in here. The day the accident happened. The treatment given to Walter. The day it was discovered Walter was developing breasts, all of it, including the findings from today. And before you asked about a lawsuit, the school board has agreed to pay all medical bills and a generous out of court settlement. The final results of the investigation were sent to the school board, concluding the school was liable because the shelves involved had been severely overloaded sometime in the past. They were just waiting to fail. Walter, our son, is now Walter our daughter, in every sense of the word. In every way a girl can be a girl. Because of that, her name will have to be changed as will all her records. Including her birth certificate. Can you two do it or is that outside the scope your legal abilities?” Brett Sr. shook his head and told Terry, “No, Terry, this is something we can handle. I’m just concerned that some jackass is going to stick their nose in it when they hear what happened to your son, um, daughter. They’re going to claim you forced your son into becoming your daughter, even though you have proof to the contrary. Stupid beauracratic jackasses.” Then Brett Sr. got excited and said, “Son, take all those documents and make copies of them. Then get Pam to start looking into what all will have to be changed and who needs contacted. Terry, we’ll get to work on this and give you a call when we’ve learned more. And, um, has Walter decided what name she’s going to use? If not, we’ll need to know that before we can start changing anything.”

Brett’s son took the documents Terry had and was back in a few minutes with a complete set of copies. As both Marshalls were bidding Terry goodbye, Brett Sr. asked, “If we need to, can you contact your doctors and give them permission to speak to us on the record? I want to make sure we have authoritative confirmation about all this so if some yahoo comes after you, we have definitive proof.” Terry pulled out her cell phone, called Marsha and explained the situation. Telling Marsha she had permission to share Walter’s medical file with Marshall and Marshall. And to ask them if they have a dog named Bingo. And if they told her it was a ferret and not a dog, they were the people she could talk with. Both Marshalls caught on to what Terry was doing, and Junior wrote down the code phrase in the file he had for the Williams. Terry hung up and they again said their goodbyes before Terry left their offices. She had to relax, she was too wound up. So, she went shopping, and had lunch.

When fourth period class let out, Marge again took Walter’s hand, and this is how they walked to the cafeteria for lunch. Marge kept looking at Walter as they walked, and could see that something was playing on ‘his’ mind. She tried using the old phrase, “A penny for your thoughts,” but all Walter would say was, “Later. Not right now, too many in earshot.” And she saw him go back to ‘his’ own thoughts. Marge had watched Walter in a cafeteria ever since they’d been in grade school, and who she saw now was not the same person. He used to be boisterous, attentive to others, and always quick with a play on words he picked up from what someone else had said. ‘He’ even ate with gusto, enjoying even the most vile smelling food they were served.

But not today. Today he barely said a word to her or anyone else, even when someone talked to ‘him.’ ‘He’ was more robotic in ‘his’ actions, getting in line, taking what was given ‘him’ without comment, letting her lead them to a table, and barely acknowledging what they were eating. Marge put her fork down, reached across the table, put her hand on ‘his’ hand resting on the table and asked, “Walter, talk to me. Let me in, I won’t bite, much, unless it’s when we’re alone. I’ve cared about you ever since the first day in grade school, when I first saw you, and I’ve come to care for you more than just a friend. Walter...I’ve fallen in love with you, the you you’ve shown others you really are over the years.”

Walter just looked at Marge after she said she’d fallen in love with ‘him.’ She felt tears start forming in her eyes, things were blurry to look at. When the tears started sliding down her cheeks, Marge reached up and wiped them off. As the tears fell, Walter told Marge, “You may think differently of me when you hear what I have to tell you. You may not want to be with me any more.” Walter patted the back of Marge’s hand, before pulling her hand out from under Marge’s, got up from the chair and walked away, leaving a confused Marge sitting at the table.

Because of the call Peter received from Terry, and what he told her, and because of what those boys had done to Walter, Peter had been more attentive to watching out for his niece. He was in the cafeteria when Walter and Marge Stillman came into the cafeteria, holding hands, and had just watched an exchange between them that left a bewildered girl sitting at the lunch table. Peter made his excuses to the teachers he was sitting with and walked over to where Marge was sitting. “Mind if I sit down, Miss Stillman?” Peter asked the bewildered looking girl. Mechanically, Marge looked up to see Principal Stepel standing on the other side of the table, asking if he could sit down. Mechanically, she nodded her head and Peter sat in the very chair Walter had used. Peter could see Marge was not there, mentally, just by the look on her face. So he said in a low voice, “Marge, Walter is going through a lot at the moment. Don’t give up on Walter, keep loving Walter. Walter needs you more now than ever.”

Peter watched as Marge thought about what he just said. He could see several emotions cross her face, as the one which said she’d made a decision looked back at him before she said, “But it’s as though Walter is trying to push me away. Why, Principal Stepel? Why would ‘he’ want to push me away?” Even though Peter knew the truth, he felt it was Walter’s story and she should be the one to tell Marge the truth. “Marge, that’s a question you need to ask Walter about. It’s Walter’s story and best be told by Walter. All I can tell you, Marge, when the truth comes out Walter will need your support more than ever. All of Walter’s friends too.” Marge saw Principal Stepel nodding his head, and she quickly got up from her chair and followed Walter out of the cafeteria.

She spotted Walter walking to one of the outdoor benches, and ran to catch up. “Walter, wait up,” Marge called out, causing Walter to stop and turn around. When Marge caught up to Walter, she put her arms around his neck, pulled him close, and whispered, “I don’t care if you have changed, are developing breasts, I still love who you are inside. That’s the person I fell in love with. That’s the person I want to spend my life with.” Walter pushed Marge back so she could see her face. “But you don’t understand. I’ll not...it’s best you find someone who can.” Marge was puzzled by what Walter just said, and asked, “You’ll not what, Walter. What can’t you do? Please tell me? Don’t push me away, I love you.” Marge pleaded with her but she simply shook her head and said, “Later.” Marge felt Walter’s pain so strongly she did the only thing she thought of and she kissed her love, passionately. They then continued walking to the bench, sat down, and Walter tried to tell Marge as much as time would allow, Marge now and then wiping off the tears slowly sliding down Walter’s cheeks.

When Marge bolted out of her chair and out of the cafeteria, Peter stood up to follow her and make sure she’d be alright. He saw where she was heading and stepped to one of the windows in the cafeteria that afforded him a view of that direction. As he watched, Walter stopped, then turned around; Marge must have called to him. He then saw Marge put her arms around Walter’s neck and pull her to her. Marge must have told Walter something, because she pushed them apart, and was shaking her head. He was really surprised when Marge then gave Walter one whale of a kiss, on the lips. Peter had a feeling Walter still hadn’t told Marge the truth, just by how she looked. The two then continued walking to the bench, where they sat down and Marge continued asking questions, and Walter continued shaking her head. Peter hoped the two would be okay, when Marge finally learned the truth. First bell sounded, and the two got up and hand in hand, headed to their next class. Peter knew Terry and Shelby wouldn’t object to the relationship between Marge and Walter. But how would the Markman feel? Their daughter in love with another girl, who used to be the boy she loved? Peter made a mental note to bring that up with Terry next time he saw her, he didn’t want his niece getting hurt if Merge’s parents were intolerant about such relationships. Peter reminded himself he needed to have another staff meeting to tell them about Walter and her change. And that starting tomorrow, Walter would be coming to school dressed as a girl. And they were to crack down hard if/when they saw anyone giving her a hard time, especially considering what just occurred a few days ago. No one was going to hurt his niece while he was Principal of the school.

Terry was again waiting for Walter when school let out for the day. This time instead of seeing just Walter, she saw her walking towards the car with another girl. And they were holding hands. Terry mentally scolded herself not to snap to a judgement until she heard the facts, not that she or Shelby would have any objections if Walter’s soulmate was a girl. When Walter opened the front door on the passenger side, she poked her head in and said, “Hi mom. This is Marge Stillman. Marge, that’s my mom, Terry Williams. And um, mom, Marge is my girlfriend. Think we could go get some ice cream so we can continue talking? Oh, and um, mom?”

When Walter had started talking, Terry had brought her left hand up to her cheek, then tucked her right hand under her left elbow. Her head was tilted slightly towards the left and she stayed that way for some moments after Walter finished talking. It took Walter to say, “Mom? Are you alright? Did I talk too fast again? Marge knows about Uncle Peter and most of what’s happened to me?” Terry still didn’t respond, even when Walter waved her hand in front of Terry’s face. “Mom? Ice cream? Chocolate fudge ripple? Your favorite?” Walter saw her mom’s brow furrow before she shook herself, and told the two, “Yeah, sure, ice cream. Good, great idea. Let’s go get some. What do you say, Walter? Marge?” Walter and Marge looked at each other then laughed, Walter letting Marge get in first so she was sitting next to Terry. Terry did have the presence of mind to make sure her two passengers fastened their seatbelts, before numbly driving out of the school parking lot and to their favorite ice cream shop. Walter again looked at Marge and both looked at Terry, as they heard Terry softly mumble, “Walter has a girlfriend, but then they can’t...what about grandchildren...what will her parents say?” Walter reached across Marge and lightly shook her mom, telling her, “Mom, I think you need to pull over for a few minutes. You don’t sound too good right now.” Walter could see her mom was on autopilot at the moment, but she was able to pull into another parking lot and shut off the car safely.

Terry was staring straight ahead, both hands gripping the steering wheel and didn’t hear Walter ask her, “Mom? Are you alright? Have I done something wrong that’s made you mad at me?” Walter had to shake Terry’s shoulder before Terry finally snapped out of her trance. “Hmm, yes, I’m alright Walter. And no, you’d done nothing wrong to make me mad. And it’s nice to meet you Marge.” Then Terry looked seriously at the two before saying, “It’s just that some people aren’t going to like seeing two girls being girlfriends, like a boy and girl would be boyfriend/girlfriend. And please, I’m not trying to break up the two of you, I think it’s great that both of you have found someone you want to be with. I’m just worried one of those intolerant jackasses will try and physically hurt one or both of you. And I don’t want to be in prison if the two of you happen to get married sometime in the future.”

Both teens were confused when Terry mentioned her being in prison. A questioning look formed on Walter’s face before she asked, “Why would you be in prison, mom, if someone hurt either of us?” Marge didn’t know Terry at all, so couldn’t interpret the expression on Terry’s face. But Walter could, and had seen it several times in the past. “Because, my sweet daughter. I’d have killed the son of a bitch," Terry growled. “But hey, enough talk right now. Let’s go get some ice cream. Then we can talk some more.” Terry started the engine of her car, put it into gear and leaving the parking lot, drove them to an ice cream shop that made all of its ice creams by hand.

tbc
Chapter 11

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 11

Terry had come back to her senses and was able to drive them safely to the ice cream shop. Once she pulled up in front of the shop, shut off the engine, the three went inside and a few minutes later, came back outside. Because it was a nice day, they sat at one of several outside tables the shop provided, and started eating. Terry did get her favorite chocolate fudge ripple, while Marge had chocolate. Walter, on the other hand, had the two women looking at her funny, since she had a scoop of strawberry, a scoop of grape (yes, that shop made grape ice cream), and a scoop of lemon. When Terry asked if she was sure that was what she really wanted, Walter said, “Sure, because the ice cream,” and she pointed to her bowl of ice cream, “is fruity and I’m toot…,” and the smile on Walter’s face disappeared, replaced with a somber and sad look, as she softly finished with, “...-sie.” Terry and Marge saw the look on Walter’s face when she said toot-sie, and it was a sad look. Terry knew why, but it was Marge who asked, “Why the sad face, Walter? And there’s no one near us, so can this be the ‘later’ you kept saying?” Walter suddenly went very quiet, looked down at her bowl and slowly ate her ice cream. It was hard for Terry to remain quiet, sitting there eating her ice cream, watching her child hurting. Knowing if she told Marge the truth, their relationship might come to an end.

As Walter ate bite after bite of her ice cream, tears slowly found their way down her cheek. Terry watched as Marge placed her spoon in her bowl, reached over and took the hand Walter was holding her spoon in, then took the spoon and put it in Walter’s bowl before asking her, “Walter, why won’t you tell me what’s going on with you? Why are you trying to push me away? Didn’t you understand when I told you I loved you, and have since grade school? Walter, please, tell me. We can get through this together, and your friends will be there for you too.”

Walter had been looking down at her bowl of ice cream as Marge spoke. She lifted her head and looked past Marge to her mom, having Terry shake her head and tell her, “No, Walter, I won’t tell Marge for you. This is something YOU have to do. You have to decide. And sweetheart, after tomorrow it won’t be a secret anyway.” Marge again had the puzzled expression on her face after Terry’s last statement. She turned back to Walter and asked, “What won’t be a secret after tomorrow? What’s tomorrow?”

Walter had dropped her head after her mom spoke, just looking at the ice cream in her bowl. Marge was still looking at Walter, waiting, when Walter said, “When I tell you everything, Marge, you’re not going to want me as your girlfriend.” Marge’s expressions ran through the gambit of emotions, until the word ‘girlfriend’ registered. “What do you mean, ‘girlfriend,’ Water? How can you be my ‘girlfriend?” Tears were flowing freely from Walter’s eyes now as she looked up at Marge and told her, “Because, Marge, we found out today that I’m a full functioning girl.” Marge turned to look at Terry and saw Terry nodding her head. She looked back at Walter, who had laid her head down on the table and started crying. In a broken voice, and with more tears flowing, Walter told Marge, “Don’t you understand? If we stayed together I could never help you have any children like a man would be able to do.” Everything suddenly clicked for Marge, as she scooted over on the bench seat, put her arms around Walter, who still had her head on the table, laid her head on Walter’s back, and told her, “Oh, you idiot! Having children, however you have them, is only part of loving someone. Children come after a person loves someone enough to want to spend their life with that person. And I want to spend my life with you, and we’ll figure out the children later.”

Walter sat up, causing Marge to sit up as well, but she didn’t let go of her. With a tear streaked face, and snot running from her nose, she asked in a broken voice, “Even though I’m now a girl, you still want to be with me? Want me to be with you? But I can’t give you children, and what will you parents say, two girls getting married some day? And...and...what will other people say, everyone at school? It’s going to be bad enough when I come to school tomorrow dressed in girls’ clothing. Three boys already attacked me once, it could happen again, and I don’t want to see you getting hurt because of me.”

Marge pulled Walter to her so they were almost touching noses, then told her, “Listen to me, Walter James Williams, you dopey girl, and I’ll say it slowly so you can understand what I’m saying.” Terry had to chuckle after Marge used all three of Walter’s current names. “ I...that’s me,” and Marge pointed to herself, “love...that’s the strong emotion someone gets for someone else, you...that means you, Walter James Williams. By the way, Walter is a dumb name for any girl. How about we start using Katherine Elizabeth Williams? Has a nice ring to it, sounds classy, like you. What do you say, Kathy?” Despite herself, Walter had to laugh at Marge’s antics. She looked past Marge to her mom, raised an eyebrow, and saw her mom nod her head in agreement; Walter did, after all, need a new name.

Walter snuffed her nose, reached up and wiped her eyes before telling Marge, “I like that name. And to be honest, I’ve felt the same for you just about as long as you’ve felt about me, only I didn’t know how to tell you.” Walter had been around Marge long enough to know that when she got a twinkle in her eye, she was about to do something. And Walter wasn’t disappointed, as Marge turned her head so their lips could meet, and gently kissed her for a long time. It took Terry’s throat clearing to bring the two back to earth, but they were smiling at each other when they landed.

When their ice cream was gone Terry decided it was time to take Marge home, and get home themselves. However, that’s not quite how it worked out, at least immediately.

Marge gave Terry directions to her house, and when Terry pulled her car up the driveway at Marge’s house, Marge dropped a bombshell by saying, “I’d like you both to come in and meet my parents. My step-dad should be home by now and mom works from home on her own business.” When Walter started to protest Marge reminded her, “Why not? Tomorrow everyone will spread the word about your change and then even my parents will know. Give them a chance to hear the true story, don’t let it be from rumors and made up stories. Pllleeeaaassseee, for me?” Walter couldn’t help herself and laughed at Marge’s antics. She looked at the innocent, pleading look on Marge’s face, leaned over and softly kissed Marge, before telling her, “I do love you, you monkey.” When Walter said, “Okay,” Terry asked, “Are you sure Kathy, we can wait until word gets out?” Walter nodded her head and told her mom, “I’m sure mom. Marge is right. It’s best they hear the truth before a bunch of made up stories start running around.”

Hearing Walter agree to meet her parents, Marge acted like she’d just won some pageant title that paid her thousands of dollars for life. The three got out of Terry’s car, Marge took Walter’s hand and they walked up to the front door of the house. Marge took out a key, unlocked the door, and led them into the house, yelling, “MOM, I’M HOME, WITH FRIENDS.” Marge knew exactly what was about to happen, because she’d been warned about it before. But as she had learned, it was a sure fire way to get both of her parents attention right away. And it was no different this time either.

As if it had been rehearsed, the three heard, “Marge Wanonna Stillman,” from a woman coming down a hall to their left. “How many times have you been told not to shout in the house?” And as the woman entered the living room she said in a surprised voice, “Oh, we have guests, sorry. But that’s no reason to yell, young lady.” Shortly they heard a man’s voice coming from the kitchen, and then saw him when he asked, “Why are you yelling? You know…,” and when the man saw who was with his step-daughter he stopped, looked at Terry and Walter, and siad, “Hello, Walter, Mrs. Williams. I didn’t know you knew my step-daughter.” It was Walter’s hospital chauffeur, the orderly.

Terry and Walter were looking at Marge as she said, “Mom, dad, this is Mrs. Terry Williams and her, um, ah…,” “Daughter,” Walter supplied. When Marge looked at Walter, she nodded her head and said, “Your step-dad already knows, why try to hide it?” Marge kissed Walter before finishing, “And her daughter Walter, soon to be Katherine Elizabeth Williams. And these are my parents, Dorothy and Thomas Markman.” Thomas gently hugged Terry before asking, “Are you doing okay, Terry? And you Walter, soon to be Katherine? How’re you doing?” Dorothy had followed her husband and first hugged Terry then Walter, telling the two, “You have to stay for dinner,” and with a pleading look on her face, asked, “please?” Walter looked at Terry before saying, “Now I know where she gets that pleading look from.” Marge playfully swatted Walter on the arm, gently kissed her, then said, “That’s not true, mom got it from me?” That got the reaction Marge wanted, as her mom playfully chased her a few steps before Thomas got serious and asked, “Terry, Walter, please. We’d like it if you both would stay for dinner. We’d like to hear how our daughter’s girlfriend is doing.” Thomas saw the shocked look on Terry’s face and told her, “Marge told us all about it, for the last several years, though it was Walter the boy.” And he looked at Walter and said in a soft voice, “And we can’t be more pleased.”

Terry looked over to Walter, who was trying to imitate Marge, then laughed out loud. “Give it up girl, you couldn’t do a pleading look if your panties were on fire. But, okay, we’ll stay for dinner.” Again Marge acted like the grand prize winner of the latest lottery, kissed Walter before running off, coming back later in a change of clothes, and sat down next to Walter on the couch. Thomas explained to Terry that he had talked with Dorothy about Walter, because he really felt bad for what she was going through and Dorothy always helped him get through times like these. But hadn’t told Marge because he felt she needed to hear the truth from Walter, or not. Walter then confessed she would be going to school the following day dressed in girls clothing, and was a bit scared how everyone would react. “As you know Mr. Markman,” and Walter was interrupted with, “Ah, Walter, at home it’s just Thomas, okay?” Walter nodded then continued “Oh, okay, Thomas. You already know Principal Stepel is my Uncle, so he knows everything, and won’t be a problem. It’s all the others who scare me. I’ve already been attacked by three boys, who my mom put into the hospital, before they were arrested. What if there are more like them? What do I do? If no one’s around, I’m toast.” Walter started shaking, causing both Terry and Marge to put their arms around her.

Thomas got up out of the chair he’d been sitting in, walked over to Walter, kneeled in front of her, took her hands in his, and told her, “Walter, Dorothy and I have been hearing nothing but good things about you for a number of years. And not just from Marge. You really don’t know how many people you’ve helped over the years just by the way you’ve handled yourself when something happened to you. When your name comes up in a conversation, and believe me it does, a lot of parents say because you showed a strength and courage after those accidents, their children emulated when they had their own accidents. And even now, with your changes, people have watched how you’ve handled yourself during this whole thing. And Walter, you have a lot more on your side than you possibly realize. And not just parents. So when they find out you’re a real girl now, if anyone tries to give you any problems, student or parent, they best bring an army with them. Because you’ll have one at your back.” Thomas gently reached up and wiped tears finding their way down Walter’s cheeks. And like others have told her, Thomas said, “It will be alright, Walter. You will get through all this.”

Terry and Walter jumped when a horn sounded, causing Marge to laugh and Dorothy to chuckle before telling them, “It’s a timer we bought some time ago. None of us could ever hear the ‘ding’ of those other timers, and we happened to be at a swap meet, one time, and found it there. It means, dinner is served, or at least ready.” Dorothy giggled before telling everyone to gather around the dining room table. The rest of the time was about Walter and Marge and their relationship. And the problems they might face from those who had their heads so far up their butts they saw the world from the back of their throats. But there was a promise from all three adults, like what Terry told Marge and Walter in the car. All three would end up in jail, after killing the sons of a bitches. Terry and Walter helped clear the table, under protests from Dorothy and Thomas, helped with the dishes, again under protest, then Terry told the Markmans they needed to get home, Walter had homework and clothes to choose for tomorrow. As Walter and Terry were just about to walk out the front door, Marge grabbed Walter and played tonsil tag with her, until several throats cleared, several times. Terry looked at Walter’s eyes then said, grabbing her by the hand, “Come on, lover girl, let’s get you home. I’ll lead, you’re in no condition to walk straight.”

Walter was still in a daze after Marge’s kiss, so Terry had to help Walter into the car and put her seat belt on for her. She shook her head, and chuckled to herself, as she walked around to the driver’s side, got in the car, started the engine and drove them home. And when they got home, Walter was still in a daze, until Terry said, “Stirrups,” which immediately got Walter’s attention. Terry laughed then shrugged her shoulders, and told Walter, “Well, I had to do something to get your attention. You’ve been zoned out ever since Marge tried to pull your stomach out through your mouth.” Then she kissed Walter on the cheek before telling her, “But I’m really happy for you. You two make a cute couple. Now, homework, then we need to choose what you’ll wear tomorrow before getting ready for bed. Just so I know how to help, dress, skirt, or slacks?”

Terry saw the worried look on her daughter’s face, then heard, “I really don’t know, mom. I mean, I’ve only worn pants, so I wouldn’t really know how to behave wearing a dress or skirt. Still, I’ll have to wear them sometime. If I do wear a dress or skirt, would it cause trouble by those who’re going to cause trouble anyway? I just don’t know mom.” Terry pulled her distraught daughter to her, holding her as she told her, “We’ll figure it out, hon. Why don’t you go get your homework done, then we’ll see about the clothes, okay?” Terry kissed Walter on top of her head, before Walter let go of her mom and went up to her room. Terry wished Shelby was here right now so they could discuss all of this. Instead, she decided to call Peter and ask his opinion about Walter’s clothing for tomorrow. He was the Principal of the school, so should have a feeling how everyone would react depending on how Walter was dressed. She just hoped those who bothered Walter had good lawyers, because they were going to need them.

Peter cursed under his breath when his phone rang, he and Tina had been doing some interpersonal relationship discussions, with their lips. Tina laughed at Peter’s frustration, just before she swatted in the butt, getting a playful fist shown to her. “Hello, and this better be good. I mean, this is Peter Stepel.” Peter heard laughter on the other end of the phone, then heard, “Don’t tell me, let me guess, big brother. You and Tina were playing oral inspectors with your tongues?” And Terry laughed again. “Sis,” Peter began, “one of these days you and Shelby are going to be exercising that mattress in your bedroom and I’m going to call. And be able to laugh at you because your insertion play was interrupted.” Both laughed before Terry told her brother, “Brother dear, when Shelby and I are exercising on the mattress in our bedroom, we don’t hear anything short of the house falling down. He’s too busy making me scream for more.” Then Terry heard, “Oh, my gawd...tmi tmi tmi,” then, “Hmm…” and Peter looked at Tina with a wicked look on his face. Then, so Tina could hear what he and Terry had been talking about, said aloud, “I wonder if I could get Tina to the point where she’s screaming for more?”

tbc
Chapter 12

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 12

It was a shocked Peter who saw the fake shocked look on Tina’s face before she giggled and started unbuttoning her blouse. Peter was having problems, and not just concentrating on what Terry was saying to him. As Peter watched Tina, she’d stood up from the couch, let her blouse fall to the floor, and was now reaching behind her and in an instant, let her bra drop to the floor. She seductively walked over to him, took his hand, brought it to her left breast, and began guiding his fingers. Peter saw the pleasure erupt on Tina’s face, and heard the low moans she was eliciting. He heard a voice in his ear and realized Terry had been talking and was now asking him a question. Blushing, he told Terry, “Um...sis...I’ve an event developing here and missed everything you said.” For the next several minutes, all Peter heard was laughter from his sister. When Terry finally stopped laughing she asked, “Let me guess, you got your hand on one of Tina’s breasts. Right? And you can’t bring her to fruition and talk at the same time?” Tina could hear some of what Terry was saying, since Peter hadn’t kept the receiver to his ear. She watched as Peter blushed a deeper pink then said aloud, “Terry, you should see his face right now.” That set Terry off again, and Tina joined her. Then the two women heard Peter say, “I’ll get both of you for this.” Terry started laughing again, before telling her brother, “You aren’t going to be getting me, but I’ll bet you get Tina tonight.” Tina had a big smile on her face because of the teasing she and Terry were giving Peter. She leaned forward and kissed him before moving his hand to her right breast, guiding his fingers again, causing her to close her eyes and elicit the same moans as before.

Peter was having a very hard time concentrating on what Terry was saying again, and had to ask her, “Terry, why’d you...call?” His voice went up when he asked that question, because Tina had used her other hand to reach down and start messaging Peter. Terry laughed again when she heard how her brother asked that question, and had a good idea why. “Well, brother, I’ll make this quick then, since it seems you’re about to play hide and seek with Tina. Walter’s worried about school tomorrow, specifically the clothes she’ll be wearing.” When Peter heard this was about Walter, he pulled his hand back from Tina’s breast, reached down and stopped her hand’s pleasurable actions. He mouthed ‘Walter’ to Tina, when she’d given him a questioning look, then held the receiver so Tina could hear what Terry was saying.

With Tina listening, Peter said, “So she’s going to dress as a girl tomorrow, come out to everyone?” When Terry said, “Yes, but she’s scared how she’ll be received. She’s worried about those who might come after her, thinking all she’s doing is fake. That she’s nothing but a boy trying to be a girl. And Peter, I’m scared too.” Peter thought for a minute before reminding Terry, “Sweetheart, the school already knows Walter is developing breasts because of that accident, can it be any harder to believe those chemicals had affected her to the point of actually causing her gender to change? You have to remember, Terry. Most of those kinds grew up with Walter and watched as she experienced all of those incidents. And her reactions. I don’t think you realize how much they admire her for the courage it took to stand up in front of her science class and tell them what she was experiencing. Terry, tell her to be the girl she is, but not to go over the top. And I can guarantee you, and her, she will be well received. And if I’d guess here, she’ll tell her science class everything.” Tina couldn’t help herself after what she heard Peter say, and took her right hand and again started messaging Peter, then kissed him on the neck. Peter reached down with his free hand and pressed Tina’s hand harder into himself, before telling Terry, “Sis, Walter will be fine tomorrow. But you have to excuse me right now, I’ve a game of hide and seek to play.” He heard Terry erupt in laughter, before wishing her brother, and Tina, happy hunting.

Peter had no sooner hung up the phone then Tina had unbuttoned his pants, pulled down the zipper, and had her hand inside his underwear. He reciprocated and began walking them to his bedroom, all the while playing with Tina’s tongue with his own.

Terry was sitting at the kitchen table when Walter slowly walked in, sat down, put her arms on the table then plopped her head down on her arms, looking across the kitchen table. Terry didn’t say anything, since her daughter’s face told her everything she needed to know. Walter had made a decision, if one she didn’t like. Talking with one’s head on one’s arms can be terribly uncomfortable, it makes one’s head move up and down instead of just the jaw. But Walter managed it as she said, “Mom, I can’t see any way around it. I’m gonna have to look like a girl tomorrow and that means wearing a dress or skirt and blouse, and the correct shoes. But I think my hair might be a problem. It isn’t styled right, and it’s too late to get it styled. What do I do?” Terry calmly took a sip of her coffee, sat the cup down on the kitchen table, then told Walter, “I know owning up to how you’ll have to appear tomorrow wasn’t an easy thing for you to do. But as Thomas told you, and Peter’s been telling you, you WILL be okay. You’ll make it through this like you’ve always done. As to your hair, I agree, it does need styled. And it is too late for that tonight. But maybe in the morning we might fiddle with it to make it look a bit better, and I’ll be sure to get you an appointment tomorrow for after school. Now, how about we go up and see what would look good for school tomorrow?” Walter didn’t move, as Terry started to get up from her chair. She sat back down and gave Walter a questioning look. “Um...I already picked out something, along with everything else needed. Um...maybe you can look at all of it and see if it’s okay?”

Walter lifted her head, looked at her mom and burst into tears. Terry got up out of the kitchen chair, walked around the kitchen table, and gathered up her daughter and held her until her crying had eased. As she held Walter she felt helpless, unable to do anything more than be there for her daughter. This was another encounter Walter would have to face, but was unlike any of the ones before. She had seen Walter do things and go places most kids wouldn’t think of. And each time, if it somehow turned against him, he got up, took his lumps, and continued on. Unfortunately, this time Walter was going someplace and doing something few boys would ever consider for a variety of reasons, simply because she had no choice. It had been forced on her. And she was scared, more scared than she’d ever been. And Terry knew it. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s go see what you’ve picked out for tomorrow.” Terry felt Walter nod her head in response to what Terry said, and while holding each other, they went up to Walter’s bedroom.

When they walked into Walter’s bedroom, Terry expected to see some bizarre combination of clothes waiting to assault her eyes. Instead, she saw the light yellow dress they’d purchased at the mall lying on Walter’s bed. When Walter tried it on at the mall, it was a couple inches above her knees. The sleeves were puffy without being obscenely puffy, and it had a nice modest neckline. Terry did worry, though, because it zipped in the back, something Walter had had trouble with at the time. Next to the dress was a white slip a bit shorter than the dress. Next to that was a matching white bra and panties, and a pair of white knee high socks. And sitting on the floor was a pair of cream colored kitten heel shoes.

Terry could feel Walter shaking, and she knew why. She was worried the combination of clothes she’d chosen were all wrong. Terry pulled Walter in tighter to her and told her daughter, “You have a good eye for what works together. I know you don’t want to hear this, but you’re going to look really cute tomorrow. Just remember what I told you about how to sit when wearing a dress, okay. Most of those boys are going to get way overly excited when they see you, no sense giving them any more to look at.” Walter chuckled at the way her mom told her not to flash any of the boys while she was sitting down. “I remember, mom. I just hope those but...um...morons don’t start making trouble.” Terry laughed at Walter’s change of words. “Honey, everyone has a butthole. But not everyone is a moron.” Terry’s use of the word Walter edited caused the desired effect, Walter burst out laughing. And so did Terry.

“Honey, would you please turn on your computer for me? I want to show you something,” Terry asked, having come up with a quick hairstyle that might work for tomorrow. After Walter had turned up her laptop, Terry did a search and found pictures she could use to show Walter what she had in mind. “Now, we won’t have much time in the morning, and you’ll have to get up earlier than before, but if we try this simple style,” and Terry showed Walter a Half Up Half Down style, where hair on both sides of her head were brought back and over the top of the rest of her hair, then lightly twisted and held together in the center with a hair clip. The rest of the length then falls straight down over the top of the hair in the back. “And I have just the clip that might work, give me a minute,” Terry told Walter as she left Walter’s bedroom and returned a minute later with a brush, comb, and the hair clip. She went over to Walter’s desk, pulled out the chair and had Walter sit there so she could work on Walter’s hair.

After brushing Walter’s hair for a few minutes, Terry then gathered up hair from the sides, lightly twisted each group, then pinned the two groups together with the hair clip she had brought from her bedroom. She then used the comb and brush to play a bit more with Walter’s hair until she felt it looked right. When Terry said, “There, I think that’s got it,” Walter wanted to see how she looked, but Terry told her, “Put your dress on first.” When Walter gave her mom a funny look, Terry told her, “Get undressed, and get dressed in what you’re wearing to school tomorrow. Go on, you’ll see why in a moment.” When Walter got up out of the chair and turned to see herself in the mirror over her chest of drawers, Terry grabbed her and took her over to her bed and said, “Get dressed.” Terry then took a small blanket off Walter’s bed and covered the mirror about the chest of drawers, it was going to be too small anyway for Walter to really see herself.

As Terry watched, Walter was out of the clothes she was wearing and into the bra, panties, and slip in almost no time. Terry crossed her fingers, as Walter picked up the light yellow dress, unzipped the back zipper, stepped into it, putting her arms through the short sleeves, then reached behind her, and though had a bit of trouble, finally zipped up the zipper. She then sat down on her bed to put on the socks and shoes. When she was all dressed, Terry told her, “Okay, close your eyes and don’t open them, or peek, until I tell you to.” When Walter gave her mom another funny look, Terry said, “Go on, cover your eyes.” When Walter had covered her eyes, Terry took her hand and gently pulled her up until she was standing, then led Walter down the hall to her bedroom. Terry turned on the ceiling light before having Walter stop almost in front of the closet door. Terry said, “No peeking now,” and walked over and opened the closet door. When Terry had the door opened to the right angle, she told Walter, “Okay, you can open your eyes now.” Terry stood back and watched, as Walter just stared at her reflection in the full length mirror on the inside of the closet door. It took a bit but then Walter said, “Wow, you were right mom. I’m going to kill them tomorrow.” Terry watched as Walter turned first to the left then to the right. Then she turned so she could look over her shoulder. Then in typical Walter fashion, she said, “Ya know, mom, maybe it’d be a good idea if I carried a baseball bat with me tomorrow.” Terry came up behind her daughter, put her arms around her and said, “Ah, no. No baseball bat. But you do look absolutely gorgeous. You won’t need to use a bat on any of those boys. They’ll die of heart attacks from the shock of seeing how beautiful you are.” Both women laughed, before Terry told Walter it was late, and they’d better get her ready for bed.

Walter slept fairly well through the night, one nightmare waking her in the early morning hours. But thinking about how she looked in the mirror, helped her go back to sleep. Walter’s alarm went off at 6 a.m., and continued to buzz until Terry came into the room and shut it off. She then roughly shook Walter, telling her, “Hey, sleepyhead, time to get up. We got things to do before you go to school.” Walter was lying on her right side, and opened one eye to look at her mom, before she stuck her tongue out at her mom. She groaned, closed her eye and mumbled, “Okay, in a bit.” Terry had been expecting this and had planned it all out. She took hold of the edge of the coverings, and said, at the same time she pulled them clear down to the foot of the bed, “No...NOW.” Walter let out a screech as the covers were pulled out of the hand she’d been holding them with, now lying there in her nightie and feeling the chill in the room. “MOM, THAT’S DIRTY POOL,” Walter hollered, causing Terry to laugh.

Walter was now looking at her mom, as she still lay on the bed. Terry got right down into her face and told her, “All’s fair in love and getting my daughter up for school.” Terry was close enough to Walter and she moved her head to her mom’s face, lightly kissed her on the lips, then said, “You’re heartless.” Terry chuckled, kissed her back, then said, “Yeah, I know.” Walter’s arms reached out and went around Terry’s neck, and Terry did the same to Walter. Whispering in each other’s ears, Walter said, “Thanks for everything mom. I love you.” And Terry replied with, “You’re more than welcome, sweetheart. And I love you too. Now, get your robe on and let’s go get breakfast.” Terry felt Walter nod her head, let go of her daughter, and turned to leave Walter to herself as she went down to the kitchen to get breakfast started. A few moments later Terry heard the toilet flush, and shortly after Walter came walking into the kitchen. Walter saw her mom starting to fix scrambled eggs and bacon, so she got plates out of the cabinet, then silverware out of the drawer. She then got out the toaster and bread before getting butter and jam out of the fridge. When everything was about done Walter put four pieces of bread in the toaster and pulled the lever down on the toaster down. The toaster popped just as the scrambled eggs were ready, and the two women sat down to eat. And talk.

When they’d finished eating they quickly took care of the dishes, before heading upstairs to Walter’s bedroom; Terry wanted to help Walter get ready on her first day going to school as a girl. When Walter finished cleaning herself in the bathroom after breakfast, she then got dressed much as she had the night before, before Terry did her hair as they’d planned and applied a bit of mascara and lip gloss to Walter’s eyelashes and lips. Terry then told Walter to get her purse, as Terry left the room but came back a moment later carrying a few things. Walter watched as her mom sat a couple of panty liners and tampons on her bed, before going to the chest of drawers and taking out a pair of white panties. Walter gave her mom a questioning look before Terry told her, “Just in case of unexpected accidents or we figured wrong for your first period. Plus, another girl might ask you to help her out.” Terry had explained about using panty liners and tampons, and had helped Walter use both so she’d know how to use them. She then told Walter to put the mascara and lip gloss in her purse along with her wallet and school ID and a few tissues. It was now 7:45 a.m., time enough to relax a bit before Terry would drive her daughter to school. With backpack in hand, along with her purse, the two went downstairs and sat and talked a bit more before they left for school at eight.

As Terry drove to the high school, she kept glancing towards Walter, who had been quiet ever since they got into the car. She could see the worried look on Walter’s face, and the fear in her eyes. She took her right hand off the steering wheel, reached across and put her hand on Walter’s arm, telling her, “Honey, I know you’re scared and worried how you will be treated. But I think you’re going to find out there are more there who will support you, and look out for you, than you think. You’ve made quite an impression with a lot of people over the years. And they know you’re going through a rough time right now. Do as you’ve always done, laugh it off, get up and move on.” Walter lowered her head to look at the floor on the passenger side, then told her mom, “Yeah, I did do that as a boy. But I’m not a boy anymore, mom. And I don’t know how to do the same thing as a girl.”

They pulled into the school parking lot, and Terry stopped her car at the loading/unloading zone. She turned off the engine then turned to her daughter. “Walter,” she said, “boy or girl, it’s the same. Something happens to you, and you decide how to react. Before when something happened, you chose to laugh about it and then went on just as though nothing happened. Being a girl is no different, in deciding how to react to things that happen to you. Right now you’re feeling sorry for yourself because of what’s happened. And you’re scared. Okay, those are natural reactions, but you can push past those and not let them change you into a bitter person no one wants to be around. And unless I miss my guess,” and she pointed to the girl practically running to their car, “there’s one girl who wants to be with you.” Walter looked up and in the direction her mom was pointing. The girl running towards them had the biggest smile on her face. It was so big it threatened to completely take over her beautiful look. Walter looked back at her mom and asked, “Did you set this up, mom? Cause if you did, thanks.” The two shared a quick kiss before Walter got out of the car and was immediately captured in a hug that threatened to crush her chest. “Hey, girlfriend, let me look at you,” Marge told her, as she pushed Walter back so she could get a good look at Walter. Walter had yet to close the passenger door, as Marge bent down to look at Terry and asked, “Did you bring a bat, Mrs. Williams? I think Walter’s going to need one.” “Kathy, it’s Kathy’s going to need one,” Walter told Marge. “My name is going to be Katherine Elizabeth Williams, Kathy for short.” Marge brightened up after hearing the proclamation from Walter. She stood up and looked at Walter and said, “Yeah, that does sound better than Walter, for a girl.” Then Marge lightly kissed Kathy on the lips, before Kathy said goodbye to her mom and closed the passenger side door. Terry watched as the two headed to the main school doors, walking hand in hand. Kathy looked back, waved, and the two disappeared into the school. Terry decided she needed to do a bit of shopping to help her calm down, and lunch after.

Peter had asked Kathy, aka Walter, to come by the office before going to her first period class. He was standing, nervously, by Margot’s desk as he saw Walter walk into the office holding Marge Stillman’s hand. When Margot saw the two enter the office, she got up out of her chair and came to stand next to Peter. “My oh my, she is a pretty thing, isn’t she Peter. And they make a really cute couple.” Peter couldn’t take his eyes off his new niece as he told Margot, “She sure is, Margot, and they sure are.”

Peter and Margot could see the fear in Walter’s eyes, she had yet to tell her Uncle, or Margot what her new name would be. Marge and Kathy, aka Walter, stopped a few steps away from Peter and Margot before Marge asked, “Well, what do you think? Doesn’t she clean up nicely?” Kathy, aka Walter, deadpanned as she turned her head to look at Marge before saying to her, “You know you’re a pig, right?” Marge laughed before lightly kissing Kathy, and before two throats cleared, then told her, “Yeah, but I’m your pig.” It seemed that was the right amount of banter, at the right time, because Kathy, aka Walter, dropped her head and laughed. In a serious voice, Marge told her, “That’s better. No more Miss glumly, okay?”

Kathy, aka Walter, nodded her head before turning to her Uncle and telling him “Principal Stepel, I’m going by the name of Kathy Elisabeth Williams, unofficially until we get my name changed. I’ll still answer to Walter in school, but just wanted to let you know beforehand.” Margot couldn’t help herself, and walked over to Kathy, giving her a hug and telling her, “My, sweetheart, you sure are pretty,” and lightly kissed her on the cheek. Blushing, Kathy thanked Margot before Peter said, “Thank you for telling me, Wa...um...Kathy. I’ll make a note of the name change in your file and will make it permanent when you get it done officially.” Peter walked up to Kathy, took both of her hands in his and asked her, “How are you really doing? I see you’re trying to put on a brave face, but…?”

A tear threatened to roll down her cheek as she told her Uncle, “I’m scared, Uncle Peter.” Peter pulled his niece into a hug and told her, “With this gallant young lady with you, and more than you know standing by, things will be alright, Walter. You wait and see. Now, you two better get off to your first period class, you don’t want to be late for your first day of classes, Kathy Elizabeth Williams. Do you?” Kathy said “No,” in a choked voice, wiped her eyes before taking Marge’s hand, turning around and walking out of the school office. Peter felt a hand on his back as Margot told him, “She’ll be alright, Peter. The entire school is going to protect her.” Peter nodded his head and replied, “I sure hope you’re right, Margot. I sure, hope you’re right.” When Marge and Kathy had disappeared, Margot returned to her desk and Peter to his office, both hoping Margot was right in what she said.

If you ever visited a fair, and it had carnival rides, and one of those rides was bumper cars, then you have some idea what was occurring as Marge and Kathy walked hand in hand down the hallway to their lockers. Boys and girls were banging into the open classroom doors, and open hall locker doors. Students were running into each other, either because they were walking forward and looking sideways or backward. Or those walking towards the two girls, ran into those who were looking sideways or backward. And as the two girls walked first to Marge’s locker, then to Kathy’s, the throng of students seemed to part in the middle to let the two walk down the hallway. All the while, watching and wondering who the ‘new’ girl happened to be.

While the boys were having trouble with their jeans, some of the girls weren’t taking this ‘new’ girl as politely. As one girl walked by the two, she uttered, “Sluts,” which to her dismay was heard by one of the teachers who came out of their class. “Ah, Miss Camron, one moment, please.” Charles Miller had heard the commotion out in the hallway and stepped out to see what it was about, just as Cora Camron walked by the two girls and said, “Sluts.” “Ah, Miss Camron. I believe you know the rules of student conduct while on school grounds? And I believe you know they include calling other students demeaning names? So for your reward for forgetting those rules, you will spend a week in detention with me, and a few others.”

Cora’s eyes got big, and her mouth started before her brain told it to, as she said, “Well, they are sluts. Just look at them, holding hands, and the way they’re walking down the hall, oblivious to the commotion they’re causing.” Charles just chuckled as he said, “Why Miss Camron, I didn’t know you wanted to make it two weeks detention with me and a few others. I’ll see you after school today.” Charles left the girl standing as she tried to sputter and come up with some excuse to get out of two weeks detention. She slowly turned and stared at Marge and the other girl, forming a plan how to get back at the two bitches for costing her two weeks detention. But as she stood there forming a plan, one of her girl friends hurried up to her and asked, “Wow, Cora. Doesn’t Walter look great?”

Cora’s jaw dropped to the floor, and her tongue rolled out to join it, as she looked back down the hallway to watch the two girls. In a squeaky voice she said, “That’s Walter Williams? The guy who had the accident in his science class?” Cora’s friend nodded her head and replied, “Ah huh, that’s him. Or rather her, now. Wow, she looks great. I love her hairstyle, wonder if she’ll tell me how it’s done?” Cora squeezed her eyes shut, looked at the ceiling and said, “Aw...shit. Great! Juusst, great.” When her friend asked what she was talking about Cora told her, “I just made an ass out of myself and got two weeks detention for my troubles.” Cora and her friend had started school with Walter, and were two of the many who had watched Walter’s reactions when something happened to him. Cora turned and as she walked into Charles Miller’s algebra class, she said more to herself than anyone, “Ah, well, learn something new everyday.”

Charles Miller hadn’t been the only teacher to walk out into the hall to see about all the commotion, Brigette had too. And when she saw Marge, and what could only be Walter, walking towards her, she put her hand over her mouth in surprise, and said so the two girls could hear her, “My, Walter, you are very pretty today.” And when the two girls stopped in front of Brigette she asked, “Has anyone given you any trouble so far, Walter?” Walter answered with, “Not so far, Mrs. Stokes. And I’m going to change my name to Katherine Elizabeth Williams, Kathy for short.” It wasn’t quite Kosher for a teacher to hug a student, but Brigette stepped up to Walter and hugged her, whispering in her ear, “I’m very proud of how you’ve handled this whole thing.” When Brigette let go of Walter she saw a tear in the girl’s eye. After wiping her eyes, Kathy said, “Thank you Mrs. Stokes. That means a lot coming from you. Um...maybe I better explain to the class like I did last time. And maybe you can start calling me Kathy. I don’t really look like a Walter any more.” Brigette reached out and put her hand on Kathy’s arm, then told her, “I think talking to the class is a good idea. And I’ll be happy to call you Kathy. You two best get inside, the second bell should ring at any moment.”

Most already in the science class had seen Marge and the ‘new’ girl walking down the hallway, so weren’t as shocked when she walked into their class. But a few raised their eyebrows when the ‘new’ girl sat down in Walter’s seat, until Jeffrey, the boy who first made fun of Walter needing to wear a bra, then getting slapped so hard it knocked him out of his chair, who got two weeks detention and ended up grounded for the semester, turned his head to look at the girl when she sat down, and told her, “Wow, you look really nice, Walter. It’s going to be okay, ya know.” Kathy put her hand on Jeffrey’s arm and told him, “Thanks. And I’m going by Katherine now. Kathy for short.”

Working at the shelter with his mom had taught the once flippant boy a thing or two about how to treat people better, and the results when they are treated badly. He looked Walter in the eyes and said, “Alright, Kathy it is, Walter.” Then he just smiled, and Kathy playfully slapped his arm. The room now sounded like a hive of bees, as the students had heard what Jeffrey had called the ‘new’ girl. And everyone had turned in their seats and were now staring at Walter, Kathy. What surprised Brigette was when Jeffrey said to all those staring at Kathy, “What are all of you looking at? Didn’t Walter tell us those chemicals were messing with his body? Well, it looks like they’ve done their work, and we now have Kathy with us instead of Walter.” Jeffrey stood up and held out his arm, sweeping it to take in everyone sitting ahead of Kathy, and said, “Kathy, meet the class. Class, meet Kathy Williams, the former Walter Williams.” Brigette may have been surprised by what Jeffrey did, but he was a different boy since this all started.

The second bell rang, Brigette walked to the back of the class and closed the classroom door. After walking back to her lab desk, she picked up her grade book and took roll. There was still buzzing in the class and whispers about Walter, so to get everyone’s attention, Brigette slammed a book down on her lab table. More than one in the class jumped because of the loud sound but it did what Brigette wanted. “Now that I have your undivided attention,” and she looked at Kathy and nodded her head, “you all seemed to have noticed we have a ‘new’ girl in class today. So, I’m going to let her introduce herself and explain a little about herself.” Kathy had got up from her chair and walked to Brigette’s lab desk, and was standing there as Brigette finished talking. Marge saw how frightened Kathy was and got up, walked up to stand beside her, took her hand and whispered, “It’s going to be alright, you’ll see.”

Kathy dug deep and pulled up Walter’s courage and began with, “Several weeks ago, we had an in class experiment to pour alcohol into water and measure the change in the level of the liquid in the beaker. I was the last one to get into the supply room, and the one bottle of alcohol left was on the top shelf in the wrong cabinet. As I stood on the second shelf and was reaching for that bottle of alcohol, all of the shelves collapsed, and I fell, getting cut by broken glass and contaminated by all of the chemicals in that cabinet. It wasn’t long before I was standing up here telling you that I found out I was developing breasts, and if the doctors didn’t find a way to stop the changes, I was going to become a girl. And...yesterday...I...um, I um, found out I was a total girl. Just like the girls in this school. I’m going to go through what girls go through once a month, and be able to give birth. It is just as though I was born a girl. And I’ll be going by the name of Katherine Elizabeth Williams, Kathy for short.” Marge reached up and wiped tears off Kathy’s cheeks, then gently pulled her hand and led her back to her seat, before returning to her own. No one said a word, there was no buzzing either, as everyone in that class was digesting what Kathy had just told them.

The silence was broken by someone clapping their hands, and when everyone looked where the sound was coming from, they saw Jeffrey standing, looking at Kathy and clapping. It didn’t take long for the others to realize what he was doing, and joined in applauding Kathy for having the courage to stand up in front of the class and tell them what had happened to her. Kathy looked around at those looking at her as they applauded, and couldn’t believe what she saw. And like other girls, tears were running down her cheeks because of the warmth she felt from the others in her class. It took a few minutes before the class calmed down and everyone had sat back down, and a few minutes more as she talked about what the class had just heard. Brigette did manage to get some of the planned lesson in before the first bell rang, and made it her business to speak with Kathy before she went to her next class. “I’m very proud of you, Kathy. Standing up there and saying what you did took a lot of courage. I can only imagine how strange all this must be to you, but after watching how Walter handled his encounters, I have a feeling you’ll do just the same at some point in time.” Brigette pulled Kathy into a hug before telling the two girls they best get going.

tbc
Chapter 13

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 13

Marge and Kathy’s walk wasn’t as interesting to the other students filling the hallway as it had been when Kathy first appeared. One boy, in particular, decided it was time he made his move on his first conquest. Just as Marge and Kathy reached where he was standing, he stepped out in front of the two and said to Kathy in what he considered a sexy voice, “Hey, sweetcheeks, I’m Robert. Why don’t you ditch your sister and you and me go somewhere private. I can show you a better time than your sister can.”

Robert Bakes was a transfer from several previous schools. He’d been kicked out of one after another until he landed in school today. No one would say exactly why he’d been kicked out of school, but rumor had it, and it was a true rumor, his parents had paid a lot of people to keep their mouth’s shut. It seemed Robert thought himself a ladies man, and he’d actually been kicked out after getting several girls at each school pregnant. The parents of those girls had wanted to go to the police and have Robert arrested, but when his parents stepped in and gave each family a hefty sum, they changed their minds. His parents had warned him each time he’d change schools, but nothing they said made any difference. But this time it wasn’t going to be his parents who gave him a warning, it was going to be the school.

Kathy turned to Marge and asked, “Did you hear something, Marge? It sounded like a whiny mosquito. Don’t you think so?” Marge looked Robert up and down before saying, “No, not a mosquito, but it’s so full of itself I’m surprised someone hasn’t changed its diaper.” At one of the schools Robert was kicked out of, he’d assaulted a girl when she’d made fun of him; the doctors had to wire her jaw shut because Robert hit her so hard he broke her jaw in two places.

Robert stepped closer to Marge before telling her, “Listen, bitch, no girl makes fun of me and gets away with it.” Robert started to bring his hand back to slap Marge when his hand was caught by someone standing behind him. He turned around to face the bastard who interfered with him, only to find a boy standing there looking at him. And about ten others standing behind Jeffrey Stoneman. “I don’t know what you fuckers think you’re doing but you don’t want to mess with me,” Robert angrily told the eleven. Jeffrey just smiled at Robert and replied, “Um, I think you’ve got it wrong there, sport. It’s you who doesn’t want to mess with those two girls, especially the one on your left. You don’t even want to have her mother on your case. She’d tear you limb from limb, then shove it all down your throat.” Robert turned around to look at Kathy and saw her nodding her head. “Yep, Robert, Jeffrey’s right,” Kathy said. Then in a growl she said, “She already put three boys who attacked me in the hospital. Want to try to be number four? You best run along and put me out of your mind.” Quite a crowd had gathered around the three, and they didn’t look happy. As Robert started to walk away, he said in a nasty voice, “This ain’t over, bitch. You wait and see.” No one moved to let Robert pass, so he had to push his way through all of the gathered students. And the same throng started walking in the direction of Marge and Kathy’s next class, only after the two girls walked into the classroom did the crowd disband. The school was protecting Marge and Kathy.

For the rest of the day, Kathy answered questions, even telling some classes what she’d said in her science class. And like her science classmates, some even applauded her courage in standing up before everyone and telling her story. The surprise came when she and Marge walked into the cafeteria for lunch, and everyone in the cafeteria, even those in the kitchen, stood and gave Kathy an ovation. She was so overcome with emotions she couldn’t help but cry. Thomas was right, she had touched more people than she’d ever know.

When the last bell rang, signaling the end of school, Marge and Kathy again walked hand in hand as they walked out to get into Terry’s waiting car. Neither girl saw Robert standing just around the corner of a building, watching them, planning how he was going to fuck the hell out of that bitch he was told to leave alone. He’d show her what a real man felt like. And he’d slap her in line as well.

Like many high schools, being Friday there’d be a football game followed by a dance. Terry was worried when Kathy asked to go to the game and then dance with Marge. When Terry called Thomas she had planned to tell him she didn’t want Kathy to go out with just the two of them, but got a surprise when Thomas told her he and Dorothy were going to take the two girls to the game and were one of several couples who chaperoned the dance. Terry felt much better, and gave Kathy permission to go, reminding her she was a girl now, and to keep her eyes open. In Walter’s usual way, she told her mom, “Mom, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

Marge and Kathy yelled their heads off at the game, and enjoyed their time together. But even though they enthusiastically cheered on their team, the boys lost by three points. The girls followed Marge’s parents to the gym, where the dance was to be held. Robert kept in the shadows, biding his time to teach the bitch a lesson. It was after the second dance that Robert saw his chance, as Kathy was walking to the girls restroom. Robert shadowed her and was about to grab her when several hands grabbed him instead, dragging him off down the hallway; Kathy never knew anything about what almost happened to her right then.

When it turned 11 p.m., the lights in the gym came on, a signal the dance was over. Marge and Kathy helped others pick up and put things away before going home, Thomas and Dorothy dropping Kathy off at her house.

It was standard practice by the Police Department, while patrolling the area, to drive into the school parking lot, turn on their flashing light and headlight high beams, and slowly drive to the far end of the lot before turning around and going back to the entrance. As they slowly drove by the wings which housed the classrooms, the riding partner would play the spotlight on the car along the building looking for any anomalies. It wasn’t unusual on the weekends to find one or two cars parked at the far end of the parking lot, since it was much darker there. Once the young lovers saw the flashing lights coming their way, it didn’t take them long to leave the school area. On one occasion, they even spotted two young lovers running naked to their car before the car sped out of the lot.

It was 12:30 a.m. when a patrol car pulled into the high school parking lot, turned on their lights and slowly drove their usual pattern. It wasn’t until they were slowly heading back to the entrance that the headlight high beams illuminated something high up on the flagpole. The officers in the patrol car were too far away, and it was too dark for them to recognize what they were seeing, but as they got closer, the riding partner shined the spotlight up at the top of the flagpole and everything became clear. What they saw caught both officers off guard, and caused them to chuckle.

Suspended up on the flagpole was a boy, completely naked. Duct tape over his mouth and his hands duct taped behind his back. He had some type of harness on that was used to attach him to the rope going up the pole. About that time they received a radio call, asking for their location and to try and find a boy named Robert Bakes. They radioed back a description of the boy hanging from the flagpole, and when dispatch said that was the boy, they told their dispatcher they found the boy but would need the fire department and their ladder truck. And no, it wasn’t an emergency, so lights and sirens weren’t needed.

The riding partner turned to the other and asked, “You figure he did something he wasn’t supposed to or maybe this was a prank?”

The driving partner shrugged her shoulders and said, “Could be either, but my money’s on he did something he shouldn’t have done. We had something like this happen when I was in school. Seems a guy got his girlfriend pregnant and some in the school didn’t like it. The school admin never found out who did it, but that kid was found by a patrol car checking the school, naked, gagged, and tied to the back side of the statue of the school mascot that was on a small island in the parking lot. No one could see the kid from the street, it was only when that police car came back around that the guys spotted him. That kid had been out there for three hours before he was found. Kid’s family moved out of town the very next day. A few months later I saw that kid again, with his mom. And it was the darndest thing. Every time that kid got all whiny or started to act all uppity, his mom would say, ‘It must have felt nice wearing those nylons with that garter belt,’ and that kid’s attitude would change in a heartbeat. It’d be all yes ma’am, no ma’am, yes sir, no sir. Never did figure out why.”

The other officer looked closer at the boy suspended on the flagpole, and saw a sign hanging around his neck. He pointed up and his partner saw it too. “We told you to leave her alone. Maybe you’ll get the message now.” The officer who had been listening to his partner’s story then said, “Yep, guess he DID do something he shouldn’t have done.”

Three things happened about that time, the fire department ladder truck arrived, Peter arrived, and Robert’s parents arrived. The firemen were chuckling seeing the naked boy suspended from the flagpole, but the parents were fuming. Robert’s father said, “This is it, Beth. We told him what was going to happen if he screwed up again. Did you pack his bag according to the instructions from that boarding school?” Beth nodded her head then said, “Ten pairs of panties, ten bras, ten pairs of nylons and garter belts. Five dresses and skirts, along with five blouses, five pairs of shoes, kitten heels and high heels, and five nighties. The instructions said they’d provide anything else she was going to need. It’s all packed in the luggage they sent and secured with a padlock they will unlock when Robert gets to school.” They both stood and watched as a woman firefighter climbed the extended ladder, held Robert while those on the ground untied the rope. As they slowly let the rope slacken, the woman firefighter holding Robert pulled him towards her so he was standing on a rung of the ladder and leaning against the flagpole. She gently took the duct tape off his mouth, then reached around and cut the tape securing his wrists. She then took her coat off and helped Robert put it on, giving him the first piece of clothing he had on since he disappeared from the dance at 11 p.m. It was now 1:30 a.m.

The woman firefighter helped Robert to slowly descend the ladder, then he was helped off the ladder truck by two firefighters standing on the ground. Once the ladder was secured to the bed of the truck, the woman firefighter came over to where Robert was being questioned and said she needed to get her coat back since they were leaving. Robert’s dad didn’t wait for the officer who was pulling a blanket out of the trunk of their patrol car to return, he simply took the coat off Robert and gave it back to the firefighter. Leaving his son standing there in his birthday suit, thanking her for all she’d done. As any boy of Robert’s caliber would do, his hands immediately went to his groin, covering his genitals the best he could. But he never thought of how he looked from behind, as the female officer, bringing the blanket over, got a good view of everything Robert hadn’t covered. She just chuckled and shook her head.

Once Robert was covered by the blanket, the male officer resumed his questions, while Beth had asked to speak with the female officer. As the women talked, Robert and his father could hear bits and pieces of what was being said. Robert heard boarding school, panties, bras, and a few other things that more than puzzled him. He knew his parents had warned him several times before about his behavior, and when they sent him to this high school, their warning was one of ‘this is your last chance’ type of warning. Beth and the female officer had rejoined the three men, the male officer asking the last of his questions. In front of the officers and Peter, Robert’s father told him, “Son, we’ve warned you on more than one occasion about your behavior and intolerable actions. Well, this was your last chance. Tomorrow we’re going to be driving you to your new boarding school.” Robert’s father bent down so he was looking directly into Robert’s eyes, and told him, “Son, if I were you, between now and when we arrive at that school tomorrow, you have a change of attitude. Because those at that school won’t tolerate how it is right now.” Robert had an ugly look on his face as he said, “There ain’t been any pigs in any school that’s made me scared of them. I’ll handle them pigs at that school just fine.” Robert’s father, Tony Bakes, and his wife Beth, had visited that school and had seen what it was really about, and knew their son was in for a very rude awakening. One even he wasn’t expecting.

Peter had been standing by the officer questioning Robert and listened as the officer asked questions he would also have had to ask.

“Robert, did you see who did this to you?”

“No sir, after they grabbed me they put some type of cloth bag over my head.”

“And when they put the tape over your mouth, could you identify any of them at that point?”

“No, sir. They taped my hands behind my back then took off the bag over my head. There were six of them, all dressed in black and wearing full face masks.”

“Could you tell their hair coloring or could you see their eye coloring? Anything that would help us catch those who did this?”

“No sir. Whatever they was wearing on their heads completely hid the color of their hair. And it was too dark to really see their eyes.”

“Well, did you recognize their voices, did they use names?”

“No sir. None of them ever made a sound.”

Peter walked a short distance away to be by himself, he had a decision to make. There was nothing to go on to prove who did this, or if they were even from his school; he’d talked with the Principals of the other schools Robert had attended and learned that a lot of students hated what he had done while at those schools. And if he called for a general assembly in the gym then blasted the entire student body, without any proof, he was going to accuse the innocent as well as the guilty, if they were present. Plus, whoever did this kept it so quiet so Kathy never found out what had just about happened, so they were actually protecting her. And if he blasted everyone, she would learn what they were trying to keep from her. His only option, as he saw it, was to keep his ears open. See if word gets around and then try and backtrack where it came from, though with this many kids they might have heard about it from anyone. And not just at this school.

Peter walked back over where the officer was talking to Robert’s father. He had handed Tony a copy of the case number and was explaining who to call if he had any further information or had any question. When Peter reached the two, the officer gave him another copy of the same case number and the same instructions. The two officers bid the three goodnight, got into their patrol car and left. Tony turned to Peter and said, “Peter, I’m so sorry this happened. But I can assure you it won’t happen again. Tomorrow we’re taking Robert to a boarding school that won’t tolerate his attitude or antics. One that he won’t like because they will force him to behave as they want, not as he wants. And, he’s going to learn a lot more about a side of himself he never expected to explore. So we’ll be here tomorrow to withdraw him from school.”

Peter mulled over how he was going to respond, and came up with, “Well, one thing I know, you have nothing to apologize for, none of this was your fault. I’d been hearing things about Robert I didn’t like, things like what was printed on that sign hung around his neck. I think that warning was because of a new girl we have in school, a very popular girl, a girl Robert had been told to leave alone when he tried to convince her to go somewhere private with him. Seems he was going to show her a good time as only a ‘man’ could do; she already has a girlfriend, something your son didn’t think much of. No, Tony, don’t apologize for your son’s behavior. He brought all of this on himself and the consequences of his actions.”

When Peter finished talking Tony then told him, “You’re right, Robert has to suffer the consequences of his actions, but while he chose how to act, his mom and I should have done a better job of being his parents. We spent too much time working or being involved in civic groups, and weren’t there to teach our son how to act properly. And I honestly believe his attitude towards that girl, and the ones before, actually came from me, though I’m embarrassed to admit it. You wouldn’t happen to have a time machine around, would you? Then we could go back and fix all this before it got this far.” Tony chuckled, then added, “I bet that’s a wish a lot of people have.” Peter and Tony shook hands before Tony got into his car and left the parking lot, headed home. Peter doing the same. As he drove home he wondered if Tina would be awake when he got home, or wake up when he got in bed; he needed to talk to someone.

Marge and Kathy had planned to spend the afternoon at Kathy’s house doing their homework. But at 9 in the morning Terry heard a knock on their front door. When she opened the door she was surprised to find Marge standing there, backpack in hand and that sun blinding smile on her face. “Hi Mrs. Williams, I thought I’d surprise Kathy and came real early.” Terry looked past Marge and saw Dorothy in their car, and waved to her as she let Marge into the house. “Well, she is sure going to be surprised, since she’s still asleep. Maybe you can go wake her up, hmm?” When Terry suggested that, she had an impish smile on her face, and it transferred to Marge’s face, as Marge sat down her backpack, and quietly went up the stairs and into Kathy’s bedroom, opening and closing the bedroom door as softly as she could.

Marge stood and watched her girlfriend for a few moments, watched how she stretched one time, and the soft snoring sound she made. And as she watched, she slowly took off her shoes and socks, then her top, then the shorts she was wearing. Then ever so slowly she pulled back the covers over Kathy, slowly got into bed with her, and scooted so close to Kathy their noses were almost touching. And then with her right hand slowly reached down and began to gently rub Kathy between her legs, then slipped her fingers underneath the panties Kathy was wearing.

Marge watched Kathy’s face as her ministrations were being felt. Marge could also feel how wet Kathy was getting as she continued the action. Kathy let out a moan before her eyes snapped open and she was staring into Marge’s face. “Hi sweetheart, thought I’d surprise you and arrive a bit early today. Your mom said I should come up and wake you. How’d I do? Are you awake yet?” In response to Marge’s questions, Kathy inched closer and began kissing Marge, and reached down with her left hand and pressed Marge’s hand harder into herself.

It was 10:30 a.m. before Terry heard the upstairs shower running, she wondered how many were showering. She also had an idea Marge had woken Kathy up much earlier, but felt the two needed to get to know each other better. At least Kathy couldn’t get pregnant and they were in a safe place. She had debated with herself whether or not to let this happen, but realized this was something she had to experience and not something she could teach Kathy. She chuckled to herself as she realized the shower was running much longer than it normally took Kathy to take a shower. She hoped Marge was too rough on her daughter, or her daughter too euphoric to walk straight.

It was 11:30 a.m. by the time both girls finally came downstairs, both wearing silly grins, both glowing. Terry didn’t even beat around the bush, but asked them directly, “Did you girls have a good time?” Marge buried her face into Kathy’s chest and laughed. Kathy tried to look shocked by her mother’s question, but failed and she turned a lovely shade of pink. Terry walked over and gathered both girls into a hug before telling them, “Let’s go sit down.” The three walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, Terry between both girls. “Girls, I let both of you be together like this because, number one, neither of you would get pregnant. And number two,” and Terry looked at Kathy, “this was something I couldn’t teach you, sweetheart. I had to let you experience it for yourself, but someplace safe. And you both are safe in this house.” Then Terry looked back and forth to each girl before telling them, “My giving my permission doesn’t mean you two enjoy each other every time you’re alone here, or at Marge’s house; you need to talk with your mom, Marge. It means you act responsible about your time together. And make sure you keep yourselves clean, that’s important.”

Terry looked back and forth to each girl, and saw the light pink shading on their faces. She chuckled before telling them, “I felt the same way my first time with another girl, long ago, before I met Shelby.” That sparked a conversation that lasted until Kathy’s stomach told her she was hungry, and Terry suggested they go out for pizza.

After they returned from getting lunch, the rest of their time was spent studying, or helping each other in the same subject but with different teachers. Two hours into their study time, Terry took a tray of drinks and snacks up to Kathy’s bedroom, knocking lightly on the bedroom door before entering. She snickered with what she saw as she entered the room, for Kathy was lying across her bed with her back against the wall and Marge was lying lengthwise with her head resting on Kathy’s hips. And both were reading. “Hey, how about taking a break. I’ve drinks and snacks,” Terry told the two girls before sitting the tray down on Kathy’s desk. Both girls sat their school books aside, stretched, Kathy bent over and gently kissed Marge on the lips, before Marge sat up, turned, got off the bed and walked over to the desk. Kathy had to scoot off the bed, given how she was sitting, but followed Marge over to the desk.

They both took a glass of orange juice Terry brought them and a couple of the cookies from the plate on the tray. The girls had just sat down on Kathy’s bed when Terry asked, “How’s the studying going?” She had to wait a few chews since both girls had a mouth full of cookie. When the swallowing and drink of orange juice had been done, Marge said, “I’ve just a few more pages to read for my World History class.” “Same here, but for Science,” Kathy chimed in after Marge. “I’m just asking because we have to get you home before five, Marge. Guess your family has plans for tonight,” Terry reminded Marge. Marge nodded her head before saying, “Yeah, it’s the birthday of one of my parents’ friends. We’re going over there for supper then help her blow out the candles with a fire extinguisher.” Marged chuckled after what she just said, explaining just how old the woman was going to be. And someone had the bright idea to put the same number of candles on the birthday cake, instead of getting those number candles. She slowly shook her head and said, “Sure hope they don’t burn the house down.”

Both girls finished the rest of their homework by 3:30 in the afternoon. Marge had put her school books back into her backpack and was now sitting next to Kathy with her back against the wall. They wouldn’t see each other until Monday, as each family had plans for Sunday. When Terry knocked on Kathy’s bedroom door, and walked in, she saw the two sitting on Kathy’s bed, backs against the wall, holding each other and Marge’s head on Kathy’s shoulder. “Hey, girls, I hate to break up this lovely scene, but we need to get you home, Marge. Your mom called to make sure you’d be home in time to get ready for the birthday party. So if you have everything, we best get you home.” Terry saw Marge nod her head, then let go of Kathy and scoot off the bed. Kathy followed her then picked up her purse and the two girls followed Terry out of the bedroom, down the stairs and out to Terry’s car parked in the driveway.

Neither girl took notice that Terry was headed in the wrong direction, as Terry decided to take the circumspect route to Marge’s home, giving the girls a little more time together. There was no throat clearing this time, when they arrived at Marge’s home, as the two girls said goodbye in their own personal way. When their kiss ended, they both reached up and wiped tears on the other’s cheeks, telling each other, “See you Monday at school.” It was a quiet ride back to the Williams’ home, and when Terry pulled the car into the driveway, Kathy asked, “Does love always make a person hurt when the one they love can’t be with them?” Kathy was looking straight ahead when she asked the question, but Terry could see tears running down her daughter’s face. She reached over and pulled Kathy to her and replied, “Yeah, it does, honey. Every time.”

tbc
Chapter 14

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 14

Sunday was a happy time for the Williams’ family, since Tom Warmer’s project was complete he was having Shelby flown home in the morning. The family was going to spend some much needed family time together, and Terry was going to spend a lot of time hiding little Johnny.

When Kathy got out of the car Monday morning at school, Terry watched as the two eager girls rushed together, not sure which one bowled over the other. In her mind, Terry could imagine the sonic boom that resulted from their meeting. Their hug was long, their kiss short, they were at school and kisses lasting more than the blink of an eye was grounds for a lot of throat clearing. And a possible reminder about the school code of conduct.

The two walked hand in hand to their lockers then onto their first period science class. As they walked, Kathy noticed everyone was looking at them as they passed by. Just like the first day Walter came to school as Kathy. “Um, Marge. Why is everyone looking at us? They’ve seen us walking like this before, so it shouldn’t be anything new to them.” Marge knew why, but tried to sound as though she knew nothing; she’d been asked not to say anything to Kathy. Peter had called Thomas and explained what he thought had led up to Robert being hoisted up the flagpole naked, and wanted to warn Thomas in case someone had their sights on Marge. And of course, Thomas had to tell Marge, so she’d be on the lookout for anything strange coming her way.

Kathy had been with Marge too long and knew something was up as Marge told her, in a very unconvincing, nonchalant voice, “Um..I don’t know.” Kathy stopped walking, turned and faced Marge, who couldn’t look into Kathy’s eyes. “Okay, give. I can tell you know more than you’re telling. So what’s really going on?” With tears in her eyes, and in a meek voice, Marge said, “I promised not to say anything.” Kathy saw how upset Marge was because of the promise she made. She put her arms around Marge, pulled her close and whispered, “Then don’t break your promise. That wouldn’t be right.” And Marge whispered back, “Thank you for that.” Kathy searched and found one of the several clocks hanging on the wall around school. They had twenty minutes until the first bell, plenty of time for Kathy to find out what the hell was going on. She took Marge’s hand and turned them around and headed for the school office and her Uncle Peter.

When the door to the school office opened, Margot had looked up and started smiling as she saw who had come into the building. But that smile faded when she saw the determined look on Kathy’s face. She was actually shocked into silence when Kathy growled at her, “I want to see Uncle Peter, now!” Margot knew from past dealings with Walter/Kathy this was not normal behavior for her, so immediately got up out of her chair and took the girls back to Peter’s office. Margot knocked on Peter’s office door, opened and before she could say anything, Kathy, pulling Marge along with her, barged past Margot and almost shouted, “I want to know what the hell is going on, Uncle Peter!”

Peter looked past his angry niece, nodded his head to Margot, who closed the office door and headed back to her desk. “Well, hello to you too, Kathy. And do you think just barging into my office is the right thing to do?” He could see Kathy wasn’t going to reasoned with so he told the girls to, “Please, sit down.” When Kathy failed to comply he told her, “SIT...DOWN!” In a huff, Kathy finally sat down, Marge then did the same. “Now, young lady. Please be so kind as to tell me what you’re talking about, and why you’re being very rude this morning.” Peter waited for a response from Kathy, but wasn’t expecting one from Marge. “Um, Principal, Stepel, you called my step-dad, and he talked to me. And I promised not to say anything, and well, Kathy noticed everyone looking at her, and, well, I promised not to say anything.”

Peter’s head fell back onto his shoulders, his eyes closed, and shook his head. So the kids had heard about Friday night, and were doing what kids do when they hear something about someone else, they stare at that person like they’ve got two heads. He brought his head back down so he was looking at the still seething Kathy. She was a bit more civil this time, as she asked, “Well, are you going to tell me Uncle? Or do I have to ask Marge’s dad?” Peter shook his head again, as he told her, “It wouldn’t do you any good asking him, he won’t tell you either. You’ve put me in a very awkward position, here, Kathy. I shouldn’t tell you anything because there’s no proof of anything. Just a lot of guesses and suspicions. But as it appears the story has already spread, given the school student drums, it can’t hurt to tell you what we think.” Peter reached for the phone on his desk, picked up the receiver and dialed a two digit number. It wasn’t long before the girls heard him say, “Brigette, Marge and Kathy will be a bit late to class. They’re with me about you know what.”

Peter pursed his lips, forcefully breathed out through his nose, shook his head again, before telling Kathy, “Last Friday night, after the dance, in the early hours of the morning, Robert Bakes was found naked and suspended up high on the flagpole by two police officers. Apparently, a group of people grabbed him after the dance was over, stripped him naked, put a harness on him, duct taped his mouth closed and his hands behind his back, before hoisting him up the flagpole. We don’t have any proof but we think he was going after you at the dance. We don’t know if the people who did this attend school here or are from one of the other schools he attended. And the reason no one told you was because we didn’t want to upset you,” and he held up his hand to forestall Kathy’s comment, “which I can see now was a big mistake. And if I were to guess why the other students are looking at you, they know all about it, or have heard all about it. And you don’t have to worry about Robert Bakes any more, he’s been taken to a boarding school, which I understand isn’t going to tolerate his attitude or behavior.” Peter sat back in his chair and watched as Kathy processed everything he just told her. And when she did speak, she was a bit calmer than she had been coming into the office.

“So, I wasn’t told because you thought I’d be upset? Is that it, Uncle Peter? Do I look not upset now, just finding out about all this, NOW?” Peter held up his hand to silence Kathy, then told her, “How long have you been a girl, a full girl? What? A few months now? How would you have felt if we’d sat you down and told you, ‘we just wanted to let you know a bunch of people stopped a boy from grabbing you and possibly raping you the night of the dance.?’ Do you have any idea what that thought even does to a girl? Do you even understand how brutal rape is, or that you might have even been beaten before you were raped? Kathy, when you transformed into a girl, you entered a whole different world. Where guys start thinking differently about girls, especially pretty ones like you and Marge. And you humiliated him in the hallway, didn’t you? Boys like Robert don’t take kindly to girls who humiliate them. Especially when others are watching. And let me guess, he was about to hit you, wasn’t he?” Peter was seething at the moment, trying to make his niece look at things not from Walter’s perspective, but from Kathy’s perspective, a girl’s perspective. He held up his hand again to stop Kathy from saying what she was about to say, then told her, “You, Marge, Terry, Dorothy, Marsha, and Gale need to sit down and have a serious girl talk about the world of women. And not some flitter talk either. They need to give it to you straight, the dangers girls face every day from boys like Robert and men with the same attitudes. Kathy, sweetheart, I don’t mean to sound gruff towards you, but life as a girl is filled with dangers you know nothing about. And you need to learn about them before they actually happen to you. Because I can tell you from dealing with a girl who was raped, it drastically changes your life.” Peter held up his hand again, saying, “ No, don’t say anything else. You two need to get to class. Margot will give you both a pass.” Peter saw the stunned look on Kathy’s face. This had been the first time Peter had spoken to his niece as he just did. And he was upset that it had to be done.

After the door to his office closed behind the two girls, Peter put his elbows on his desk, closed his eyes and dropped his head into his hands. “Terry is going to rip me a new one when she hears I had to tell Kathy everything,” he said out loud to himself. He sighed deeply then just sat there, thinking, wondering if he could have handled this whole mess in a different way.

The girls hadn’t been gone long when Peter heard a soft knock on his door, but chose to ignore it. He heard his office door open then close, the cushion in one of the chairs creak, then, “Are you alright, Peter?” Peter never lifted his head as he replied, “Margot, Terry is going to kill me when she finds out I had to tell Kathy everything we believed happened. She wanted to be the one who told her, but Kathy came in here with a full head of steam, what else could I do to calm her down? She was not going to let it go until she found out what was going on. Maybe we should have included her from the beginning. I just don’t know.”

Peter did look up at the terrible sound of the chair Margot was dragging across the floor until she was sitting next to him. “Peter, Terry is her mother. And almost all mothers protect their children, it’s built into them. Kathy has been Kathy just a few months now, right? So Terry is trying to help Kathy get comfortable being a girl by not telling her some of the nastier sides of being a girl. Like this one. Yes, she’ll likely eat you for lunch, but when she calms down she’ll see you had no choice, unless she wanted to be called to come and pick up her unruly daughter.”

Then Margot stopped speaking, looking down at the floor. Peter saw the expression on Margot’s face, knowing it was the expression she used when she was trying to make a decision. “Margot, what is it?” Peter asked her, placing his hand gently on her arm. Margot took a deep breath, nodded her head, then looked at Peter.

“I was raped when I was sixteen, by a boy much like Robert Bakes. He thought he was a catch for any girl in school, and could have any girl he wanted. But after he raped two girls and they became pregnant, word got around and none of the girls would give him the time of day.” Peter gave Margot a questioning look, which she answered by saying, “The girls he got pregnant were of legal age back then, so it turned into his word against their word with no witnesses to prove she hadn’t consented.”

“I was standing at my hall locker getting some things when he came up behind me and reached up under my skirt and felt me between my legs. I screamed, turned around and saw his smug face inches from mine. I hauled off and put all my weight behind the slap I gave him, knocking him down, before yelling at him to never touch me again. Everyone in the hall saw what he did and what I did so you can imagine how angry he got because I just humiliated him in front of a lot of other students.”

“I thought everything had been settled when I slapped him, but I was wrong. Three days later, Friday, we had a dance after the football game. I needed to use the girl’s room and as I was walking to the restroom, he grabbed me, covered my mouth with his hand, and dragged me into the mechanical room just down the hall. He pushed me into the room, closed the door then started slapping me before he punched me, causing me to fall. Then he undid his pants, pulled them down, along with his underwear, got down on me and pulled my panties off, and started raping me. Peter, I tried to push him off me, get him out of me but he grabbed my arms and pinned them to the floor when I started hitting him.”

“I must have screamed at some point, because the next thing I saw was the surprised look on that bastard’s face as he suddenly shot backwards and pulled out of me. When I started to get some of my senses back, I saw a man slamming that bastard repeatedly against the wall. It was my father, I’d forgotten he was coming to pick me up early from the dance. I called out to him, several times, to stop before he killed the boy. When I finally got through to him, he let the boy go and watched as that boy just dropped to the floor in a heap. He came over to me, helped me to stand, helped me put my panties back on and told me to follow him, after finding out if I could walk. Peter, my pappa was a huge man. When he picked up a basketball, his fingers met on the opposite of the ball. When he found out I was okay, he grabbed that bastard by both ankles with one hand, threw the mechanical door open, and started dragging that pig down the hall; his pants and underwear were still down at his ankles.”

“Pappa drug that boy right into the gym and out to the middle of the floor. Then he turned and found where the Principal was standing, and I’ll never forget what he said then. He yelled at the Principal, ‘THIS PIECE OF SHIT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF RAPING MY DAUGHTER. WHERE THE FUCK WERE ALL OF YOU WHEN IT WAS HAPPENING? YOU FUCKERS BETTER CALL THE POLICE, AND HOLD THIS PIECE OF SHIT UNTIL THEY GET HERE. I’M TAKING MY DAUGHTER TO THE HOSPITAL TO HAVE A RAPE KIT PERFORMED. SOME SAFE SCHOOL YOU BASTARDS RUN HERE’”

“I’d been standing at the door to the gym, and pappa walked back to me and saw I was having trouble standing. He picked me up and carried me out to the car before he broke every traffic law getting me to the hospital. I guess I forgot to say that he was a retired detective from the police department of the city we came from, so he knew the ins and outs of getting a rape victim examined. I had to caution him several times when he took me into the emergence room and told them I’d just been raped. They wanted him to wait, wanted him to fill out a bunch of papers, said they needed to wait on the police. Peter, if I hadn’t helped keep him focused he would have torn that receptionist apart. Finally a level headed doctor heard the ruckus and when he found out the reason, told the receptionist to get his head out of his ass and call the police. Then he led us back to an exam room, called a nurse and told her to get a rape kit, asked pappa to wait in the hallway so he wouldn’t contaminate their findings, and proceeded to have me put on a gown and started the exam.”

“To say I wasn’t scared was an understatement, Peter. But the doctor and nurse helped put me at ease and the exam, while embarrassing, it wasn’t all that bad. The police had showed up by that time and were questioning pappa, I know, I heard how he responded to the officer’s questions. And how the officer tried to calm down my pappa. When they finished the exam, they let pappa and the officer into the room, and while pappa held my hand the officer asked me a lot of questions. Did I do anything to make the boy think I wanted to have sex with him; how was I dressed--which got pappa riled up because as pappa told the officer, all the girls were dressed in similar dresses. Had I had trouble with that boy before, and I told the officer about the incident earlier in the week. Did I know if he’d done this kind of thing before, and told him he had, but there were no witnesses to prove it. Pappa had to remind the officer that I was only sixteen, and under the State Law, any sex I had was considered rape due to my age. And when the officer made the mistake of questioning how pappa knew so much about rape laws, pappa gave him chapter and verse of his previous job.” Margot laughed as she said, “You should have seen the look on that officer’s face when pappa told him he was a retired police detective of twenty years. The whole atmosphere in the room changed when that fact came out.” Margot got quiet, her decision making expression playing across her face, before she told Peter, “Peter, I’ve never told anyone here at this school about what happened to me back then, very few of my friends even know. So I’d appreciate it if this stays between you and I. Okay.”

Peter nodded his head in reply, as he reached over and gently wiped the tears off Margot’s face. “Yeah, Margot. Your story goes no further.” He then pulled her into a hug and held her until she stopped crying. Maybe they should have included Kathy in their circle of knowledge after all.

When Margot stopped crying, as she was wiping her eyes, Peter asked, “What happened to that boy, and your pappa for slamming that kid against the wall?” Margot blew her nose then told Peter, “Because he was seventeen and I was sixteen he was charged with statutory rape. I was a witness against him and so was pappa, and thankfully the two other girls he raped came forward and testified against him; they had their toddlers with them in the courtroom. Other girls came forward to tell what he’d done to them, short of raping them. It went really bad for him in court. He ended up being charged as an adult and sentenced to ten years in prison. And when he got out he had to register as a sex offender. He really screwed up his life. I heard he died several years ago from AIDS he acquired while in prison. And pappa, they ruled what he did was in the course of protecting me and filed no charges against him. The boys’ parents, real winners they were, tried to take us to court, but no lawyer would take their case. They eventually moved out of town.”

Peter looked at Margot’s tear stained face and asked, “Will you be alright? You can take an early break as long as you need, go somewhere, get something to eat.” Margot smiled, gently rubbed Peter’s cheek before telling him, “No, I’ll be okay. You’re going to make Tina a wonderful husband, Peter. You care about others before thinking about yourself. That seems to be less prevalent in men these days. No, I’ll be okay. But if you’ll excuse me, I really gotta pee.” Peter laughed as he watched Margot quickly leave his office, even leaving the office door open. Peter muttered to himself, “She must have really had to go.”

Peter got up from his chair and walked over and closed his office door. He walked back to his desk, sat down in his chair, picked up the phone and made a phone call. He hoped she’d eventually forgive him for what he had to do. “Hi, Terry, got a minute?”

Marge kept giving Kathy sideways glances as the two walked to their first period science class. Marge could see how angry Kathy still was that she hadn’t been told about Robert’s attempt to attack her. “I’m sorry, Kathy. I did make a promise not to say anything, or I would have told you what I was told. Please don’t be mad at me.” Marge let go of Kathy’s hand, after what she said to Kathy, and stopped walking, causing Kathy to stop, and turn to face Marge. Kathy saw the tears running down Marge’s cheeks, and suddenly felt bad that Marge thought she was mad at her. “Oh, gawd, Marge,” Kathy said before walking up to Marge, pulling her into a hug and saying, “I’m not mad at you, but at Uncle Peter and everyone else who knew about it all. I actually admire your ability to keep your promises, something that can be hard to do.” She held Marge until Marge told her, “Guess we better get to class, we’re late enough as it is.” Kathy kept her arm around Marge as the two continued to their science class, breaking apart as they entered the classroom. And when Brigette saw them enter, the entire class turned and watched as the two walked to their seats and sat down. And the buzzing started.

Kathy was catching snips of conversations going around the room, and had had enough. She stood up and asked, “Okay! Would anyone care to tell me what’s going on that’s got everyone talking about me? I’m rather fed up being talked about without being included. Anyone? Anyone at all?” It wasn’t heard for everyone to see that Kathy was mad, seething mad, just by the expression on her face.

Tonya Springer had yet to learn when it was okay to say something and when it wasn’t, or how to say what someone might not like to hear in a way that didn’t shock them. She jumped up out of her seat and eagerly said, “We heard you got raped after the dance last Friday. And that you’re pregnant.” After she said that, all eyes turned to Kathy, still standing with a shocked look on her face. Brigette closed her eyes, shook her head because of the erroneous statement Tonya just made. “Tonya, is that what the whole school thinks or just what you heard?” In response to Brigette’s question, more than just Tonya answered, “Yes.” It was Jeffrey who looked at the stunned Kathy and said, “It’s what we heard, Kathy. It was Robert Bakes who raped you.” Kathy slowly turned her head, looked at Jeffrey, started shaking her head, ‘no,’ then looked back at those again looking at her and continued shaking her head, ‘no.’

As Kathy continued shaking her head, ‘no,’ she then told everyone, “I don’t know where you got your information, but whoever told you that told you a bold face lie. I wasn’t raped by Robert Bakes or any other boy. No one laid a hand on me at the dance or afterwards. Mrs. Stokes, what the hell is going on?” The minute Kathy told them everything they’d heard was a lie, and asked Brigette what was going on, the room erupted in a buzz again. It wasn’t until a girl sitting near the front of the class broke through the buzz with, “Kathy, it’s not healthy to try and deny not being raped. You need to get help.”

Two things happened almost at the same time. Brigette closed her eyes, shook her head, then looked up at the ceiling as she said, “Oh, my gawd.” Kathy stared at the girl who accused Kathy of trying to deny she was raped, and pointedly said to her, “Are you fucking brain dead? Didn’t you just hear me tell you I was NOT raped, by Robert Bakes or any other boy. I have not had sex with any boy since that accident turned me into a girl. Gawd, what a bunch of fucking, brain dead, bastards.” Kathy picked up her backpack and stormed out of class, going where, she didn’t know. She just had to get out of there. Marge got up, picked up her backpack and followed, neither girl knowing once Brigette regained control of her class, she told them the entire story. “Kathy had not been raped. Robert Bakes had tried to assault Kathy but some people grabbed him before he could do anything. He was stripped naked and hoisted up the flagpole outside the school offices, and wasn’t found until around 12:30 a.m. with tape over his mouth and his hands taped behind his back. And Kathy had known nothing about any of it until ‘you all’ caused a stir which made her go talk with the Principal. So, all knowing, all wise, fools. Tell THAT to everyone who thinks Kathy was raped, because, and listen closely fools, IT...NEVER...HAPPENED!” And if someone had dropped a pin, everyone would have heard it hit the floor.

Brigette angrily told the students which chapters to read, and to start reading, now. She then picked up the phone and called Peter, telling him what just occurred in her class and about Kathy storming out of class. And no, she didn’t know where she was headed, she had to straighten out a pack of lies the students had been fed, and bit on. Yes, she told them everything. Once she hung up the phone, she just stared out at the students sitting in her class, wondering if students were ever going to grow up and stop believing everything they heard without proof. She made another call, one that was going to light a fire under a woman who would lay waste to the school unless Kathy was found.

Margot heard it first, “Aw, shit,” coming from Peter’s office. It was followed by a very loud conversation with Robert, the head of security. She heard Peter’s phone ring again, then heard, “Look, Terry, we’re trying to find her right now. Look, it was your idea not to tell her the truth, which I pointed out was a bad idea, given her ability to deal with situations as she does. Oh, no. Don’t point that finger to me. We had no idea what that little prick was up to that night. Well, dear, sister, if you would have sat down with my niece and stopped sugar coating what it’s like to be a woman, and told her everything, none of this would have happened because she would have known never to go anywhere alone at night.” She also heard as Peter slammed down the phone before storming out of his office, passing her without saying a word. His hand was on the door to the school office, before he turned around and told Margot, “Send an email to everyone, assembly in the gym, 1:30 this afternoon. This shit is going to stop right now.” He turned around and stormed out of the school office, on his way to do his own search.

Terry had arrived as Peter was searching the parking lot and the front of the school, and she lit into him the minute he was close enough to her. “Just what in the hell did you tell her this morning? I told you I didn’t want her to know about any of this. Which part didn’t you understand?” Terry stood there glaring at Peter, but wasn’t expecting him to give her what he did. “You know, sometimes you’re as stupid as the students in this school. You think you know what’s best for everyone and haven’t a clue how it will affect them once they finally find out. I told you it was a bad idea to withhold this from Kathy. I told you she’d be able to handle it just as she did as Walter. But no, you knew better. You didn’t want your precious baby to know the reality of being female. You didn’t want to spoil the illusion of how nice it is to be a woman. I also told you she needed to be seeing a counselor so she could be helped come to terms with her change. Oh, but nooo, you could handle it, you told me. Nooo, she didn’t need a counselor, you could help her cope with everything. Well, dear, sister, you’re so full of shit it’s leaking out of your ears. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to find a missing student.” Peter stormed off, leaving a stunned Terry standing there with her mouth open.

Peter had just started to go into one of the classroom wings, when he heard Robert’s voice over the two-way he was carrying. “Peter, we found them. They’re sitting in the bleachers at the football field. And they’re both okay.” Peter said a soft, “Thank God,” before telling Robert, “That’s good news, Robert. Bring them up to my office.” He turned around to find Terry and saw her still standing where they had their argument. He walked back over to her and told her, “Robert found Kathy and Marge sitting in the bleachers at the football field. He’s bringing them to my office. Care to come along?”

Terry gave her brother a seething stare, before roughly pushing past him and hurrying to the school office. They hadn’t been in Peter’s office but for a few minutes when there was a knock on his office door, it opened and Kathy and Marge were standing there in front of Robert. “Here they are, Peter,” Robert said before gently pushing both girls into Peter’s office. When the door closed, Terry pounced. “What the hell do you think you were…,” but she never finished the sentence. Peter grabbed her arm, drugged her over to a chair, pushed her down into it and told her, “Sit there and shut up. This is my ballfield, my rules, my students. You sit there and keep your mouth shut. You’ve caused enough problems for one day.” Peter then turned to Kathy and Marge and unceremoniously told them to sit down and keep their mouths shut.

Peter looked at the three sitting in his office. Marge looked frightened. Terry and Kathy looked as though they each could chew through bar steel. Peter turned and walked over to the window in his office, looked outside, took several deep breaths before saying, “This is one hell of a mess.” He turned back to face the three and continued. “One hell of a mess, the two of you,” and he pointed first to Kathy then Terry, “have caused. You,” and he pointed to Kathy, “through no fault of your own, other than storming out of class when an idiot accused you of trying to deny being raped. Apparently you didn’t learn much as Walter. How Walter reacted to these type situations. How Walter used to laugh them off. But no, not Kathy. Kathy had to blow her top and cuss out the entire class, including the girl who accused you. And you,” and he pointed at Terry, “had to have things your way and keep all this from your own daughter.”

Peter saw the frown appear on Kathy’s face as she turned to look at her mother before asking, “You knew about this and didn’t tell me? Or want me to know about it? Why in the hell shouldn’t I know? It’s about me, after all. I had to hear it from Uncle Peter, and then was accused of trying to deny being raped, because that’s what those assholes had been spreading around school. Thanks, mother, thanks for nothing.” When she said that, she got up from her chair and started for the door. She got her hand on the door knob before she heard, “GET BACK HERE AND SET YOU ASS BACK IN THAT CHAIR!” Kathy’s head snapped around to look at her Uncle, and saw a very ugly, serious look on his face. But she didn’t care, she’d had enough of all the bullshit, and opened the door, took one step and heard, “ONE MORE STEP AND YOU’LL HAVE FOUR WEEKS SUSPENSION. AND YOU’LL RECEIVE AN ‘F’ FOR EACH DAY YOUR ABSENT!”

Kathy’s head again snapped around to glare at her Uncle, her face past the red she was seeing through her eyes. “FINE! JUST FUCKING FINE!” Kathy stepped back into the office, slammed the door, causing the glass panel to rattle, stomped back to the chair she’d been sitting in, flopped into the seat, crossed her left leg over her right knee, started rapidly swinging the lower portion of her left leg, crossed her arms over her chest and sat there, glaring at nothing.

tbc
Chapter 15

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 15

Peter turned back to the window in his office and stood there looking outside while he tried to calm down. He so wanted to put his niece over his knee and spank her butt yet knew that wasn’t what was needed. He’d had enough psychology during the time he was at the University getting his Bachelors, Masters, then Doctorate to know what Kathy experienced in her science class this morning was only the trigger of her real problem. Becoming a girl. And she needed counseling, as he told Terry she would. He turned back to his desk, picked up the phone, dialed a number, and said, “Hi Jenny. If you have a minute I’d like you to come to my office. Okay, good. I’ll see you in a few minutes.” Jenny Thomas was the school’s psychologist, and had her offices next to the school infirmary. Peter had expected her to take about ten minutes to walk from her offices to his, given she’d have to wade through all the students changing classes, but was surprised when he heard a knock on his door, it opened and Jenny walked in. He gave her a curious look, which she answered with, “I call forwarded my calls to my cell phone. I heard about the flap this morning in Kathy’s science class, and all the rumors flying around, and figured you’d want some help so I was waiting for your call as I talked to Margot.” Jenny walked over to stand by Peter, appraising the faces on the three women sitting in front of Peter’s desk. Marge’s was a mixture of fear, concern, and love. Kathy’s was raging anger. And Terry’s? Jenny saw a mixture of emotions cycle on her face. Concern, fear, anger, love, and longing, likely for her husband. Of the three Kathy was the worst right now, with her raging emotions having boiled over and threatening to do so again. She walked around Peter’s desk, knelt in front of Kathy and told her, “Kathy, look at me.” But Kathy continued to glare at nothing, furiously swinging her left lower leg back and forth. Jenny knew in this state it was unlikely the gentle approach would work, so she reached up and firmly took Kathy’s chin and forced her head up and said in a firm voice, “I said, look at me!” Not only was there fury in Kathy’s face but also in her eyes, as she now angrily glared at Jenny.

Kathy was expecting to get chewed out because of what she said and did in her science class, so wasn’t prepared when Jenny told her, “I know exactly why you’re angry, and it’s got nothing to do with the rumors or that girl accusing you of trying to deny you were raped.” Jenny was slowly shaking her head as she dropped the bomb by saying, “No, that’s not why you’re angry. You’re angry because that accident caused you to transform into a girl. Isn’t that right?” Jenny let go of Kathy’s chin and saw the fire in Kathy’s eyes replaced with tears. As they ran down Kathy’s face she said in an angry voice, “I never wanted any of this. I never wanted to be a girl. I just wanted to be Walter. And I want it to go back like it was before that accident!”

Jenny then looked at Marge and told her, “You must love Kathy very much, to stay by her side through all this. That takes a lot of courage to do so given everything that’s happening right now.” Jenny saw Marge purse her lips then nod her head, saying, “Yeah, I do.” Jenny smiled at Marge, patted her knee then turned her attention back to Kathy. “Kathy, I’ve been allowed to read your medical file, and the doctor’s reports. And you know as I know, there is no going back to being Walter. All the chemicals that contaminated your body have permanently transformed you into a girl. There is no going back to the way things were before the accident. You are a very beautiful girl and will be a girl until the day you die. You need to come to terms with that or your life is going to be a living hell. And I’d like to help you if you’ll let me. It might not be easy for you to be honest with yourself, but if you let me I will help you get through all this.”

Kathy’s head dropped, the tears now dropping onto her dress. She slowly nodded her head and said in a soft voice, “I just wanted to be Walter. That’s all.” She fell forward onto Jenny’s shoulder and began to cry. Jenny held her as she whispered to her, “It’s going to be alright. I’ll help you get through this.” Marge reached over and put her arms around Kathy, and her head on Kathy’s back. Jenny reached over and put her left hand around Marge’s back, and comforted her as she helped comfort Kathy.

Peter looked at his sister, and saw she too had dropped her head and was shaking it from side to side. She was kicking herself for not listening when Peter told her that Kathy needed counseling. He walked over to his sister, put his arms around her and pulled her into him before telling her, “I do love you sis. We’ll all get through this together.” She wrapped her arms around her brother’s waist as he held her, and let the tears fall freely. She needed Shelby tonight.

As silence reigned in that office, they all heard, “Attention please, this is an announcement. All students and teachers will report to the main gym for an assembly at 1:30 this afternoon. This assembly is not optional. Security will be watching the main corridors and teachers having a free period will be monitoring the halls. Each teacher is to take their class out into the hallway, then lock their classroom door before leading the class to the gym. Any student caught trying to avoid the assembly will immediately receive a one week suspension. This announcement has ended.”

Peter had told the receptionist exactly what to say, he wanted to make sure everyone knew something serious was up but not what. He saw the girls had calmed down somewhat, and Terry was more relaxed in her holding onto him, so he told the four, “I think we all should go get some lunch. Then after lunch, Kathy, you and Marge can go with Dr. Thomas and talk for as long as you need. And make plans for you two to continue to meet with Dr. Thomas for as long as she feels you need to talk.” Peter saw the two girls nod their heads, and felt Terry nod hers as well. Whether she was nodding at lunch or Kathy and Marge talking with Jenny, he didn’t know, but would ask her later. Then Jenny turned her head to look at Terry and told her, “That applies to you, too, Terry. I can see this whole thing has had you on edge from the beginning. We’ll set up a time for us to meet.” Peter expected his sister to explode and tell Jenny she didn’t need to talk to anyone, she was fine. But was surprised when she said, “Okay. I’d like that.”

It was Terry who said, “If we’re going to lunch, I need to freshen up first. Plus, I need to pee.” Her last declaration caused everyone to laugh, before it struck both Marge and Kathy they too needed the ladies room. “Mind if we come along, mom? I have the same urge as you?” Terry chuckled then told her daughter, “Not at all, sweetheart. It’s how girls often go to the ladies room. It’s safer that way.” Peter told Terry, Marge, and Kathy to go ahead and he and Jenny would wait for them at Margot’s desk. Once the three left Peter’s office, he asked Jenny several questions about how to handle this afternoon’s assembly. Her suggestion? Don’t put the blame on one individual. Find out where the rumors came from then go from there. “I can’t really tell you what to say, Peter, but I think once you find out where the rumors came from you’ll figure out the rest for yourself.” Jenny patted Peter’s hand before walking out of his office, down the short hallway, and stood waiting at Margot’s desk. Peter joined her a few moments later.

When the five walked into the cafeteria, silence had followed them from Peter’s office. As the five stood in line, then got their food, all eyes followed their every move. Once the five sat down, away from everyone else, murmurs started before talking once again filled the cafeteria. Terry could see the concern on Peter’s face, and asked if there was anything she could do, getting a, “No, but thanks,” from Peter. When the four women finished their lunches, they stood up, leaving Peter to his thoughts. Before Jenny walked away she told Peter, “Just be as concerned for the students as you’ve always been. You’ll figure out the rest.” She patted his shoulder and followed the other three women out of the cafeteria.

At 1:20 p.m., there was another announcement telling the school to proceed to the main gym for the assembly. When teachers and students started entering the gym, they saw Principal Stepel walking in a circle around the picture of the school mascot painted at center court on the gym floor. He was holding a wireless microphone. A few stragglers came running into the gym, found their classes and sat down before Peter looked up, got a nod from one of the teachers, then looked at the teachers standing by the four double doors in the gym, nodded his head and the four double doors slammed shut. Echoing throughout the gym. He continued walking in a circle before he lifted the microphone to his mouth and said, “Tonya Springer. Would you stand up,please.” The girl who is always exuberant in class was suddenly very shy, having the eyes of the whole school watching her. Peter looked where he knew her class was sitting, looked at her and asked, “You told Kathy Williams that a rumor was going around that she’d been raped after the dance last Friday. Who told you about that?” Tonya blinked a few times before answering, “Um, it was Mary Sternner.” “Thank you Tonya, you may sit down. Mary Sternner. Would you please stand,” Peter told Mary. And so it went, student after student, asking who they heard the rumor from and what they were told.

Mark Bass had just told Peter who told him and it was now Tommy Wertz who was standing, facing a patient Principal Stepel. “Tommy, it would seem you are the one who brought the rumor into school. Where did you hear it and who from?” Instead of looking at Tommy, Peter had started walking in circles around the mascot at center court. Waiting for Tommy to answer his question. When he heard Tommy say, “I heard my mom and dad talking about it, Principal Stepel,” he stopped dead in his tracks and looked up where Tommy was standing. Tommy’s last name was Waltz, but that wasn’t his step-father’s last name. Marten’s last name was Drover, and he was one of the police officers who found Robert suspended high up on the flagpole. “What did you hear you dad say, Tommy?” Peter tried to radiate calmness as he waited for Tommy to give his answer. “Well, sir, he told my mom because of the sign that was hung around Robert’s neck, he and his partner, Brenda Maxwell, thought the kid might have been after some girl at the dance. And my mom asked him if that boy might have tried to rape the girl. My dad said it was a possibility. And because of what Kathy Williams did to Robert earlier last week, I, um, just figured he was going to try and rape Kathy to get back at her.”

Jenny had quietly entered the gym and had been listening to how Peter was handling himself and the subject of the assembly. So far, she was pleased to see how he was handling things and actually giving a demonstration of how things can get out of control. “Thank you, Tommy. You may sit down.” As everyone watched, Peter again walked the circle around the school mascot, before bringing the microphone to his mouth as he walked. “Folks. When I first heard about this rumor I wanted to rip all of you a new one for your stupidity at passing on something you hadn’t even bothered to find out if true. But that wouldn’t have been right, it would have done more harm than the good I wanted it to do. Instead, we’ve been in here going backwards from person to person until we finally reached the beginning of the rumor. And if you were listening closely, as we went backwards, the bits and pieces added to each successive telling was removed. Until we heard the truth, that Robert might have had the rape of Kathy Williams on his mind last Friday night. I am, though, very disappointed with all of you for spreading something that has caused several people to be hurt. Though in a way, you actually did those people a favor, because they’d been harboring anger and this finally brought it out into the open.”

Peter continued to walk the circle, giving the students time to digest what he just told them. Then he went on. “I was called last Friday night by the police department and told there was a boy suspended from the flagpole in front of the school offices. When I arrived, Robert Bakes had been hoisted to the top of the flagpole, his mouth was taped shut and his hands had been taped behind his back. And he was stark naked. A sign had been hung around his neck that said, ‘We warned you to leave her alone. Now maybe you’ll get the message.’ No one knows who did this or when Robert was grabbed. We don’t know if it was a group from this school or a group from any of the other schools he had attended. But it has been postulated that he was after a girl at last Friday’s dance, and because as Tommy pointed out, it could have been Kathy Williams because of how she humiliated him earlier in the week. But the important thing here is that, THERE...IS...NO...PROOF what he intended. And because Tommy wasn’t included in his parents’ discussion, he didn’t get the whole story. And because he didn’t get the entire story, none of you got it either, and added your own bits and pieces as each of you passed the story along. Until it got to Tonya, where she told Kathy an erroneous rumor. And that started her anger rolling and as those in her science class know, wasn’t pretty.” Peter stopped his walk, stood in the middle of the painted mascot, and started turning so he looked at everyone as he turned. “Can you now see why rumors should never be repeated. That you should ALWAYS verify what you hear before passing it on. Because what you hear and what you actually discover, may not be the same thing. I know most of you grew up with Walter, now Kathy. You saw how he reacted when he encountered those situations. I’ve seen the admiration many of you have for him because of the way he does handle those situations. Even those of you who were just introduced to him at the beginning of the year, have come to admire him for his courage to face a situation not with anger but with humor and acceptance. So none of you set out to hurt Kathy, but you have. Just by spreading a rumor that wasn’t true. I can’t really fault any of you for doing it, it’s something students have been doing since they started attending school. But learn from this hard lesson. Think about how the person you’re talking about will feel if/when they hear something that turns out to be a lie.”

Jenny was very proud of how Peter handled a tough situation. Instead of using harshness, he used love and compassion. Instead of acting as a tyrant, he acted as a mentor. He showed patience when he could have been highly aggressive. And as Jenny looked at the students looking at Peter, it showed on their faces. His status with them went up ten fold.

Peter looked up at the clock on the gym wall, saw it was 2:30 p.m. and made another decision. “I see it’s 2:30, so for today you will go back to the class you were about to attend and be dismissed from school at 3:30 from that class. But please, people. Think about everything I’ve said to you. Think about how you’d feel if you were in Kathy’s shoes right now. Not only did she hear something she knew wasn’t true, and called a liar, but because of that accident that happened to her, she’s now struggling because she became a girl. That’s it, go to your classes. And thank you for your courteous behavior while in the gym.”

Peter just stood in the middle of the gym floor, his head hung to his chest. Jenny wasn’t sure, but she thought she could see tears falling to the floor. It had been tough on him to keep his temper in check, and yet try to impart a lesson these kids needed to hear. She’d have to pull him in for a chat, and soon.

Jenny had talked with Terry and the girls for about a half hour, setting up appointments for the girls right after school and for Terry in her other office, downtown, at seven in the evening. She had kept their first meeting short, since all three were still upset by today’s events and needed to calm down so they could think clearly when they again met with her. Plus, she needed to get to the gym to make sure Peter was going to be alright and not blast the entire school because of that stupid rumor. Everyone associated with that family needed help because of what happened to Walter, and she hoped she could convince them of that over the next few meetings.

As the girls left Jenny’s office at the high school, Terry walked between both girls, an arm around both of them. Both had an arm around her and were leaning into Terry as they walked to the parking lot. As they reached Terry’s car, Marge softly said, “I could use some ice cream right about now.” Terry chuckled and answered with, “Yeah, three bowls of chocolate this time. A girl’s comfort food for times like this.” Terry climbed into the driver’s side of the car, as the girls again sat beside her in the front seat, again with Marge sitting beside her. It was Kathy who broached the subject when she said, “How can people hear the truth but choose to believe a lie? I don’t understand it. Are they so hungry to latch onto something that they’ll accept anything they hear? Aren’t they interested in the truth?” They were a block from the ice cream parlor when Terry said, “Sweetheart, if a lie is told often enough people soon accept it as the truth. And when they hear the truth, they accept that as THE lie and refuse to believe what they’re being told. What you experienced today is not an isolated event, it happens all the time, all around you. People have become lazy, too lazy to try and find out the truth for themselves. They want to sit back and let someone else tell them what they believe the truth happens to be. Whether that’s the truth or not. While it was a hard lesson you received today, always believe what you hear with a degree of skepticism. Until you can verify it for yourself, no matter how long it takes.” They pulled into the parking lot for the strip mall, Terry parked in front of the ice cream parlor. When they came back out of the parlor each had a bowl with three scoops of Dutch chocolate in it. They sat down at one of the outdoor tables and proceeded to luxuriate in the calming effects the chocolate provided them. Not noticing the shadow that had parked some distance away.

Robert’s radio came alive with Peter’s voice, asking, “How are they doing, Robert?” Robert laughed and told Peter, “They just went back into that ice cream parlor and came back out with another bowl full of chocolate ice cream. Peter, they’re either going to be some sick ladies later tonight, or they were really bothered by the events from today.” “Thanks, Robert. Just make sure they get home safely.” Peter had spoken to Robert before he went into the gym, asking Robert to keep an eye on the three once they finished their meeting with Jenny. Peter told Robert that he wasn’t sure, but he felt the first thing they’d do after leaving the school would be to hit that ice cream parlor, it’s what they usually do if one of them is upset. And Peter was right. After Peter signed off, Rober just shook his head, saying to himself, “Damn, such nice people having to go through shit like today. On top of everything Walter’s had to go through so far. Sure hope Kathy doesn’t have more of this shit to go through, or can weather it if there is more.” He reached into his top shirt pocket, took out an energy bar, tore the wrapper open and sat there eating the bar as he watched the three girls go back into the parlor and get yet another bowl of chocolate ice cream. He chuckled to himself and said, “Yep, they’re gonna be three very sick ladies tonight.”

Three bowls of Dutch chocolate ice cream hardly phased the three, at least not right at the moment. All three had been that upset by the day’s events. They got back into Terry’s car and headed to Marge’s home, where the girls again said their own intimate goodbyes until tomorrow. It wasn’t until Terry and Kathy got home that things got a bit interesting, as both hurried into the house and occupied both bathrooms at the same time. It wasn’t as though they were green about the gills, just that the amount of ice cream they had eaten had caught up with them. And made things a bit painful at the moment.

When Shelby walked through the front door, he saw Terry and Kathy sitting on the couch, leaning against each other, their eyes closed, holding their stomachs. He laughed before asking, “Let me guess, too much ice cream again?” When he laughed again, Terry opened one eye, looked at her husband and told him, “Blow it out your ear, buster,” before closing that eye and moaning just a tiny bit. Kathy didn’t even open her eyes as she told her dad, “Yeah, what she said.” Shelby laughed again then walked over and sat next to Terry, pulling her into him. “Must have been pretty bad for you two to eat enough ice cream to make you wish you hadn’t. Wanna tell me about it?” It was Kathy who told her dad, “It was about what happened last Friday at the dance.” Shelby gave Kathy a puzzled look, which she didn’t see since her eyes were still closed, as her stomach continued to complain, and asked, “What happened last Friday night?” Terry gave Shelby the short version by saying, “Robert Bakes happened.”

Shelby gave both of his women a real puzzled look as he told them, “Okay, how about you two back up, start at the beginning, and stop giving me crib notes. Who’s Robert Bakes.?”

Kathy let out a very unlady like burp before telling her dad, “He is a boy who used to go to our school. He had transferred from another school, and had transferred from another school and another and…,” “Um, okay I get the point. He got kicked out of several schools before settling in your school,” Shelby said to shorten what he knew was going to get long winded. “Okay, what did he do that got him kicked out of your school, sweetheart?” This time Kathy opened her eyes, sat up and looked at her dad before asking, “How’d you know he got kicked out of our school?” Shelby rolled his eyes, looked up quickly, shook his head before replying, “Well, you did say he ‘used’ to go to your school, and he was kicked out of several other schools, so it followed he got kicked out of your school too.” Kathy gave her dad a funny look and said, “Oh, yeah, I guess it does,” and closed her eyes and put her head back on Terry’s shoulder.

Shelby waited a few moments then asked, “Um, isn’t someone going to get to the rest of the story? Like, why he got kicked out of your school? How all this involved you, Kathy? And why did you eat so much ice cream you both come close to looking like death warmed over?” Terry raised her head off Shelby’s shoulder, turned to look at her daughter, who had lifted her head off her mom’s shoulder, and was now looking at her mom, before they both turned to look at Shelby and performed synchronized raspberries at Shelby. They both resumed their original positions. “That bad, huh?” Shelby wisely asked the two women.

“Earlier last week, that butthole came up to Marge and I and proceeded to tell me I could do better than with my sister. He was talking about Marge. So in my Walter fashion, I gave him better than he gave us. It carried on for a few moments until I ended up humiliating him as a lot of students watched the exchange. You see, dad, he is, or was, one of those boys whose only goal at school was to see how many notches he could carve in his bedpost, and that’s what he wanted with me,” Kathy told her dad without moving from Terry’s shoulder or opening her eyes. “And what he was going to do at the dance is just conjecture, since no one’s talking, dad. But it isn’t conjecture what happened to him, though, because it was witnessed by two police officers making their rounds at school. One of the officers happened to be the step-dad of the boy who started the whole rumor thing today.”

Shelby was having a lot of trouble following what Kathy was talking about, since it sounded like this and that had something to do with this and that. “Um...I think I just walked in on the middle part of this movie. Care to start with the conjecture then go to what the officers found on their rounds at the school?” Kathy suddenly sat up, Terry did the same. Kathy quickly got up off the couch and headed for the stairs at a fast walk. And as she started running up the stairs, she hollered, “SURE DAD, JUST AS SOON AS I TAKE CARE OF SOMETHING FIRST.” Terry bolted off the couch and did another fast walk before telling Shelby, “Yeah, what she said,” and Shelby heard two bathroom doors slam shut. Shelby chuckled to himself and said to no one, “You’d think after the last time those two would learn. Too much ice cream goes right through those two.”

Shelby heard two toilets flush almost simultaneously, then the faucets were turned on, then Terry came down the hallway about the time Kathy came down the stairs. Both went into the kitchen, Shelby heard two glasses clink, the faucet run, then two glasses being placed on the counter before Terry and Kathy came back and resumed their original positions. Once Terry and Kathy were settled, Shelby said, “So, conjecture, and rumor?”

tbc
Chapter 16

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 16

“Oh, right, the conjecture,” Kathy said. “Well, best guess was that Robert Bakes was at the dance to get his revenge on me for humiliating him earlier in the week. Only he didn’t get the chance. No one knows when it happened, but a group of people, students or adults, no one knows, grabbed him, put a cloth bag over his head then dragged him off somewhere before stripping him naked, then taping his hands behind his back and putting tape over his mouth. They then put him in some kind of harness and hoisted him up to the very top of the flagpole at school. The two police officers were making their usual rounds at the school when they spotted him suspended up on the flagpole. They guess he’d been up there since the dance let out at 11:00 that night. Robert couldn’t identify anyone because the people were completely covered with black clothing and were wearing full face masks. They never spoke so he doesn’t know if they were girls or boys, adults or students.”

In telling her dad the story, her voice had been rather calm. But it changed as she went on with the story. “No one bothered to tell me what happened, not even mom. I had to find out about part of it, the wrong part of it, from a rumor that was flying around school today. I say wrong, because according to that rumor, I’d been raped after the dance.” Shelby sat up so fast to look at Kathy that Terry slid off his shoulder and flopped down behind Shelby onto the cushion. “Gee, thanks a bunch, dear,” Terry said in a muffled voice. Terry sat back up as Shelby asked Kathy, “What do you mean raped after the dance? Who raped you?” Terry put her hand in the middle of Shelby’s chest, pushed him back against the back of the couch, put her head back on his shoulder before telling him, “It was part of the rumor that was floating around school. No one got raped. You should know about rumors, Shelby, how one person says something, then the next person adds a bit more, and more is added, until the whole thing is nothing but a lie. That’s what happened to that rumor. Now, be quiet and let Kathy continue.”

“As Marge and I were walking to our lockers, then to our first period science class, everyone was looking at us. And we didn’t know why.” And Kathy’s voice got even angrier as she told Shelby, “We didn’t know why until in our science class I asked them what was going on. Then good ol’ Tonya Springer blurted out that rumor had it that I’d been raped by Robert Bakes after the dance. Guess you don’t have to imagine how hot I got when I heard that. And I told them so. I called them some names I shouldn’t have, and even got called a liar for trying to deny I’d been raped. I’d had enough of the BS so I stormed out of class, Marge came with me. I just started walking, Marge was having a time keeping up with me, I was walking so fast. I just had to get away from it all. Well, we ended up sitting in the bleachers at the football field when the head of school security found us, said they’d been looking for us, and Uncle Peter wanted him to take us to his office. I’ll be right back,” and Kathy got up from the couch and walked upstairs this time.

While Kathy was in the bathroom, Shelby turned his head so he could see Terry’s face and asked her, “You knew and didn’t bother to tell Kathy about all this? How’d you find out?” Shelby watched as Terry shook her head slowly before telling him, “Peter called me the next morning and told me. And no, I didn’t tell Kathy because I thought it’d be better if she didn’t know. I found out I was wrong not telling her. Maybe if I had things would have gone better for her today.” Shelby saw the tears falling down Terry’s face, before he realized Kathy had sat back down, was pulling her mom to her and telling her, “It’s okay, mom. I know you thought it was for the best. I still love you though.” Terry held onto Kathy and openly wept. Muttering as she did, “I’m so sorry, hon, I’m soo sorry.” Kathy could no longer keep her tears bottled up, and just held onto her mom as she let hers fall.

“When Marge and I got to Uncle Peter’s office, Uncle Peter was there along with mom. Mom started to give Marge and I the riot act but Uncle Peter stopped her, pushed her into a chair and told her to be quiet, it was his ballpark and his rules. Then he gave us the riot act. I’ve never heard Uncle Peter talk like that, and it kind of scared me. He then called the school shrink and asked her to come to his office, and some more things were said, and again I’d had enough of the BS and tried to storm out of his office, only to be told by Principal Stepel, if I left the office I’d get four weeks of suspension. And would receive an ‘F’ for each day I was absent. Still hot under the collar, I slammed his office door and sat back down. I um, said a few things rather unlady-like then too. Jenny, the school shrink, talked to me then, pointed out a few things, and after lunch mom, Marge, and I went to Jenny’s school office and talked. Marge and I have a standing appointment with her every day after school. Mom and her are going to talk sometime in the evenings. And while we were talking to Jenny, Uncle Peter was in the gym with the rest of the school, telling them what, I didn’t hear. Yet. And that’s about it, dad. Any more questions?” It was Shelby’s turn to say, “Um, yeah, one. But I’ll be right back.” It was Terry and Kathy’s turn to laugh.

When Shelby returned from the bathroom, and sat back down on the couch, he asked, “So...what happened to Robert Bakes? Did he get kicked out of school?” Kathy chuckled before telling her dad, “Ah, no. His parents withdrew him. They were taking him that Saturday to a boarding school, one where the teachers won’t put up with his BS. And if the bits and pieces Uncle Peter caught are right, Robert isn’t going to be going by Robert while there. It will be more like Roberta.” Shelby gave Kathy another puzzled look until the light came on. “Oh, Roberta, a girl. Oh, I’ll be that’s going to come as a BIG surprise to Robert. I seem to remember hearing about schools of that type. Seems they’ve helped straighten out many a boy or young man.” Shelby looked at his watch, it was 6:00 p.m. He looked at his two girls, still holding each other and asked, “Would Chinese take out be alright with you two ladies? I can call and have all our favorites delivered.” Terry looked up at Kathy, who looked at her mom. Both shrugged their shoulders and almost said together, “Yeah, sounds like a plan.” Shelby patted Terry on her butt before getting off the couch, going to the kitchen and getting out the menu from their favorite Chinese restaurant. He picked up the phone, dialed their number and placed their order. He added a bit more of Terry’s and Kathy’s favorite things, since he felt they needed all the comfort they could get.

Thirty minutes later the doorbell rang and when Shelby opened the door, instead of the delivery, Marge, Dorothy, and Thomas were standing there. Shelby asked, “Have you all eaten yet? I’ve ordered Chinese take out.” The three laughed, because as Thomas told Shelby, “We just came by to see if you all wanted to go out to dinner with us.” Terry and Kathy had gotten up off the couch and walked over to the front door, heard what Thomas said, and laughed along with everyone else. Thomas then asked Dorothy and Marge, “Chinese alright with you two?” When both said yes, Shelby then told them to come in and make themselves at home. He then went to the phone and called the restaurant again, asking them to double his order. Thirty minutes after Thomas, Dorothy, and Marge had arrived, their take out was delivered. It turned out to be a wonderful evening, with three women getting the slow down they so desperately needed, even though Thomas and Dorothy brought up what happened Friday night, and at school today. The perspective Thomas and Dorothy gave on the subject helped Terry, Kathy, and Marge see things in a different light. And hopefully help Kathy and Marge deal with what might be waiting for them tomorrow at school, after Kathy’s explosive response.

When the six finally said their goodbyes, and Kathy and Marge in their own way, there was nothing left of the take out Shelby ordered except empty containers. Terry suggested Kathy go take care of what homework she had, given the circumstances of the day, before bathing and getting ready for bed. Before Kathy went up to her room, she walked into the kitchen where Shelby and Terry were bagging the containers to take to the trash, threw her arms around a surprised Terry and told her, “I’m sooo sorry for causing so much trouble today, mom. I didn’t handle things very well. Guess I’ll have to pay the piper tomorrow.” Terry had put her arms around Kathy and listened as Kathy spoke. When she did speak she reminded Kathy of a few things. “Honey, just a few weeks ago you were Walter, a boy. Then you had that accident and now you’re a girl. Basically a brand new girl, ignorant of all the experiences a girl would gain as she grew up. You’re still coming to terms with the change, and how people now see you as Kathy instead of Walter. Those kids grew up with Walter, they’re just getting to know Kathy. I have a feeling after what Peter told them during that assembly, they’ll be more forgiving than you think. Especially if, as I believe you will, as you usually do, apologize for how you acted and what you said. I think you’ll find that everyone would want a do over, make up and move on. Chalk it all up to another ‘Walter’ moment and go from there.” Terry kissed Kathy on the cheek before telling her to go on and get at what homework she had. Kathy kissed Terry back then headed up to her room to see what homework she did have, which ended up being nothing since she basically missed school today.

The next morning Shelby had just finished his breakfast, before heading to his office, as Terry walked out of the kitchen, heading to Kathy’s bedroom to make sure she was up and getting ready for school. She had put her right foot on the bottom step when Shelby grabbed her left arm, pulled her around, and tried to find out if her wisdom teeth had regrown. Terry put her arms around his neck and reciprocated, kissing him passionately. Terry stood there and watched Shelby start to go out of the front door, but stopped, turned to face her and told her, “Marshall and Marshall called me yesterday and want to see us at 4:30 this afternoon. Then afterwards I thought the three of us could go out to dinner. What do you think?” Shelby had seen the look in Terry’s eyes many times before, as she seductively walked towards him. When she reached him, her left hand went around to the back of Shelby’s head, pulled it to her and gave Shelby’s tongue a thorough inspection. As this was occurring, her right hand was inspecting the center seam where the left and right sides of his dress slacks met. When Terry broke the kiss, and her right hand continued its inspection, she told Shelby, “Only if I get to choose the after dinner entertainment.” She could feel how aroused he was, and knew from past times his brain would have trouble controlling his vocal cords. And Shelby knew it too, so just nodded before backing out of the embrace and cautiously walking to his car. Terry was chuckling as she watched him walk, trying hard not to appear as wound up as he was. She blew him a kiss just as he started backing the car out of the driveway and again as he drove away. She closed the front door then stood with her head against the inside of the door, trying to let her blood pressure come back to normal. “Hopefully I don’t look as flushed as I feel at the moment,” Terry said to herself, as she turned and went up the stairs.

When she reached Kathy’s bedroom door, she opened it as quietly as she could, in case Kathy was still asleep, no sense startling her, but was surprised by what she saw. Kathy was awake, and sitting on the side of her bed, feet dangling, her hands in her lap, and her head down. Her long hair had fallen forward, hiding her face so Terry was unable to see the expression on her face. Terry stood in the doorway for a few moments before walking over to the bed and sitting down next to her daughter. She didn’t speak, but waited to see if Kathy had something to tell her. And she did, and it was similar to her first day at school as Kathy.

“I’m scared, mom,” Kathy explained. “Really scared. I really messed up yesterday and can’t see why anyone wouldn’t still be mad with me because of it. Why didn’t I go get Mrs. Stokes to help get that bottle of alcohol so none of this would have happened? I’d still be Walter, your son.” Terry reached over and gathered Kathy’s long hair and pulled it back behind her shoulders. Doing that allowed her to see that Kathy had been crying, and still was, given her puffy eyes and tear streaked cheeks. She put her arms around Kathy, pulled her in close to her and told her, “Yeah, but my beautiful, smart, daughter wouldn’t be here with me now. I’d have that smelly old boy sitting here trying to think of some smart aleck thing to say.”

Kathy slowly pushed herself out of her mom’s embrace, turned to face her, and blew her a long raspberry. Then told her mom, “Yeah, I love you too, mom.” And blew a raspberry at her mom again. Despite the fear she could see on Kathy’s face, Terry started laughing. Not a chuckle, or titter, but a belly roaring laugh. And Kathy joined her, reaching for her mom to reacquire her mom’s hug. When they both had slowly stopped laughing, Terry told Kathy, “Listen, Peter called me earlier this morning and told me everything he told the entire school. Even though you blew your top, even though you used some rather unlady-like language, I’ve a feeling things will be better than you think.” When Kathy looked up at Terry with a questioning look, Terry shook her head and said, “Nope, you don’t have time to hear it right now. YOU have to get breakfast then dressed for school. Don’t forget we’re picking Marge up this morning too. Now scoot.” And with that, Terry kissed her daughter, got up off the bed then pulled Kathy after her, before heading out of the bedroom and down to the kitchen. Kathy followed a few moments later as she grabbed her robe then visited the bathroom.

The greeting with Marge, when they stopped at her house and picked her up, was light and quick between the two girls. Terry had no trouble reading Marge’s face, which was the same Kathy was wearing. Terry also noticed they were holding hands, and had been doing so ever since Marge got into Terry’s car. When they arrived at the school, at their usual stopping point, no one saw any of the students standing around holding ‘kick Kathy out’ placards or pitchforks or tar and feathers. They saw the usual groupings of students waiting for the first bell. With trepidation, Marge and Kathy got out of Terry’s car, after Kathy gave her mom a kiss. Terry sat and watched her girls walk hand in hand towards the main door, saw a few students look at them but none going towards them. A girl standing near the main doors said something to Kathy, which caused Kathy to hug her, wipe her eyes, then the two went into the school. As Terry watched the girl, she saw the girl wipe her eyes several times, before a boy took her into a hug and it looked as though she was crying on his shoulder.

As Marge and Kathy walked down the hallway towards Kathy’s hall locker, they saw a boy there, talking to himself and walking back and forth in front of Kathy’s hall locker. As they got closer they heard, “Hi Kathy...noo, that’s too lame. Maybe, hey Kathy...naw, lamer still.” The boy’s back was turned to the girls as they stopped in front of Kathy’s hall locker and when the boy turned around for another pass in front of Kathy’s hall locker, what he planned to say was totally forgotten. “Oh, hey. Um...hi, girls, um, Kathy, um Marge. Oh, this isn’t going how I planned. Like always.” It was Tommy Waltz, the boy who brought the rumor to school, the rumor that was severely embellished by the time it reached Kathy’s ears.

Tommy was blushing now, as he looked into Kathy’s eyes. She stood there silent, with her right eyebrow raised, waiting for Tommy to explain himself. Tommy looked down at the floor for a few moments before he looked up and hum hawed around saying, “You see...um, I...well, I mean...um, after what Principal Stepel said yesterday at the assembly, I...um, well…,” And Kathy put her hand on Tommy’s shoulder and said to him, “Tommy, stop. Think about what you want to say and say it. Okay?” Tommy hadn’t slept very well the night before, thinking how he was the cause of Kathy getting all upset yesterday at school. Kathy and Marge watched Tommy take a deep breath, then told them, “I couldn’t sleep last night, thinking how much I hurt you because of what I told someone else.” As Kathy looked into Tommy’s eyes, she could see tears forming and ever so slowly start sliding out of his eyes and down his cheeks. “I’m soo very sorry for hurting you, I...I…, I’m sorry.” And he turned around and walked off down the hallway, using the sleeve of his shirt to wipe his eyes as he walked. The girls wiped their eyes too before Kathy opened her hall locker and grabbed what books she’d need. After stopping at Marge’s hall locker for her to get what she needed, they both looked a few doors down the hallway and saw the door to their first period science class standing open. They looked at each other, both taking deep breaths, took the other’s hand, and walked into what they thought was the shadow of death. Only what they thought, turned out to be anything but what they believed would happen.

The two walked into their first period science class just as the second bell rang. Brigette had been standing by the doorway, and when both girls walked into the classroom, she closed the door behind them; she’d seen them walking toward her classroom and was going to wait until they entered the classroom second bell or no second bell, before closing the door. Kathy and Marge hadn’t taken more than two steps when Brigette said, in what sounded like a very strict tone, “Girls, follow me, please.” Marge looked at Kathy and Kathy at Marge, before both rolled their eyes, shook their heads, and just knew they were in for a lot of trouble. But what they weren’t expecting was what happened next.

Brigette led the girls to the front of the class and had them stand by her lab table. They gripped each other’s hand tighter, preparing themselves for the worst. “First off, girls,” Brigette started with, “how are you doing today? Under the circumstances yesterday, I’m just glad neither of you didn’t anything really foolish.” Both girls instantly had puzzled expressions on their faces. They looked at each other, then at Brigette, then back at each other, then again at Brigette before Kathy asked, “Um...we’re...doing...better? What…,” but she never got to finish asking that question, for Brigette had held up her hand before saying, “What’s going on?” Brigette then turned to the rest of the class and asked, “Who’d like to be first?” The first person to stand was the girl who accused Kathy of trying to hide that she’d been raped. “Um...I wanted to say I’m sorry for accusing you of something that wasn’t true. I, rather we, talked before the two of you arrived, and realized it was our fault how you reacted yesterday. And I, rather we, want to apologize for hurting you and upsetting you, and Marge, yesterday. I, um...I’m sorry.” Jeffrey was the next to stand, and was Jeffrey when he said, in very plain English, “Kathy, Marge, we were a bunch of jackasses, accusing you of somethin’ we just heard floating around the school. I’m really sorry to have seen you so upset, you don’t deserve to be upset, what with the other stuff you’re dealing with. But hey, if you’d have been Walter, you could have chalked it up to another Walter moment. You aren’t starting a Kathy moment, are you?” Wads of paper flew from every direction in the class at Jeffrey, who batted each and every one before sitting back down in his seat. Several more students stood and gave Kathy and Marge their thoughts and apologies, before the class became quiet and heard from Kathy.

When Marge saw the tears in Kathy’s eyes, she put her arm around her, pulled her close, and held her. Kathy wiped her eyes before saying to the entire class, “Thank you for what all of you said, it means a great deal to me. But I owe all of you an apology of my own, for the way I acted in class and what I called all of you. It was so wrong of me to take my anger and frustrations out on all of you, none of you deserved any of it. I hope we can take a do over, and move on from there. I’d really like it if we could.” Kathy wiped her eyes again, then hearing Brigette tell them to take their seats, both walked and saw down where they usually sat. It was strange to both girls as each was touched by each student they passed and “I’m sorry” heard from each one. Jeffrey reached out and took Kathy’s arm, after she sat down. When she looked at him, he told her, “Hang in there girl, we’re here for ya.” Kathy put her hand on his and replied, “Thanks, Jeffrey.”

tbc
Chapter 17

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 17

The rest of their classes went with a similar pattern for Kathy and Marge, students telling how sorry they were for spreading a rumor that wasn’t true, and upsetting the two girls. When it came time for lunch Kathy and Marge met up and walked to the cafeteria together, getting more apologies along the way. It wasn’t until they entered the cafeteria that they felt like animals on exhibit at a zoo. As they joined the queue to get their food, it seemed every eye followed them as the line slowly progressed towards the food servers. Even the servers asked how they were doing, as the girls selected what they wanted and paid for their meals. It seemed strange to them that every table but one had every seat filled, almost as though the school had reserved a table just for them. The girls took the hint and sat down next to each other at that lonely table, and hadn’t taken more than two bites when Peter walked up, standing opposite them and asked, “Mind if I sit down girls?” Marge and Kathy looked at each other then at Peter, telling him, “No, Principal Stepel. We don’t mind. In fact, it’d be nice if you did, since we seem to have been isolated in here today.” Peter chuckled as he sat down and answered them with, “No, girls, you aren’t being isolated by the rest of the school. It’s just the opposite in fact.” Both girls got that puzzled look on their faces, and Peter let them try and figure out why the table had been left for them. When they looked at each other then back at Peter he laughed then said, “They are respecting your privacy. You two know how hard it can be for two people to find places where they can sit together. And after yesterday, and you two going ga-ga and what I told them at the assembly, they are helping you two be able to find two places where you can sit together without a lot of hoopla. Plus, it’s their way of saying they are sorry for everything that happened yesterday.”

While Peter sat with the girls Kathy tried to get him to tell them everything he said at the assembly, but like her mom, told them there wasn’t time right then and that Terry could tell them everything he told her. It was about then they heard, “Mind if we sit with you girls?” Kathy and Marge looked to their right and saw Jeffrey, Tommy, and the girl who accused Kathy of lying, standing there holding their food trays. Peter saw the three and said to all of them, “Well, I just wanted to see how you two girls were doing. If you need anything you know where my office is, girls.” Having said that, he got up out of the chair and walked off towards the table where Margot and Tina were sitting, coyly watching Peter’s interaction with the girls. After Principal Stepel left, it was Marge who told the three, “Well, I don’t know. This table is sooo crowded, what do you think, Kathy?” “Well, unless those empty chairs are filled with people we can’t see, they’re still empty,” and she smiled at the three. The three walked around the other side of the table, sat their trays down then pulled out the chairs and sat facing Kathy and Marge. Those three had just sat down when they all heard, in a very timid voice, “Um...would any of you mind if I joined you?” Turning to the voice, they saw Tonya Springer standing there, trepidation written on her face, her eyes moist. Kathy got up out of her chair, took Tonya’s tray out of her hand and sat it down in front of the chair to the right of where Kathy was sitting, then turned and pulled Tonya into a hug. As she held Tonya, the girl told her over and over, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” When Tonya had calmed down a bit, Kathy whispered to her, “It’s going to be okay. You’ll be okay, okay?” When Kathy felt Tonya nod her head, she pushed Tonya away from her, reached up and gently wiped the tears off her cheeks then said, “Come on, sit down and eat. I don’t know about you but I am hungry.” A few others came and asked if they could join the table, and each was told they could. The girls didn’t bite...much.

The girls hadn’t noticed, but every teacher did, as had Margot, Peter and Tina. When students had walked up to Marge and Kathy sitting alone, everyone in the cafeteria had watched to see how the girls would respond. And after each response, everyone continued eating until the next student approached them. When that table was full, and everyone there chatting as they ate, everyone could see that Kathy and Marge held no ill will towards anyone at that table, or it appeared, anyone in the school. As Peter scanned those in the cafeteria he could only hope the events yesterday were a lesson all of those in the cafeteria at the moment, and in the rest of the school, would take with them throughout their lives. It was a hard lesson to go through, but a valuable one nonetheless.

There were a few students left in the cafeteria by the time the first bell sounded, signaling it was time for the second shift to hit the cafeteria. Peter had made it a point to stay and watch for any trouble that might arise against Kathy and Marge. He thought it strange, no not strange, but interesting that some of the few students who’d remained until the first bell rang, were those at the full table where Kathy and Marge sat. And that table was still very animated even as they got up from their chairs to bus their trays and head off to their next classes. Peter smiled as he saw his niece take Marge’s hand as the two walked out of the cafeteria. They looked so good together. They were also good for each other, standing by the other when things got rough.

Right then Peter’s cell phone rang. “Oh, hi there sweetheart.” “I think I have the perfect dessert for you tonight.” “What is it?” “Guess.” “No.” “No.” “You’re not even close.” Peter made sure no one was in hearing as he told Tina, “It’s Peter, au naturel.” “Oh, it’ll be Tina au naturel, too?” “And can she sing?” “Oh, you think I’ll make you sing?” “How will I do that?” “Oh, my, that I look forward to.” “I love you too sweetheart.” Peter had to sit where he was longer than expected, after his talk with Tina, and it was imperative he do so. Peter’s cell phone rang again, this time it was Margot, telling him he had a meeting with the school board president in twenty minutes.

Margot had been with Peter long enough to tell by his voice when he was angry, happy, sad, and even after he’d talked to Tina. And she laughed after he told her he’d be there in a few minutes. “Um, Peter. Did you just talk to Tina? Is that why you’ll be a few minutes late?” Peter tried to think of a response to not say ‘yes,’ but failed. So he dove in and told her, “Um, yeah, I just did.” He had to laugh when Margot told him, “You have it bad for that girl. But next time you might pick a better spot for your phone sex conversation. A room full of students is hardly the place for things to calm down.” Peter heard Margot break out in laughter as she cut the connection with him. Peter had to laugh again, as he knew she was absolutely right, as a teacher just then asked if Peter minded if she sat down. Even as the table started to fill with other teachers, Peter had to stay seated.

“Do you mind if I sit down, Principal Stepel?” Peter looked up and into the eyes of Mary Turner, the school board President. “Margot said you’d be a little late, and why, so I thought I’d get some lunch and join you here instead of in your office.” Mary had an impish grin on her face, as Peter blushed and asked, “She told you the real reason?” Mary sat her tray down across the table from where Peter was sitting and said, “Yep, the real reason.” And then she winked at him, before the two started talking shop.

The girl’s afternoon classes went pretty much as the morning had, with those in their classes offering their apologies, or stopping the girls in the hall and apologizing, or just stopping the girls and asking how they were doing. But a rubber band can be stretched just so far before it breaks, and Jenny saw it in Marge and Kathy’s faces when they entered her office after school let out at 3:30 p.m.

She didn’t say anything to the girls, as they both walked through the open door to her office and flopped down on two of the chairs there. Jenny closed her office door, picked up a candy jar, took off the glass lid and held it out to both girls, telling them, “Take one.” When both girls gave Jenny the ‘look,’ she told them, “That wasn’t a suggestion. Each of you take one and suck on it.” When both girls finally took a sucker each, removed the wrappers before popping them into their mouths, discovering they were cherry flavored, their minds were now focused on the flavor they were tasting. And not the sympathy overload they’d first displayed when walking into Jenny’s office. Jenny pulled a chair around so she was facing both girls, took a sucker herself, removed the wrapper, popped it into her mouth, and sat there as the three concentrated on their suckers. Jenny had done this before and knew from experience they’d have calmed down by the time the suckers were gone. And when both girls threw the sucker sticks into the trash can, Jenny knew they were calm enough to talk about their day.

“So,” Jenny began, as she got up and tossed her sucker stick into the trash, “how was your day? Was it as bad as you feared? Were there any dragons lurking about ready to spit flames at you?” Jenny’s seemingly flippant questions had the desired effect, as both girls looked at each other, rolled their eyes, and said almost together, “Oh, brother!” Jenny looked at both girls and went on with, “Well good, that got you out of your ‘if one more person apologizes’ mood and better able to answer my first question, ‘how was your day?’”

Kathy shook her head and chuckled as she told Jenny, “You’re a slick one, Jenny. I’ll give you that. But to answer your question, honestly, I was scared about coming to school today. I realized I’d stepped over the line with my actions yesterday, and what I said. And was scared I’d get the third degree from everyone. Instead, all I heard today were apologies or those asking how I was doing. Principal Stepel must have said something fierce at that assembly yesterday.” Jenny chuckled when Kathy called her Uncle, Principal Stepel, and told Kathy, “I know Peter is your Uncle, so you don’t have to try and hide that fact from me.” Jenny then looked at Marge and asked, “And you Marge? How was your day?” Marge first shrugged her shoulders then said, “I was worried about missing classes yesterday, they could have said I ditched classes and given me detention or worse. I didn’t say anything unladylike, as someone I know,” and she turned her head to look at Kathy, “but I did leave class and stayed with Kathy the whole time. And like Kathy, all I heard were apologies or those who asked how we were doing. And Jenny, to tell the truth, I’m all apologized out. I don’t know how I’d react if one more person apologizes to us.” Jenny noted Kathy was nodding her head in agreement, both had reached their limits of kindness from the other students.

Jenny took the lead from Marge when she told the two, “Girls, in all my time at this school, this is the first time the school as a whole ever admitted being wrong for what they did. I’m guessing in your classes you both heard how wrong they were for spreading a rumor they didn’t know if it was true or false. Right?” Jenny saw both girls nod their heads and continued, “Girls, something like this rarely happens at a place this big, with this many people attending. Oh, maybe a few will admit they were wrong, but not the vast majority.” Jenny saw puzzled looks form on both girl’s faces and asked, “You still don’t know what Peter did and said during the assembly, do you? Either of you?” When both girls shook their heads Jenny told them, “Then it’s about time you heard what he did and said.” Jenny turned around and took the candy jar off her desk, took the glass lid off and told the girls, “Here, have another one. It’s a long story.”

Jenny started off telling the girls they should be proud of the way Peter handled a very trying situation yesterday. He could have jumped down their throats for spreading a false rumor that terribly upset the girls. Instead, he started with Tonya Springer and followed the rumor backwards until he came to Tommy Waltz, the boy who brought the rumor to school. Or rather, started it from incomplete information he heard during a conversation his mom and step-dad had. And how in successive tellings, each speaker added their own bits and pieces until the rumor was a monster that didn’t resemble its beginning. And how Peter reasoned with everyone, asking them to put themselves in the girl’s place, and asking how they’d feel if the rumor had been about them. And, on top of that, learning to be the opposite gender than they had been. “No, girls. Be proud Peter kept his cool, never accusing anyone directly or making them angry for being blamed for something they may not have had a hand in creating. You see, girls. What Peter was talking about applies to everyday life, not just at school. False rumors, ugly rumors, have caused a lot of people to take their own lives, after they tried and corrected it themselves. They finally had had enough, and couldn’t face anyone, or themselves, anymore. And they wanted the hurting to stop. Girls, be glad all you heard today were apologies, because it could have been much worse. And the two of you might not have been sitting here right now.” Jenny let what she said sink in before she said any more. Before Jenny could say anything else, there was a knock on her office door. She got out of her chair, walked over to the door, opened it and found Terry standing there. “It’s 4:00 and I’ve come to pick up Marge and Kathy,” Terry told Jenny as Jenny let Terry step into her office. Jenny looked at her watch and exclaimed, “Oh, my, will you look at the time. You girls were talking my head off, I never thought about the time.”

Kathy let her head fall backward, rolled her eyes, shook her head before letting her head fall to her chest. Marge simply dropped her head, rolled her eyes, shook her head before she said, “Don’t listen to her, Mrs. Williams. She was the one talking our heads off, filling us in about the assembly yesterday.” Jenny made a shushing motion and told the girls, “Shhhhh, you’re not supposed to let others know I say something once in a while. It’s supposed to be a trade secret.” Kathy turned to Marge and said, “Come on, Marge. We’d better go before it gets any deeper in here. I didn’t bring my overshoes with me today.” Hearing the banter from the girls, Jenny looked at Terry and nodded her head, letting Terry know the girls were doing okay. Both girls had gotten out of their chairs and walked over to Jenny and Terry, hugging Jenny before leaving her office with Terry.

As the three walked through the hallway towards the parking lot at the front of the school, Terry told Marge, “Marge. Kathy, Shelby, and I have a meeting with Marshall and Marshall at 4:30, so I won’t have time to take you home before we go to our meeting. Nothing at this meeting is confidential so you can sit in it with us. And maybe go out to dinner with us after?” It seemed like magic how Marge’s cell phone appeared in her hand, as she called home and explained things to Dorothy, who was the one that answered the phone at home. Terry and Kathy heard, “Okay, thanks mom. I love you too.” After putting her cell phone back into her purse, she told Terry, “Mom says it’s okay, just so long as we don’t go submarine spotting after dinner.” That caused Terry to laugh and Kathy to give Marge a puzzled look. Marge saw the puzzled look on Kathy’s face, shook her head then kissed Kathy, and explained, “Submarine spotting is slang for parking somewhere dark to kiss and do...um...an assortment of other things. Girlfriend, your mom and I got a lot of things to teach you.” Kathy got the kissing part of submarine spotting, but it took a moment to work out ‘an assortment of other things.’ And when she did she said, “OH! You mean…,” and Marge and Terry replied simultaneously, “Yes.” Then both started laughing because of the look on Kathy’s face.

Marge and Terry each put an arm around Kathy, who was walking between them, and Terry told her, “Sweetheart, submarine spotting has been going on since God created green apples, though under different names. It is often used by some boys in order to get into a girl’s panties, have sex with them,” Terry added after seeing the questioning look on Kathy’s face. “Kathy, one of the things you have to learn, being a girl, is that a lot of boys have an overabundance of hormones and are not mature enough to deal with how it makes them feel or act. Plus, they hear stories from other boys which make them want to try the same thing. Kathy, many parents find it difficult to talk with their children about sex, about having sexual intercourse, and what can happen if they have unprotected sex. So if an ill informed boy does have sex with a girl, unprotected sex, the way he heard other boys talk about it, he’s risking getting the girl pregnant. Plus, there are a variety of diseases people can get by having unprotected sex. And if she gets pregnant or if they both contract one of those diseases, a whole lot of problems are created.”

“Something else the two of you need to be aware of if you ever go to a party at someone’s house. You two girls are very beautiful, and are in a loving relationship right now. You may know a lot of kids at that party who go to this school, but you’ll also see a lot of boys you don’t know who don’t go to this school. Those boys won’t know you two are a couple, or care. All they’ll care about is getting one of you, or both of you, in bed to have sex with you. And it is likely to have unprotected sex. So, if you are ever allowed to go to one of these parties, never accept a drink from any boy, or girl, that you didn’t see being poured yourself. Never leave your drink sitting anywhere, or set your drink down, walk off then come back and pick up your drink. There is a substance that can be put into a girl’s drink that makes her lose control of herself. Make her act like she’s extremely drunk. When this happens, the boy, or girl, who ‘spiked’ her drink will then take her to a bedroom in the house in order to undress her and have sex with her. And it make not be just one boy who has sex with her while she’s like that. So, when you’re eighteen, Kathy, and you go to one of these parties, remember what I just told you.”

Terry saying ‘eighteen’ didn’t go unnoticed by Kathy, or Marge, though Marge just laughed when she saw her girlfriend’s facial expression. “Eighteen mom? Really?” Terry just laughed before saying, “It’s open to negotiations.”

When they reached Terry’s car, she unlocked the front passenger door first, then walked around to the driver’s side, unlocked the door, then got into her car. The girls were seated as they always were, Marge in the middle and Kathy near the door. Once out of the school parking lot, it took only a few minutes to reach the offices of Marshall and Marshall, where Terry pulled her car into the parking lot for their offices. Shelby was standing by his car, waiting for them, and raised an eyebrow when he saw Marge with Terry and Kathy. After the three got out of Terry’s car and walked up to Shelby, Terry saw the look and told him, “The girl’s session with Jenny ran a bit over, thanks to a couple of snarky girls, so we didn’t have time to take Marge home before coming here. And she’s called her parents and was given permission to go out to dinner with us. Plus, I didn’t feel anything the Marshalls were going to tell us was that private. Any more facial questions, dear?” In a show of surrender, Shelby pulled his white handkerchief out of his back pocket and waved it in the air. The girls laughed at Shelby’s antics, Terry just said, “Now I know where she gets it from?” The two girls were the ones clearing their throats this time, as Terry and Shelby said hello in THEIR own way, before the four walked into the offices of Marshall and Marshall.

Bret Sr. was waiting to greet them, as they walked into his and his son’s offices. He did question Marge’s presence, but found Terry’s explanation satisfactory, given Marge and Kathy being girlfriends. As he told them, once the four were seated in his office, “Because none of what I am about to tell you is really privileged, it is acceptable for Marge to be present. Had it been otherwise, I would have asked you to wait at reception, Marge. And if an old fart like me might say, you two young ladies make a fine couple. Right, then,” and Bret Sr. told Terry and Shelby that all the necessary documents and supporting evidence had been filed with the Courts. And they should hear back from them in a few days. They would need a ruling from the Courts before they could pursue a change in Walter’s birth certificate, and would deal with that in due time. He had just finished telling them everything they needed to hear, when there was a knock on his office door. He got up, walked around his desk, opened the door and was told, “This just came by courier and after reading it, thought you’d like to see it immediately.” Bret Sr. thanked his son, closed the door, and started reading the tri-fold of papers as he walked back to the chair behind his desk. When he said, “Aw, buggers,” Terry and Shelby looked at each other before Shelby asked, “What’s wrong Bret? Bad news?”

Instead of answering Slhelby’s questions, he picked up the phone, punched in two numbers as said, “Bret, would you please come to my office?” Once he hung up the phone he put his head in his hands, remaining silent until he heard a knock on his office door and Bret Jr. walked into his office. “How much of this did you have a chance to read?” Bret Jr. shook his head and told his dad, “I skimmed the front page, and glanced at the rest. Why?” Bret Sr. then told his son, “Son, please pull up a chair and sit down.” It wasn’t hard for any of the Williams or Marge to see Bret Sr. was trying to control his temper, as they saw him look to the ceiling and shake his head.

“Terry, Shelby, Kathy, and Marge, forgive me for not answering your questions, Shelby. But after reading that document, I was about to lose my temper. It seems there are a group of parents who take exception to ‘Walter’ being allowed to change ‘his’ name. They don’t want a ‘boy’ prancing around ‘their’ school acting like the girl ‘he’ isn’t.” He saw the question Shelby was about to ask but beat him to it as he then said, “How did they find out about this? Once we filed our petition it becomes public record, and anyone can learn what’s being asked. It seems they don’t believe what that accident has done to you, Kathy. Seems some of those parents have students in your science class, and don’t believe what their children told them. And it seems, the lawyer they’ve hired has filed an injunction to stop the name change and wants a hearing to put an end of you going to school dressed as a girl.”

After the way Kathy reacted Monday because she was called a liar, in trying to hide she’d been raped after the dance, which was later proven false, Marge, Terry, and Shelby were looking at Kathy, and didn’t like what they were seeing. Marge pinned one of Kathy’s arms to the chair she was sitting in, and Terry pinned the other. And it got rather loud as Kathy told Bret Sr., “Just what the hell part of all those records didn’t they believe? The fact those shelves collapsed and I was cut by broken glass and contaminated by all the chemicals on those shelves? Or the fact I started developing breasts because of that contamination. Or the fact I one day went to use our bathroom and discovered by dick and balls were gone. And that I now have a vigina? Tell me Mr. Marshall, which fucking part of all that didn’t they understand? ‘Cause I’d really like to know. I’ll tell you what, Mr. Marshall. Let’s get them all in a room and I’ll drop my panties and the men can fuck me and see for themselves that I’m a girl.” Kathy was pissed, so pissed she yanked her arms free, got up out of her chair so quickly it fell over backwards, and fled from the office. Marge following after her.

Through gritted teeth Terry told Bret Sr., “Bret, please don’t be unset how Kathy responded. It’s the second time this week she’s been called a liar after telling the truth. And if you’ll excuse me, I better go and find them to make sure they’re okay. But Bret, I want the balls of every one of those people put up on a pike, right after their heads go on first.” Shelby grabbed Terry’s hand just after Terry stood up from her chair, trying to help her calm down after what Bret Sr. just told them. She patted his hand, told him she’d be okay, and left the office to try and find Kathy and Marge.

It was Shelby who began with, “Damn, this is all we need on top of Kathy being called a liar and becoming a full girl.” He looked at Bret Sr. and asked, “Does that paper say when the hearing will take place? And if Kathy has to attend? Marge will have to go as well, if for no other reason than to keep Kathy as calm as she can. DAMN! What business is it of those people anyway? Does that paper list any of their witnesses? And kids from school? I hope not because they may have just ended their school year if there are any from the school.” Shelby had fired off his questions so fast Bret Sr. didn’t have time to respond.

Bret Sr. chuckled then told Shelby, “Shelby, ol’ man, slow down, give me a chance to answer your questions. To answer your first question, the hearing is scheduled for next Monday at nine in the morning. And yes, Kathy does have to attend. And if it will help keep Kathy calmer than she just was in this office, then Marge needs to attend also. Yes, there is a list of witnesses their lawyer is calling, mostly doctors. But a large number of parents. And no, no students are on the list we received, but that doesn’t preclude their lawyer from calling them at the last minute.” Then Bret Sr. turned to his son and asked him, “Junior, would you take this and get a background on all of the doctors on the witness list, then the parents. You know what we normally look for. And I want a detailed rundown on those doctors, their specialties, training, education, the works. And call doctors Taylor and Stomer and tell them they’ll be needed and when.” He turned back to Shelby and said, “Shelby, I’m sorry about all of this. With all of the records we have, that lawyer should have turned those parents down cold. I’ve a feeling this is either their first case and they’re trying to make a name for themselves, or they haven’t bothered to look at everything we filed. In which case, they are about to learn a valuable lesson. This should have been a very simple process of going before the Judge, presenting our case and Walter’s name gets officially changed. But no, some people just don’t know when to keep their noses out of other people’s business. Look, you better go find those beautiful women, they may need you about now.” Bret Sr. and Shelby stood, shook hands before Shelby left the office and went in search of the three women. He too would like to know how anyone with half a brain couldn’t believe Walter is now a full fledged girl. In every way.

tbc
Chapter 18

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 18

When Shelby walked out of the offices of Marshall and Marshall, he had no trouble finding the three women, they were all sitting on the curb of the sidewalk in front of Marshall’s offices. Kathy was in the middle of a sandwich, with Terry on one side and Marge on the other, both women had an arm around Kathy’s back. Shelby walked around the three, knelt down in front of his daughter, reached out and pulled her into a hug. Where she proceeded to cry on his shoulder. It was easy for Shelby to see the tear streaks on both Terry and Marge’s faces and the anger on his wife’s face. He pitied the complaining parent who crossed her path any time soon, they’d walk away a few pounds lighter when Terry finished giving them her opinion of their moral character. As stoic as Shelby tried to be, he reached up now and then, as he held his daughter, and wiped the tears off his cheeks.

The Marshalls had been standing at the front door to their offices watching the four people sitting, or kneeling, just in front of their offices. It was Bret Jr. who commented, “Dad, I’ve met some really stupid people in my time, but I think we’re going up against some really ignorant ones in this case. I’m not trained in medicine, but even I can understand the anatomy of that girl’s body from all of those images. Why do those people have trouble seeing it?” Bret Sr. chuckled, put his arm around his son’s shoulder and answered him with, “Bret, it isn’t that they can’t see the same thing you see. It’s that they don’t want to see what you see. They don’t want to be proven wrong, so they simply deny what they’ve likely been shown, at least I hope their attorney has shown them everything. For people like those, Bret, life is supposed to be how they deem it should be. And if anything tries to change their point of view, even if it refutes their point of view, they simply ignore it or, as in this case, raise a stink. Come on. Let’s go prepare a case not even Houdini could get out of.”

Kathy had stopped crying, but was still holding, and being held by, her father, when everyone heard a loud growl, causing Kathy to laugh. She lifted her head off her father’s shoulder, turned to look at Marge and asked, “Hungry?” Marge’s face was a lovely shade of pink because of her stomach growling. “Um, yeah. I kinda am.” Kathy let go of her father, stood up and reached her hands to Marge and helped her stand before saying, “Well, someone did ask us out to dinner. Didn’t they?” And she turned to look at Shelby, who was now standing in front of the three women. He wiped his eyes again and said, as Terry had walked over to him, put her arm around his waist, “Yep, I did ask you three lovely ladies out to dinner. So, where would you like to go?” In a meek voice Marge asked, “Could we go Chinese? It always helps me to feel better after I’ve been upset. Kinda like that ice cream did the other day.” Kathy slowly turned her head to look at Marge, and together with her mother, blew Marge twin raspberries because of how the two felt after eating so much Dutch chocolate ice cream that afternoon. That caused everyone to laugh, and Marge to get a kiss on the cheek from Kathy. “Okay, if there are no objections, Chinese it is,” Shelby said, as he led Terry to the front passenger side of his car, then opened the rear passenger door for the girls.

The four didn’t know it at that time, but a resolve had been made by them all. Whether at school, or the following Monday when they walked into Court, or just out and about, no one was again going to bring them down because they couldn’t accept that Walter no longer existed. That because of that freak accident, Walter had been transformed into Kathy Elizabeth Williams. A girl who now, while still posing Walter’s sympathy and concern for others, had a fire in her belly that she was not afraid to let escape when necessary. And would likely do so again before others learned to accept her as she is now.

Everyone did feel better after their meal at the Chinese restaurant. But it was getting late and both girls still had homework to get done for the next day. As the girls had done on previous occasions, after Shelby pulled up to Marge’s house, and the girls got out of his car, they said their own special goodbyes until the next day. None of the four parents bothered to clear their throats this time, but let the girls kiss until they were ready to part. And when they did, Kathy had reached up and wiped tears that had escaped Marge’s eye, and softly told her, “It’s going to be okay.” Marge nodded her head before turning and both girls drug their hands along each other’s arms until the hands met. They didn’t hold hands long, just long enough to savor their time together until tomorrow. When Marge was standing on the porch, next to her parents, all three waved to the Willams as Shelby drove off towards home. Kathy hadn’t gotten into the back seat as they drove home, but sat up front next to Terry, who was now holding her hand, as Kathy laid her head on Terry’s shoulder. “Why do people have to be so stupid?” Kathy asked to no one in particular, but it was Terry who responded, “I don’t know, sweetheart. I just don’t know.” The three were silent the rest of the way home, Kathy going up to her room when they got home, and Terry and Shelby making themselves comfortable on the couch in their living room after getting changed; Terry’s head resting on Shelby’s shoulder. “Shelby? Do you really think we have a chance in Court next Monday?” Shelby turned his head, kissed Terry on top of her head, as he said, “Yeah, I do. When everything we have is presented it will only be someone who is blind who could deny the truth. And that would be because they couldn’t see everything we have presented. By the way, didn’t you say something about picking tonight’s entertainment? You haven’t said what it will be.” Shelby got his answer as Terry took her head off of his shoulder, pulled him to her and kissed him more passionately than she’d even done in the past. When the kiss ended, she told Shelby in a husky voice, “You’re tonight’s entertainment.”

Kathy had come down the stairs to say goodnight to her parents, but stopped when she saw them passionately kissing. She smiled when she heard her father ask her mom that question, and smiled even more at her mom’s reply. She quietly retreated to the top of the stairs, then stomped her way down the stairs, deliberately letting her parents hear her on the stairs. When she was standing in front of Terry and Shelby, she told them, “I just wanted to say goodnight. And thank you both for being there today.” It was Shelby who told her, “Honey, we’ll always be there for you because we love you.” Kathy had a strange look on her face, one similar to the smirk she often got before saying something that caused others to groan. It was Terry who asked, “Sweetheart, what are you up to this time?” The look persisted as Kathy went to her mom, bent down and hugged her, then whispered in her ear, “Enjoy your entertainment tonight.” Terry’s eyes got big before she laughed and whispered back, “Don’t worry. I plan too!” The two laughed together, then lightly kissed each other on the lips, before Kathy kissed Shelby, told her parents goodnight, and went up to her bedroom. Shelby had watched the interplay between daughter and mother and asked, “What was that all about?” Terry had a Chesire cat grin on her face as she told Shelby, “Oh, just girl talk dear. Juuust girl talk.” Terry then took Shelby’s hand, pulled him up with her, and together they walked back to their bedroom. And to tonight’s entertainment.

When Terry got up the next morning she feared Kathy would be reacting the same as she did this past Tuesday. And she planned to do the same this morning as she did on that morning. Only when she heard Shelby say, “Good morning sweetheart,” and heard, “Good morning, daddy,” were her fears alleviated. She turned around, walked over to a robed Kathy, gave her a hug and asked, “Did you sleep okay last night?” Terry waited for Kathy’s answer, as she told her to get the milk, orange juice, and butter out of the fridge, and the syrup out of the cabinet. After setting all three on the kitchen table, Kathy said, “Yeah, I did, mom. And when I woke up this morning, I didn’t have the same worry as I had on Tuesday. In fact, I don’t really care if someone mouths off today, it’s their right to do so. Just like it’s my right not to care or pay attention to them.” Terry hugged Kathy again, before flipping the pancakes over and rotating the sausages.

“Kathy. That’s a good attitude to have, as long as you know when it should be applied,” Shelby told his daughter. “Knowing others have the right to express their opinions is often harder to put into practice than a person would think. Especially if they disagree with you about something. And you have to know when to ignore what they’re saying and when to take them on their word, since sometimes it can be the difference between life and death.” Kathy had listened intently to her father’s words, since she might need that advice today.

Terry lifted the edge of one pancake to see if it was done, and seeing it was done started piling all of them on a plate. She cut open one of the sausages and saw they too were done and placed them on a separate plate. After they sat down at the kitchen table, Terry saw a smirl form on Kathy’s lips, and said one word, “WHAT?” Kathy wiggled her head before saying, “I see you’re not walking funny this morning.” Shelby had a puzzled look on his face from his daughter’s statement. Terry, on the other hand, had her mouth open, her eyes bugged out and her head tilted at a funny angle. When Kathy started to smile, Terry just shook her head and said to her daughter, “Why you little imp. You just wait, missy. I’ll get to tell you that one day.” Shelby was still puzzled, so he asked, “Um, what are you two talking about?” Terry gave him a bemused smile and told him, “Nothing, dear. Juuust girl talk.” Shelby shook his head and continued eating. What Shelby didn’t see was Terry shaking a mock fist at Kathy, causing her to laugh.

As usual, Shelby was the first out of the house, after rinsing off his plates and placing them into the dishwasher. Terry walked him to the door, and as the two kissed, Kathy watched as her father’s hand drifted down between the two of them, causing her mom to push her hips into him. She let out a chuckle, which caused her parents to end their kiss, and her to get the ‘look’ from her mother. When Terry walked back out into the kitchen, she got behind Kathy and put her hands on Kathy’s shoulders, telling her, “You are such an imp.” She then bent down and kissed Kathy on the cheek. What Terry wasn’t expecting was the next question Kathy asked. “So, um, mom. Did dad rock you world last night? Did you sing for him?” Terry slowly turned away from the sink, put her hands on her hips, and tried to say in a shocked voice, “KATHERINE ELIZABETH WILLIAMS, where DO you get such ideas?” She then walked over and put her arms around her daughter from behind and answered Kathy’s question with, “Oh, yes sweetheart. He took me to another galaxy. And yes, I sang for more.” Kathy reached up and took hold of her mother’s arms and replied, “I’m glad mom, for both of you.” Both of their grips tightened before Terry told her she better go get ready for school. Kathy quickly put the last bit of pancake into her mouth, got up from the kitchen table and after following her dad’s example, went up the stairs to get ready for school.

Kathy felt a renewed confidence within her, despite the feeling that many had already heard about the parents who were suing to stop her getting her name changed. But she didn’t care, she was going to let them have their say. Even if what she heard was geared towards pushing her ‘go’ button again. Today, she was going to hold her head high and act like nothing was wrong.

After picking Marge up, Terry drove them to school, where they saw Peter standing by the main doors to the school. Kisses were exchanged, with Marge too, this time, and Terry watched her brother talk to the girls before they headed to the school office. Terry’s self control kicked in just before she got out of her car to go find out what Peter wanted. Instead, she drove out of the school parking lot and went shopping. She’d find things out when she picked Kathy and Marge up this afternoon. If she didn’t call Peter first.

The girls walked with Peter to his office, where Margot said good morning to the girls as they walked by her desk. Once in his office, and he’d closed the door, instead of sitting in his chair, Peter sat on the front edge of his desk. Kathy and Marge had sat down in two of the chairs in front of Peter’s desk and heard him ask, “I just wanted to let the both of you know that some parents are suing to keep you, Kathy, from getting your name changed. And from coming to school dressed as a girl. Those morons seem to think you’re still physically Walter, and nothing I’ve been able to say to them has changed their minds. I just wanted you both to be prepared for today in case some of their children have the same attitude.” Peter saw the smile on the face of both girls, as he heard Kathy tell him, “We know, Uncle Peter. Mr. Marshall Sr. was telling us all they’d done so far when he received some papers telling him about the suit. And don’t worry about me going cuckoo today, Uncle Peter, I won’t. I’ve realized others have the right to give their opinions, and I have the right to ignore or accept what they say. So if someone is snotty, and I can logically reason with them, I will. Otherwise, I’m going to thank them for their opinion and walk on. And I have a feeling by doing that, it will be a bigger slap in their face than yelling at them would ever be.” After Kathy finished filling Peter inon what they heard, he told them, “And because what they’re after involves the school, I’m going to be involved as well. So I’ll be talking to the school’s attorneys about the matter. And Kathy, please don’t get upset if they advise me to have you stop coming to school dressed as a girl.”

Kathy laughed again and told her Uncle, “Oh, Uncle Peter. It won’t be me who’ll get upset if that’s what the attorneys advise. And you know it. But just in case, maybe you should warn them of the fury they’ll unleash if they make such a decision. And besides, what will I wear to school? Boy clothes or girls clothes? Will I then have to use the boys or girls restrooms? Will I be transferred to the boys PE class or stay in the girls class? Points they need to consider, if they make such a decision for you. Oh, and when you talk to them, maybe take all of the documentation with you? You know, all of the pictures and images? The ones that show my insides being that of a girl’s?”

Marge had cringed when Kathy started pointing out things to her Uncle, afraid it would be a repeat from yesterday at Marshall and Marshall. But she was surprised as Kathy kept her voice level, never getting angry, just laying things out for her Uncle to tell the school attorneys. Kathy noticed the look of pride on Marge’s face, and like her mom had done to her earlier this morning, she asked, “WHAT?” Marge snorted as she said, “Well, Mrs. Williams,” which caused Marge to start laughing at the sour look on Kathy’s face. “Yes, pain in my butt? You were saying?” Kathy retorted as she too started laughing at their antics. When they stopped laughing, Marge told Kathy, “When you started pointing out those items to Principal Stepel, I was afraid you were going to do like you did yesterday at the lawyer’s office. But you didn’t, and I’m very proud of you.” When Peter asked what happened at the lawyer’s office, Kathy meekly said, “Um, I sort of blew my top, again, when we heard what those parents wanted to do.” Kathy raised her hands when she saw both Marge and her Uncle were about to say something. “No, you both don’t have to worry about me today. I told mom I realized everyone has a right to express their opinion, whether I agree with it or not. If they get snotty, I’m going to thank them for their opinion and just walk off. I think that’ll sting more than me shouting at them. Don’t you think Uncle Peter? They won’t be expecting me to thank them and walk off.” Peter was nodding his head because of what Kathy said, and answered with, “It just might, Kathy. You’ll just have to wait and find out. Enough of our meeting, you two need to get to class.”

As the girls left Peter’s office, and said their goodbyes to Margot, they headed to first Kathy’s hall locker before going to Marge’s. And like Monday, when the other students were looking at them after the false rumor got started, the other students were again watching the girls as they walked down the hallway. Marge chuckled as she told Kathy, “They’re doing it again, Kathy. Just like they did on Monday.” Kathy smiled at Mage’s observation and told her, “Yeah, so I noticed. Are we the only ones in this school they’re fascinated with? I mean, isn’t there some he said she said going around with anyone else? Ya know, like the reason the head cheerleader dumped the Captain of the football team was due to him not wanting to get into her panties, when she wanted him too? Or something like that? Oh, well, I guess the best response to having the spotlight on us is, ‘this too shall pass.’” Marge laughed this time at Kathy’s mock attempt at drama, as she said the last part. Then Marge caused both girls to start laughing when she said, “Yeah, like passing gas in a crowded theater.” And Kathy egged the laughter on by the expression she gave the usually meek girl for what she just said. Their laughter died, though, when Kathy opened her hall locker and several sheets of paper fell to the floor.

Kathy stooped down and picked them up, giving a few to Marge. As they both read through them, one thing was clear, they were not everyone’s favorites. Kathy read one out loud to Marge which read: “When my parents are through with you, you won’t be so special anymore. We don’t need any fake girls at this school.” Then Marge read one out loud that read: “Someone should have fixed you long ago, so you can’t breed anymore queers.” Kathy read another one that got even nastier, which read: “Too bad Bakes didn’t get the chance to take care of you when he had the chance. But don’t worry, we will.”

Kathy didn’t take any books out of her hall locker, instead, she closed the locker door and told Marge, “Come on,” and led them to their science class. She stopped them in the doorway to the class and said out loud so everyone could hear, “Mrs. Stokes, Marge and I are going to see Principal Stepel. I just found threatening letters in my hall lockers. We may be late to class or not here at all.” She didn’t wait for a reply from Brigette, she simply took Marge’s hand, turned them around and headed to the school office.

Margot could tell the winds blew ill will, as she saw Kathy and Marge walk into the school office. When they reached Margot’s desk, Kathy said, “We need to see Principal Stepel. We’re being threatened.” Margot got up from her desk and bid the girls to follow her, as they walked down the short hallway to Peter’s office. She knocked on his office door, didn’t wait for a reply, as she opened the door and told Peter, “We have a situation against the girls.”

Peter had been talking with Tina, the school’s Vice Principal, when Margot had knocked on his office door and came into his office. Margot’s declaration got both of their attention and Peter simply waved Margot and the girls into his office. Neither Kathy or Marge said a word, they just laid the notes on Peter’s desk and found two chairs to sit in. Margot closed the door and stood there with her back to the door. Almost at the same time, both Peter and Tina said, “Aw, shit.” Then he told Margot to go call Robert and tell him he was needed right now. Then Peter got up from his chair, told the three ladies he’d be right back and left his office. A few moments later they heard his voice over the school PA system, announcing an assembly in the gym to start right after the second bell rang. And it was mandatory for everyone.

He came back into his office red in the face, then asked Tina to take all of the notes and make copies of them. When she came back with the copies, he took the originals from her then turned to Kathy and Marge, telling them, “I want you two to stay with Tina in her office. I’m going to have Robert station two of his men here in the school office. I’m going to do what I should have done the first time, and it isn’t going to be pretty.” Tina and the girls got up out of their chairs and walked out of Peter’s office, Peter was following them. As they reached Margot’s desk, Robert arrived, asking Peter, “What’s up boss?” Peter handed him the notes, and after reading them, got on his radio and told two of his men to report to the school office. Peter chuckled after Robert’s call, telling him, “I was going to ask you to get two men up here to watch the office while the girls are in with Tina.” It was Robert’s turn to chuckle, as he told Peter, “I was going to have two men shadow the girls the rest of the day of school.” They both laughed, then as two of Robert’s men showed up, Peter left them all to sort things out as he headed to the gym. And the ass chewing he should have given them the first time.

Peter was the last staff to arrive, and by the way he stormed into the gym, everyone could tell it was not going to be good. One of the AV boys held out the wireless microphone and Peter jerked it out of the boy’s hand. He walked out to center court of the basketball court, and started walking in a circle around the mascot painted on the floor. He held the hand ritten notes in his left hand. And as he started speaking, those who guessed things weren’t going to be good, got their confirmation.

“When that false rumor was flying around this school about what happened after last Friday’s dance, I wanted to rip every one of you a new one. I wanted to crawl down your throats for spreading such a vicious rumor. But I was talked out of doing so by a lot of people who were concerned how you would react. They told me if I did get angry with you, it could have the opposite effect.” He kept walking as he held up the hand full of handwritten notes. “Well, judging by what I’m holding in my hand, some of you didn’t get the message. Some of you know that there are parents of some students in this school who are opposing Walter Williams getting her name changed.” Peter stopped dead in his tracks when he heard, “Him, he isn’t a her.” Peter slowly turned towards where he heard the words and walked over to where it came from, and with a growl demanded, “Who just said that? WHO JUST SAID THAT?” As Peter watched, students started sliding to their left and right until one girl was sitting by herself. Peter turned to see Robert and yelled, “ROBERT. TAKE THIS GIRL TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE. PUT HER IN ONE OF THE CONFERENCE ROOMS AND HAVE ONE OF YOUR MEN STAND OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR TO THAT ROOM. THEN HAVE MARGOT CALL THE POLICE!” One of Robert’s men came over where Peter was standing and told the girl to, “Come with me, Miss.” Because the girl was so angry, she made the mistake of saying, “You just wait until my parents get through with him. He won’t be so special anymore!” Peter read the girl’s name from her school ID hung around her neck, quickly read through the handwritten notes he was holding, found the one he wanted, and wrote her name on that note.

A girl had stood up and called out, “Principal Stepel?” Peter looked around until he saw the standing girl and asked, “Yes. You have something you want to say?” The girl took a deep breath, then told Peter, “My parents are one of the parents involved in that suit. I tried to tell them they were wrong about Walter, um, I mean Kathy. That she wasn’t some boy trying to be a girl, but because of that accident in the science class, had transformed into a girl. They wouldn’t listen to me. I even tried to tell them it was going to turn out bad for them. They grounded me for the rest of the school year, because they think I lied to them.”

As Peter was watching the girl as she spoke, and when she finished speaking he heard, “We don’t want no queers in this school!” Peter turned towards where the voice came from but didn’t have to ask who said it, the students had already isolated the boy as they’d done the girl. “ROBERT, THAT BOY TOO. THE CONFERENCE ROOM AND A CALL TO HIS PARENTS.” Peter saw the boy’s name on his ID, shifted through the notes, found the one he wanted, wrote the boy’s name on it, and handed it to the security man who was escorting the boy to the office.

Peter walked back to center court and again started walking in a circle around the mascot painted on the court. He held the microphone up and asked, “Any more brave souls who want to confess they were the ones who put these other four notes into Kathy Williams’ hall locker?” The gym had an eerie silence to it, even when filled with the entire student body. “I’ve got four more notes in my hand. You four monsters haven’t the guts to take credit for your work? Come on, now. Crawl out from under your rocks and take credit for not being brave enough to tell Kathy to her face what you cowardly wrote on notes and stuffed into her hall locker. Because that’s all you are, cowards. And that’s all you’re ever going to be, cowards. And those of you who watched them stuff those notes into Kathy’s hall locker are no better for remaining silent. TO HELL WITH THE DAMN STUDENT CODE OF SILENCE. FOUR OF YOU HAVE THREATENED ANOTHER STUDENT. A STUDENT, WHO NO FAULT OF HER OWN, NOW FINDS HERSELF A GIRL INSTEAD OF THE BOY WHO STARTED HIS FRESHMAN YEAR AT THIS SCHOOL AND I WANT TO KNOW WHO THOSE OTHER FOUR STUDENTS ARE!!!!”

Peter had been walking the circle with his head down, but brought it up when he heard shuffling sounds coming from several places around the gym. What he saw were four individuals who had been isolated like the first girl and boy. This time Peter simply pointed at each individual and Robert knew what he wanted. As each student was told to go with a man on Robert’s team, Peter asked each one which note they wrote, writing their name on the note they pointed out. With all six out of the gym, he started his circle walk again. When he calmed down a bit he said, “I’m sure there are more of you who agree with those six, but chose to keep your opinions to yourselves. A wise move on your part because you will still be coming to school. But I would advise those of you whose parents are involved in the suit to stop Walter from changing her name to Kathy, and prevent her, a girl, for God’s sake, from coming to school dressed as a girl, to reconsider their position. Because as sure as I’m standing here, they are going to lose, and lose big. And after they lose, you can bank on it that the Williams will then come after your parents for Defamation of Character. And ask for a huge settlement, one that might have you moving into other accommodations. Ones much less grand than where you live now. You best take that to your parents and make them see reason. Because. They. Are. Going. To. Lose! One last thing people. If anything happens to Kathy and/or Marge, anything at all by any of you or anyone you know who doesn’t attend here, if any more notes appear in either girl’s lockers, someone better say something because otherwise, this whole school will go on a two week suspension. I will not tolerate any more threats against those two girls or anyone else in this school. If something happens and you see it happen you better let me know yesterday, last week, two years ago. Or all of you will have very poor grade averages come the end of school. And I don’t give a damn if you’re a straight ‘A’ student. You’re part of this student body, just like everyone else! Now, get out of here and back to whatever class you’d be in this time in the morning.”

And Peter kept circling the mascot, even after everyone had left. Or so he thought, until he heard a voice say, “Do you think that’s going to do any good?” It was Jenny, and she was worried about him because he just kept circling that mascot painted on the court. Peter stopped walking and looked up, “I have no idea. But it’ll stop those six. And hopefully any others will be able to convince their parents to pull out of that suit. Now I have to go and confront the parents of those home bread monsters, who are only parroting what they heard their parents say. Care to come along?” Jenny nodded her head and answered, “I think I better. If only to keep an eye on you. To make sure you don’t fly off the handle much like your niece can.” Peter nodded his head in agreement, then tossed his head towards one of the gym doors. Time to go face the dragons.

tbc
Chapter 19

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 19

When Peter and Jenny walked into the school office, it sounded like recess in grade school with all the shouting and yelling. Peter and Jenny tried to suppress chuckles as they heard Margot tell one man to shut his foul mouth or she and him were going to the little boys room where she’d wash his mouth out with soap. He seemed to get the message, because he found some other place to be at that moment. And when all of the parents saw Peter walk into the school office, they descended on him like buzzards who just found a carcass.

“What the hell are you playing, at Stepel?” One angry parent asked. Another yelled, “Who gave you the fucking right to keep my daughter a prisoner?” And the questions went on and on until an air horn sounded, held aloft by Margot. And she didn’t mince her words, as usual. “Now listen up, you whiny babies. Your precious monsters are here because they threatened another student, and that won’t be tolerated at this school. And all of you can give yourselves the credit for their behavior because they got it from you. Now, go down to that conference room, keep your damn mouths shut, and you’ll learn what you taught your children to do on your behalf.” And when the parents looked back at Peter, Robert and four of his team members were standing behind and around Peter. As everyone stared at him, he told them, “Well, you heard the lady people. MOVE. NOW!”

Peter’s entourage followed the throng of angry parents to the large conference, where they found not only the six students, but six police officers as well. All of the parents moved to stand behind their child, as they waited for Peter to explain himself. A few moments later Tina came into the room and gave each officer a copy of all the notes, then stood back and remained silent. Robert and one of his team was in the room and the other two were standing outside the closed door.

“Good, I see we’re all here, so let’s get started. Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Jordan. There you are, this is for you, the note your daughter wrote and stuffed into Kathy Williams hall locker. Mr. and Mrs. Borden, ah, there you are. And this note is for you, done by your son. Mrs. Burgman, ah, there you are. This was your son’s handiwork.” And so it went until each parent had a copy of the note their child had written and stuffed into Kathy’s hall locker. “Mr. and Mrs. Douglas, I’m particularly taken with your son’s writing: ‘Too bad Robert Bakes didn’t get a chance to take care of you. But don’t worry, we will.’ Did you two teach him that attitude, to hurt someone because they are different? For that matter,” and Peter looked around the room, “do any of you personally know Walter Williams, who now goes by Kathy Williams?” One woman spoke up and angrily said, “You mean that queer prancing around this school dressed as a girl. Yeah, I know him. What of it?” Peter just shook his head, and Jenny softly laid a hand on his arm. “Mrs. Burgman, did you hear about the accident Walter was involved in during his science class? Where shelves collapsed? Where glass bottles of various chemicals broke? Where Walter fell into all of that and was cut by the glass and contaminated by a variety of chemicals? And how those chemicals tampered with his DNA and transformed him into the girl she is today?”

When Patricia Burgman shook her head, Peter then asked, “Have any of you heard about that accident?” Several parents shook their heads, but it was Mrs. Douglas who said, “I heard about that accident, and how badly he was hurt. I even consulted several doctors who said it was impossible for him to change into a girl just because of a few chemicals. And we’re going to court to put a stop to all of this nonsense.” “Mrs. Douglas, call your Ob-Gyn and have her call Dr. Stomer over at General Hospital, and have them talk about Walter Williams. Then have your doctor call you back, and don’t be surprised by what you hear.” Mrs. Douglas became indignant as she said, “I’ll do no such thing. I wouldn’t believe anything a woman involved with a freak had to say. Doctor or not, she’d say anything she had to in order to keep a freak from getting what’s coming to him.”

“Ah, Principal Stepel, if I may,” the Sergeant police officer said. When Peter nodded his head, the officer continued. “Ladies and Gentleman, these six teens have committed a crime by what they’ve done. It may not seem like it to you parents, but it’s a crime nonetheless. We will be arresting all six and taking them down to the station for booking. My advice to all of you, get your lawyers and meet us there.” And the room erupted in bedlam, as parents began shouting this and that threat to the police, to Peter, to Tina, to the school board, that they’d go to the Governor if they had too. But it did no good, the six teens were arrested and taken out to the police cruisers. As each parent passed Peter, he heard the usual, “You haven’t heard the last of this. We’ll sue this entire school district.”

When the students had left with the police officers, and the last of the angry parents had left, Peter collapsed in a chair, and laid his head down on the table. Tina had gone back to her office and came back with Kathy and Marge, who sat down next to Peter. Kathy reached over and hugged her Uncle, telling him, “What do you always tell me, Uncle Peter? Hang in there, it will get better?” With his head still on the table, he asked Kathy in a muffled voice, “Damn, girl. Do you always have to throw my words back at me?” When he looked up at her, she saw the tears streaks down his cheeks. He then told her, “But thanks for reminding me.” And she pulled him into a tight hug.

Peter broke the hug and told the girls they’d best get to class, and asked Robert to have two of his team shadow the girls the rest of the day; one would watch each girl when they had different class sections. Jenny sat down beside him and asked, “Guess you didn’t like what you had to do, right?” Peter looked at her, shook his head and told her, “No, not one bit. But neither could I allow this to continue, and they had to know I wouldn’t. Jenny, is it enough to teach these kids just what we’re teaching them? Shouldn’t there be another class that teaches them how to think, to reason, to look beyond now and try and see possible consequences of their actions? If we don’t, who will? Will they learn those lessons when it’s too late and they’re standing before a Judge and Jury? Or they’ve gone through their second, third, or umptenth marriage? Or have been fired from their umptenth job? If not us, then who, Jenny? Who’s going to teach them these lessons if not us?”

Peter’s assembly had lasted until third period, which is where the girls separated and went into two different sections of the same English class, each girl’s shadow making sure they arrived safely then standing outside of the classroom. Like Monday, when there were bees in the classroom, when Kathy walked into her English class, there were bees there too. Until Mrs. Donna Baker shut the classroom door then called for silence.

Donna was much like Peter, in that she cared deeply for her students and the subject she taught. And as she was about to get into today’s lesson, a boy sitting third from the front and next to the classroom windows, raised his hand. “Yes, Charles?” Donna said, recognizing the boy. Charles stood up, turned to face Kathy and told her, “Um...Kathy, my parents are also part of that suit trying to stop you getting your name changed, and all the rest, like that girl said. I wanted you to know I tried, like that girl, to talk my parents out of doing it, told them I’d seen what happened and the changes you’ve gone through. My dad said I was a liar,” and he pointed to the bruise near his right eye, “and I got this from him because of what I told him. I wanted you to know, those of us whose parents are involved, we all tried to get them to see they were wrong, and it was going to cost them when they learned the truth as we watched it happen.” Charles thanked Donna for letting him speak and sat back down in his chair. As Donna looked around her classroom, she could see trying to proceed with the lesson she had planned would be useless, her student’s minds were on what happened in the impromptu assembly and what Peter had told them. “Alright, class. I can see that it would be a waste of time trying to get to today’s lesson, you all are still in that assembly in the gym we just had. So, let’s do something different, and maybe just as important. Let’s talk. You may say what’s on your mind without fear of retribution, or being admonished for what you say. I can see most of you have something to say, good or bad. Charles started us off, who’s next?”

Donna was surprised to see Kathy being the next to speak, as she told everyone in class, “Um, I’m really sorry for being the cause of all this. It wasn’t like I had much choice in the matter.” A girl sitting in the back of the class said, “Yeah, you had a choice. You could have told Mrs. Stokes you needed help getting that alcohol bottle, instead of trying to get it yourself.” The girl, Barbara Toner, was one of the students in Kathy’s science class, and it didn’t take a genius to see she was very upset. Kathy nodded her head in agreement, but asked Barbara, “How many times have you got something off a higher shelf, stood on a shelf to reach it? How many times have you had the shelf you were standing on break, or even consider it might break? You’re right, I should have asked Mrs. Stokes for help. But neither was I expecting those shelves to break as they did. And just so all of you know, all I ever wanted was to just be Walter, not Kathy. Just a boy.” Tears leaked out of her eyes, and she pulled a tissue out of her purse and wiped them away. Donna’s decision to let the students talk was the right decision, as everyone had something to say. And when the first bell rang, even Donna could see they were calmer than they had been at the start of class. Donna caught Kathy’s eye, then told her, “Hang in there, girl. It will get better.” Kathy laughed then told Donna, “Thanks Mrs. Baker. I’ve an Uncle who’s been saying that a lot lately.” Kathy was surprised when Donna then said, “You mean, Principal Stepel?” She then winked at Kathy and watched as she picked up a shadow as she left the classroom.

When the two girls got together after their English classes, they compared notes and found them to be the same. Neither class covered today’s lesson, both classes just talked. And so it would be throughout the rest of the day in their classes. Teachers seeing the futility of trying to cover their lessons and let the students talk, and seeing after class let out how much good it had done. More than one teacher decided they were going to take one day a week and just let their students talk. Let them say what they’ve kept bottled up and no one to share it with.

Nothing seemed special as Marge and Kathy walked hand in hand to the cafeteria. But that changed as they walked into the cafeteria. As they stood in line to get their food, other students were coming up to them and asking them to sit with them for lunch. All except one group of students who were sitting at a table off in the corner of the cafeteria. Since most of those asking the girls to sit with them were in basically the same area, Marge and Kathy decided to sit at the two empty chairs that were almost in the middle of all those who asked. They had to walk by the table in the corner to get around to the two vacant seats. And as they passed that table, they heard, “Sluts,” “Faggot,” “Queer,” “You just wait,” and a few other words before Kathy stopped, turned to face those students, and to the surprise of everyone who’d heard what they’d said, she told them, “Thank you for your opinions, though you’re wrong, but thank you anyway.” She then turned and continued to follow Marge to the seats they’d chosen. Many had seen it when Kathy was lit up, her temper and the tenacity with which she delivered her words. So it came as a shock when she calmly thanked those students and walked off. And by the looks on some of the faces of those who’d been mean to Kathy, they too were shocked that she didn’t stand her ground and give them hell.

The events of the previous day seemed to have fallen by the wayside, or those students harboring hate towards Kathy and Marge learned to keep their opinions to themselves, and not to act out, as teachers were once again able to present their lessons to their classes. Peter had contacted the school attorneys, and set up a meeting to discuss the ramifications to the school from the lawsuit against the Williams. The school attorneys had contacted Marshall and Marshall and asked if they could have copies of everything sent to them on the Williams case, explaining their reasons for asking.

When Peter and the school attorneys met, and Peter expressed his opinion about how the lawsuit would go, the attorneys agreed with him, telling him, “We consulted with several specialists and while none of them ever heard of a boy being transformed into a girl after being contaminated by those chemicals on the list, none could positively say that it was impossible. Highly unlikely, but not impossible. It would seem, Peter, Mr. Walter Williams was that one in a million person who could be affected by the chemicals on that list. Even those who looked at the images confirmed the internal structures were of a female. We agree with you, Peter. The lawsuit against the Williams will likely be found in favor of the Williams. And I wouldn’t want to be in those parents’ shoes when the Williams get through with them. And because of our beliefs, we don’t see any problems arising that will adversely affect the school, other than what has already happened. But, because we could get some moron for a judge, who would site with the parents, despite the overwhelming evidence against them, we have gone ahead and worked out a contingency plan just in case. And we’ll hold off talking about that for now.”

When their meeting concluded, Peter thanked them for taking the time to meet with him, and walked back to his office after seeing them out of the office. There was a soft knock on his closed office door, before it opened and a voice asked, “You okay, Peter?” Margot had walked back to Peter’s office, softly knocked and walked into his office. There, sitting in his chair, Margot saw Peter with his head down on his folded arms on the desk. He lifted his head, shook it, and replied, “Yeah, Margot, I’m okay. I just wish I knew how that lawsuit would turn out. Then I could figure out what we needed to do. Given the evidence that will be presented by Marshall and Marshall, I can’t see any outcome but a win for Terry and her family. But as our attorneys pointed out, if we get a bozo of a judge, one who feels like those parents, then all the evidence in the world won’t do us any good.” Margot caught the ‘we’ in Peter’s answer to her, and committed with, “Um...we, Peter? Why are we involved in this case?”

Margot had heard about the lawsuit brought by several parents, but not the particulars. Peter sighed then said, “If my sister’s family lose that lawsuit, Kathy won’t be able to get her name changed from Walter to Kathy, which won’t be a deal breaker. However, she will also not be able to come to school dressed as a girl, either. She won’t even be able to be treated as the girl she is. She will have to be treated as the boy those morons believe she is underneath her clothing.” Margot went wide-eyed hearing what would happen if the parents won their lawsuit. Then she saw a nasty grin form on Peter’s face as he told her, “You know, Margot. Maybe they need to attend a show and tell.” When Margot saw the feral look on Peter’s face she asked, “What do you mean, show and tell?” Then it clicked and she told Peter, “Oh, Peter, that might not be a good idea. Kathy is still having adjustment problems, and to have her undress in front of total strangers? Even if it’s only the women? That just might push her over an edge she might not come back from. Have you talked to your sister about this idea? Or mentioned it to the school attorneys? Or your sister’s attorneys? Peter, you better talk with all of those people before you take it to Kathy. Because if you take the idea to Kathy before talking it over with your sister, well, it was nice knowing you.”

Peter was nodding his head, agreeing with everything Margot told him. And she was right about Terry, she would kill him if he went to Kathy before talking it over with her. He made that mistake one day when they were both in middle school, and it took both of their parents to hold Terry down after Peter had decided to do something without consulting her. And he still had the scar on his right shoulder where she hit him with a metal lamp. He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed Terry’s number. “Hi, sis. I have an idea I’d like to discuss with you…”

When Peter didn’t melt after talking to his sister, Margot left his office and went back to her desk. The idea he had held merit, though it was actually up to Kathy if she’d be willing to follow through with Peter’s idea. Those parents thought there was a boy under the dresses and skirts Kathy was wearing? Maybe a show and tell for the women in those families would change a lot of minds.

With only a few days until their 9:00 A.M. Court hearing on Monday, Marge was very attentive to Kathy during the final few days. When asked, Kathy would declare she was okay, but her starting to get short with others told a different story. Thomas and Terry even talked, and Marge would be spending several hours Saturday and Sunday with Kathy at her home, even spending Sunday night at the Williams. By the time Sunday evening arrived, Kathy was like a caged Tiger, pacing her bedroom, or the living room, or up and down the hallway to her parent’s bedroom. She couldn’t sit still. She’d sit down for five or ten minutes then would be up pacing. Finally, Terry looked at Marge, threw her head towards Kathy’s bedroom, then pointed down to her groin. Marge understood Terry’s message, she only hoped Kathy would respond.

The girls didn’t come out of Kathy’s bedroom until two hours later, and Kathy looked much more relaxed than she had looked. She had a glow about her. And Marge didn’t look too bad either. And when it was time for Kathy to go to bed, a few hours later, she had little trouble falling asleep after another couple of hours under Marge’s tutelage.

Marge helped Kathy wake up Monday morning as she had helped her go to sleep the night before. Their time was shorter, since both had to get ready for the 9:00 a.m. Court hearing. But even that shorter time together was enough to help Kathy relax before they left for the hearing. After showering together, and a bit of play, they dressed and went down to breakfast. Terry and Shelby were already up and dressed, and Terry had placed simple items on the kitchen table for them to eat.

Peter had called to tell Terry he’d been advised not to attend the hearing, the school attorneys would take care of that chore. Dorothy and Thomas also called, telling Terry they’d be at the hearing for moral support. Marshall Sr. called to remind them of the time the hearing started, and not to let Kathy dress in anything flamboyant, they didn’t want her to appear any way but as a normal girl. It was 8:30 a.m. when Marge and the Williams left the Williams’ home for the fifteen minute drive to the Court House. Fifteen minutes that seemed to last forever, to Kathy. And fifteen minutes Marge used to try and keep Kathy calm. Marge also thought to herself if they should have brought rope so they could tie Kathy to a chair.

Marge wasn’t the only one who thought about Kathy’s reaction to what she might hear during the hearing. Everyone who knew her and her temper, hoped she’d be able to keep it together no matter what she heard. And so did Kathy.

Shelby pulled their car into the Courthouse parking lot, found a parking space near the back of the lot, took a deep breath, turned to Kathy and asked her, “Kathy? You are going to hear a lot of things said in the courtroom that may or may not be intended to get you riled up. Things said that may or may not be true. They’re going to keep referring to you as a boy, not the girl you are. They’re going to address you as Walter, which, technically, is still your legal name. They are going to try and make you out to be a queer, faggot, a sissy boy, and likely other names, saying this is an abomination and shouldn’t be allowed. That you shouldn’t be allowed to prance around school pretending to be a girl. And it won’t matter what we know, our doctors know, or how you now appear. You told us when you went back to school the other day, that you realized everyone has a right to their opinion, and that if someone got nasty with you, you’d thank them for their opinion and walk away. I’m asking you, right now, to do that in the courtroom. Let them say what they want. Let them call you anything they want. Let them think they’re dealing with a boy who wants to be a girl. Let them denigrate you all they want.”

Shelby saw Kathy was about to say something, and held up his hand to stop her. “No, let me finish. You know who you are, you know you’re a girl through and through. You know there is no way they can prove you’re a boy because anatomically, you’re not. Let them say anything derogatory about you they want, in that courtroom. Because anything they say will be recorded, and give us the ammunition we need to go after them for defamation of character. And sweetheart, your mom and I plan to go after them with all guns blazing. And all we ask is for you to grin and bear it. Silently thank them for their opinions and silently walk on. Do you think you can do that, for all of us?”

Kathy was silent after what her father told her and asked of her. Then she got a smirk on her face and told her father, “Daddy, after all you and mommy have done for me since all this started, for all Marge has done for me, and to me,” and Marge blushed a bit, tightening her grip on Kathy’s hand, “and doctors Taylor and Stomer, and Uncle Peter, I’d walk through hell to try and save anyone of you. Yeah, I can let those morons have their say, silently thank them and silently walk on. Besides, I want to see how much you and mommy take them to the cleaners for afterwards.”

Marge tightened her grip on Kathy’s hand, then took her other hand and sandwiched Kathy’s hand between hers. Terry cleared her throat and got a funny look on her face before saying, “Um, sweetheart. We should have talked last night about an idea Peter had, concerning how to prove to the old bitties you aren’t just a boy prancing around school, pretending to be a girl. He, ah, well,” Kathy just laughed and told her mom, “He thinks I should undress and show those old prunes my sleek new girl body, right? With its perky new breasts, slim waist, and lovely new vaginal opening?” Shelby must have swallowed wrong, because he started coughing when Kathy mentioned vaginal opening. The three women laughed, and Terry beat on his back, telling him, “Oh, honey, you know what that is, and what its made for. You’ve demonstrated that knowledge often enough. And delightfully so, I might add.” Shelby was now as red as a beet, and the three women were in fits of hysteria.

When Shelby’s normal coloring returned, and the women had stopped laughing, it was Kathy who told her mom and Marge, “Oh, gads, now we look a sight. We’ll need to fix our faces before going into court.” Then she got deadly serious, a look the three had seen all too often before she popped her cork. “Mom, if it takes me to undress before those prunes to prove I’m no longer a boy, then that’s what I’ll do. But don’t be surprised if I unload on them afterwards. It won’t be anything vile or vulgar. But they will know how stupid they are for doing all this in public, and on record, when they could have just come and talked with us. Yeah, mom and dad, I’ll keep my temper. I’ll let them have all the rope they need to hang themselves. And then we can sit down and discuss how we would like to remodel our house, after our lawyers take them to the cleaners.”

When Kathy finished talking, Marge, Shelby, and Terry were just looking at her. What she just said would have been how Walter would have handled past situations. He’d laugh after they happened, and move on. Never losing his temper because it happened to him. Both of her parents looked at each other, thinking the same thing, that Kathy was coming to terms with her now being a girl. Terry reached back and stroked Kathy’s right cheek, telling her, “I’m so proud of you and how you’ve handled this whole situation.” Then she told the three, “Let’s go knock ‘em dead, right after we girls fix our faces.” Three compacts suddenly appeared, as did three wipes. It didn’t take the three girls long to clean off the tear streaked makeup and to apply fresh makeup, before all four got out of Shelby’s car, and with Marge and Kathy holding hands, and Terry and Shelby holding hands, they strode to the Courthouse, went up the steps and into the building. Knowing that after today, they and their lawyers were going to be slightly richer people.

tbc
Chapter 20

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 20

When they entered the Courthouse, both Marshalls were waiting for them, as were the school attorneys. Everyone greeted each other before, with the Marshalls leading, headed to the Courtroom where their hearing was to be held. As they walked a woman came up to the group and asked if she could speak with the Marshalls and the other attorneys. The Marshalls knew the woman, Carol Backton, a lawyer in private practice with her partner Toni Sumer. “What is it, Carol?” Bret Sr. asked. “Bret, after Toni and I went over everything sent to us for this hearing, and asking those in the know, we tried our darndest to talk those folks out of this lawsuit. We told them they didn’t have a chance in hell of winning anything they sought. But they were adamant about going through with it, not believing they are going to lose. Toni and I are on your side, though we’ll have to put on the best case we can. I just wanted you to know there are no hard feelings between us on this one.” Bret Sr. took Carol’s offered hand, shook it, then told her, “Carol, there are never any hard feelings between our firm and yours. As long as it’s a good fight.” They both smiled at each other, before dropping hands and going towards the Courtroom.

They hadn’t gone more than a few feet more, when a woman stepped in front of Kathy and told her, “Well, well, looky here. Here’s that faggot queer who thinks he’s a girl. Well let me tell you something sissy boy, when we get through with you, you’re going to wish you’d never had a thought of trying to be a girl.” All four attorneys, Terry, Shelby, and Marge held their breaths, watching to see what Kathy would do.

Kathy didn’t shy away from the hateful look in the women’s eyes. She chuckled, got a big smile on her face, then told the woman, “I thank you for your opinion, but I think you’re going to learn something today you will find hard to believe. But true nonetheless. Have a good day.” Having said that, Kathy walked around the woman and continued heading to the Courtroom.

The group had almost reached the entrance to the Courtroom, when a big man stepped in front of Kathy and almost yelled, “If you were my son I’d beat the living hell out of you to knock that silly ass shitting idea of being a girl out of your head.” Conversation in that hallway stopped, and every head turned to look at Kathy as she started fully laughing. It was some minutes until she could stop long enough to tell the man, “Sir, there is no way I could ever be your son. It is no longer possible for me to be any man’s son. But thank you for your opinion.” As Kathy was about to step around the man, Terry saw the man start to bring his arm up and rushed to stand before him with fire in her eyes. Her breasts were pressed right into the man’s chest, as she growled at him, “If you want to walk out of this Courthouse with the same manly equipment you came in with, you best not raise that arm any higher. Or I WILL rip your equipment off your body and feed them to you.” Even though the man was a good foot taller than Terry, and several pounds heavier, the look in Terry’s eyes caused him to back up, turn away and go into the Courtroom. That was another exchange that hadn’t gone unnoticed by those in the hallway. Including all of the security cameras in that area.

The eight were finally able to enter the Courtroom without any further trouble, both Marshalls going up to the defendants table and the school attorneys sitting with the Williams family and Marge in the gallery. It wasn’t long before they heard, “All rise,” and stood up as the judge came into the Courtroom from her chambers. They then heard, “The honorable Judge Trudy Sharp proceeding.” Judge Sharp sat down, banged the gavel, then said, “You may be seated.” As they watched, the court clerk stood before the bench and read aloud, “Charles Templeton, et al. versus Walter Williams, case number 102562.” After he sat down, judge Sharp asked, “Is counsel for the plaintiffs ready?” After they said they were, she asked, “Is counsel for the defense ready?” And Marshall Sr. said, “Yes we are your honor.”

The Williams family and Marge were sitting directly behind the Marshalls. The two individuals, and many others of like mind, were sitting in one section of the gallery. Trudy had reviewed the case, even consulted her own specialists about some of the material in the case file. Even her own Ob-Gyn had looked at the images, and told her that she was looking at the images of a very healthy young girl. Every person she had consulted told her the same thing, this young girl was very healthy. And when she consulted a chemist friend she knew, after looking at the list of chemicals which had contaminated Walter’s body, she couldn’t believe the boy was still alive. When Trudy posed the main question to her, about transforming a boy into a girl, the woman could not give Trudy a definitive yes or no. There were just too many variables to take into consideration.

Trudy had always been of the mind that as long as a person wasn’t harming another person, they had a right to control their own body. And that included operations which changed the person’s gender. She’d had a few friends over the years that were transgendered and saw how much happier they were after their operation. But what the documents, medical reports, pictures and images showed, was not a boy who’d had an operation to change his gender, but a boy who had been transformed after being contaminated by a wide variety of chemicals. And she couldn’t understand how Charles Templeton, et al. couldn’t see that. After she read through all of the documents, and consulted others, she’d decided on trying to nip this whole thing in the bud.

“Will Counsels approach the bench,” she said, then waited until all four attorneys were standing before her. Trudy put her hand over the microphone on the bench, then addressed the lead attorney for the plaintiffs by saying, “Ms. Backton, have you talked with your people about all of this? Gone over everything you have about this case? And I don’t mean just a glancing blow, I mean covered everything in detail?”

Carol Backton was the lead attorney for the group of parents who were out to stop Walter from changing her name and going to school dressed as a girl. “Your honor,” she began, “I’ve talked to them until I’m blue in the face. My partner and I brought in specialists who went over everything and came to the same conclusions we have. And they told those parents that very thing. But, your honor, they will not drop the suit. They don’t believe what our specialists said or what we say. They simply do not believe the accident at the high school changed a boy into a girl. They are of the opinion he is still a boy who is trying to be a girl.” And that was the opening Marshall Sr. had hoped for.

Bret Sr. asked, “Your honor, may I confer with my client for a moment? I think we can shorten this hearing by several hours if I can have a few moments.” Trudy nodded her head, and Bret Sr. walked back to the defense table, walked around it and leaned over the rail to ask Kathy, “Did your mom speak to you and ‘show and tell?’” Terry and Shelby had leaned over to hear what Bret Sr. softly asked Kathy, and it was Terry who said, “We talked about it, but I left it up to Kathy to make the decision.” Kathy nodded her head at what her mom said, then told Bret Sr., “I have been thinking about it. Though I’m worried that if I do that, those old bittys will each have a heart attack.” There were chuckles all around, before Kathy said, “But yeah. Let’s go give those pricks a thrill.”

Bret Sr. walked back up to the bench and told judge Trudy, “Your honor, we have a solution that would shorten this hearing my hours. If you’d approve.” Both Trudy and Carol had puzzled looks on their faces, with Carol asking, “What’d you have in mind?” Bret Sr. smiled and told Trudy and Carol, “Show and Tell.” It was Trudy who caught on first and asked, “You mean, your client undresses and shows the plaintiffs the truth? All of the plaintiffs? The men too?” Bret Sr. shook his head and replied, “No, your honor, just the women. Have everyone assemble in your chambers. We show everyone Walter’s fingerprints, the ones on file with the high school and those taken when he was admitted to the hospital. And if they contest that, then Walter can give another set of fingerprints and they can bring in their own consultant to verify the prints. Of course that will take time, and maybe give them something more to think about so my client doesn’t have to undress in front of anyone.”

Carol and Trudy were nodding their heads at Bret Sr.’s idea. Then Trudy told the two attorneys, “They won’t have to find their own fingerprint consultant, we have a fingerprint man upstairs.” Trudy motioned to one of her bailiffs, who came over and heard, “Go upstairs and get, oh, what’s his name? The fingerprint guy. Tell him to bring his equipment to my chambers, pronto.” The bailiff nodded, then left the Courtroom. Trudy then had Carol and Bret Sr. step back, took her hand off of the microphone, and said, “I want to see all parties in this case in my chambers.” She banged her gavel, the clerk said, “All rise,” and everyone involved in the case followed Trudy into her chambers. Bret Sr. held the Williams family back to let the angry parents go first, he didn’t want any more incidents. He told Marge she’d have to stay in the gallery, but Terry told him it was best if she stayed with Kathy; she helped keep Kathy calm. Bret Sr. understood, and led the Williams family, Marge, and Bret Jr. into Trudy’s chambers.

Trudy had taken off her robe, hung it up and walked over to a small fridge to get a bottle of bottled water. She’d just sat down in the chair behind her desk when the first of the parents started walking into her chambers. She could tell it was going to be trying, when one of the men asked, “What the fuck are we doing here? Why aren’t you out their roasting that queer’s butt?” Trudy had just cracked the cap on the bottle of water when the man asked his questions. She sat the bottle of water on her desk and told the man, “Sir, you don’t not dictate what goes on in MY Courtroom. And you do NOT come into a judge’s chambers making any demands or use that type of language, unless you want to be a guest of our exquisite accommodations.” The man knew she meant jail, so backed up to try and hide himself in the crowd of other parents.

It got even nastier as the Williams family, and Marge, walked into Trudy’s chambers. “What the fuck is that sissy boy doing here?” One woman asked. Another said, “He should be taken out and fixed so he can’t breed any more queer perverts.” When Terry stepped in front of a man who started for Kathy, Trudy shouted, “ENOUGH. EVERYONE SHUT UP AND BACK UP!” Seeing the look on Trudy’s face caused all of the parents to move themselves to one side of Trudy’s chambers, while the defendants stood on the other side. There was a knock on the chamber’s door, and when it opened, the bailiff came in with a man carrying a case behind her. “Here he is, your honor,” she told Trudy.

The court reporter had set up his machine in a corner that kept him out of the way. He sat down, poised his fingers over the machine, and began pressing keys when Trudy started speaking. Trudy turned to face the still angry parents and told them, “I have reviewed everything about this case. I even consulted experts on a lot of the material for this case, and I have to tell you people, you’re a bunch of idiots. You don’t have a chance in hell of winning this case. I know your attorney will put on a good case, but after the defence calls expert after expert, you will lose. Now, there is a simpler way to handle this mess and that’s to show you copies of Walter’s fingerprints that are on file with the high school, that were taken at the hospital, and that will be taken here today. And if you still aren’t convinced Walter isn’t the young lady you see before you today, then all of you men will leave my chambers and you ladies will get to see Walter in the buff. What do you say, parents?”

Carol was standing with the parents, nodding her head at them. But even her encouragement wasn’t enough to prevent some of the husbands to say, “You’re not going to have that fairy undress before my wife. I’ll kick your fucking ass if you try it.” Trudy didn’t say a word, as the bailiff still in her chambers walked over to the man, told him he was under arrest for threatening a judge, handcuffed him and took him out of Trudy’s chambers. That caused several other husbands to abruptly close their mouths. Trudy saw the reaction and said, “A wise move, gentleman. Now mister fingerprint man, Tommy, oh gawd, I remembered your name. Now Tommy, if you would be so kind as to get Walter’s prints so we can compare them to the other prints we have, maybe we can get this case settled. And go home early.”

Tommy then asked for Walter to step forward, and watched as Kathy stepped over to him. He set up everything he’d need to take fingerprints, and when he was ready, instructed Kathy to, “Just relax your hand. Let me do the work, okay?” When he’d taken prints of both of Kathy’s hands, he handed her a wipe to clean the ink off her fingers. He then took the prints Trudy held out to him, laid all three out on her desk and began comparing the ones he just took with the ones Trudy handed him. One of the women was a bit impatient and angrily asked, “Well, is that the queer’s fingerprints or not?” Trudy looked at the woman and gave her a Judge’s look, which shut the woman right up. Those on the defense side just smiled, as the court reporter kept pressing the keys on his machine. After a few minutes Tommy looked at Trudy and told her, “All of the prints are a match. One hundred percent.” Trudy thanked him, told him he could go, and listened to the parents complain that prints don’t prove a damn thing. And it was the very thing they’d been leading up too.

When Trudy gave the parents the ‘look,’ they all shut up in a hurry. “People, we felt just fingerprints wouldn’t be enough to prove this young lady is indeed a young lady,” and she pointed to Kathy, “so I want all of you gentlemen to leave these chambers, you ladies stay. Mr. Court reporter, please get your replacement and have her come into my chambers.” All hell broke loose when Trudy told the men to leave. “I’m not going anywhere and leave my wife in a room with that faggot. Not today, not no time.” Another said, “What the fuck do we have to leave? I’m not going anywhere.” When the husbands got upset, Trudy’s bailiff had stepped out of her chambers. And when she returned, there were four other bailiffs with her, each holding two pairs of handcuffs. In a calm voice Trudy asked, “Well, gentlemen, what’s it going to be? Leave on your own or join your friend in our fine accommodations? Your choice.” The husbands quickly got quiet, and started walking out of Trudy’s chambers, followed by both Marshalls and Shelby. A woman now sat where the male court reporter had sat, fingers poised over the keys of the machine.

“Ladies, you’ve failed to believe what your attorneys have told you. You’ve failed to believe what the experts they brought in told you. Now you’re going to see for yourself that Walter Williams is no longer a male. And before you ask, no, he has not had any surgery. What you will see is the result of being exposed to chemicals during an accident in the supply room of the science class.” Terry and Marge both shook their heads as they saw not only the smirk on Kathy’s face but a feral look as well. And both palmed their faces as Kathy said, “Ladies, you might want to sit down for this.”

When all of the wives found a place to sit, Kathy reached behind her and pulled down the zipper of her dress, handing it to her mom. She stepped out of it and took off the slip she was wearing, also giving it to her mom. She was now standing before the wives in her panties and bra, and asked, “Ladies, I will undress further but am hoping you’ve seen enough.” One of the wives snarked, and said, “Bullsht, you’re wearing breast forms and have tucked your dick between your legs.” Kathy just laughed, as she reached behind her and unhooked the straps of her bra, giving it to Terry. She then used her hand to demonstrate to the woman that she wasn’t wearing breast forms, that her small breasts were real. Then, and Terry and Marge saw it, Kathy took her time pulling down her panties and sexually stepping out of them. Twirling them around one finger before handing them to her mom. And there she stood, completely naked before the wives, who were shocked by what they saw. The woman who accused Kathy of tucking her penis, came over and actually bent down and looked closely at Kathy’s groin. When she stood up, she said, “Oh holy shit. She is a girl.” One of the wives wasn’t as convinced and walked up to Kathy and started to touch Kathy’s groin, but had her hand grabbed by Kathy and told, “Sorry, you aren’t my type.” She gave Kathy a dirty look, and stomped back to the other women.

While Kathy stood naked before the wives, Trudy asked them, “Well, ladies. Convinced?” The woman who tried to touch Kathy’s groin, and two others, told Trudy it was all a hoax. That Walter was wearing something that made him look like other girls down there. Trudy just smiled at the women and asked, “Do any of you have a gynecologist you could call to come to the Courthouse? You could have Kathy examined by that gynecologist. Oh, and don’t forget to tell him, or her, why you want them to come to the court house.” Several of the women pulled out their cell phones and made the call. All but one were unable to come to the court house, and the one who would, would be there in about thirty minutes. Trudy told Kathy to get dressed, no sense of her standing around naked for thirty minutes. Trudy asked for the doctor’s name, then had her bailiff go to the foyer and wait for the doctor.

Thirty five minutes later there was a knock on Trudy’s chamber door, which opened and her female bailiff came in carrying a blanket and pillow, followed by a woman carrying a black bag. When the woman saw the assembled group, and one woman she knew, she asked that woman, “Paula, what’s going on? And why am I needed?” Paula’s spine was still stiff and pointed and said, “That fa…,” but never finished the word as Trudy gave her a Judge’s look. “That thing over there thinks it’s a girl, but it’s actually a boy underneath those clothes. We saw it naked, but its put on something so it hides its boy parts and fake breasts.” Seeing the smug look on Paula’s face made Terry want to walk over and slap the woman into last year.

“Ah, excuse me, but could you please address me, Doctor…?” Trudy said to the woman talking to Paula. “Oh, excuse me, your honor. I’m doctor Mary Tuner, Ob-Gyn. But why am I here?” Mary was very confused, why had she been asked to come to the Courthouse? Was there an emergency of some type? “Um, your honor. I’m rather confused. Is there a medical reason I’m here?” Mary asked, and Trudy nodded her head and asked Mary to sit down. When Mary was seated, Trudy explained the nature of the case, even giving her Trudy’s own case file. Everyone was quiet as Mary looked over everything in the folder Trudy gave her. Mary held some of the images up to the light, before looking at Trudy and asking, “Okay. All of this pertains to a normal teenage girl, about fourteen, I’d say. So, why am I here? Surely the doctors who examined this girl can help you better than I can?”

Trudy took a deep breath, then told Mary, “That’s part of the problem, doctor. You see, those ladies over there won’t believe their own eyes or listen to anyone connected with this case. They think everyone is in on trying to pull the wool over their eyes. You are here to give that young lady,” and Trudy pointed to the folder Mary was holding, “a complete gynecological exam.” When Mary looked over where Marge and Kathy were standing, Kathy raised her forearm and wiggled her fingers at the doctor. “Hi ya, doc. Those are my insides you’re looking at,” Kathy told the woman in a casual voice. Mary stared at Kathy for a long moment before asking, “And these photos of the boy with all the cuts. That’s you? And in the other photos? You as well?” Kathy nodded her head and simply said, “Yep, that’s me before now,” and ran a hand from her head down to her feet.

Mary turned her attention back to the photos, and found the one whe wanted. Then she said, “If you’re really the boy in these pictures, then you should have a cut, or scar, just below your right shoulder blade. Mind if I look?” Kathy turned her back to the doctor and told her, “Be my guest, doc.” Mary got up out of her chair, walked over to Kathy, pulled the zipper of the dress down far enough to expose Kathy’s shoulder blades, and without difficulty, saw the still pink scar just below Kathy’s right shoulder blade. She zipped up Kathy’s dress, then returned to her chair, returning to the folder and the reports from Drs. Taylor and Stomer. She then turned to Paula and asked, “So you think all this is a hoax? That there’s a boy under those clothes? Because I have to tell you, after examining these documents, that young lady is no longer a boy. But a girl in every way.” Paula started to say something nasty, but one look from Trudy and she snapped her mouth shut.

Trudy got Mary’s attention by saying, “Doctor Tuner. You can use the conference table over there,” and Trudy pointed to the far end of her chambers. “I had my bailiff bring a blanket and pillow so Walter doesn’t have to lay directly on the surface of the table. Doctor, I’m trying to help these, um, ladies over there, see they are not going to win the lawsuit they’ve brought before this Court. And they won’t be satisfied until someone not involved in this case proves, or disproves, what they believe. So, will you help us?” Mary turned to Kathy and said, “Get up on that table, young lady.”

The chairs were pulled away from the conference table, as Kathy once again got completely undressed. The bailiff spread the blanket over the surface of the table and laid the pillow where she thought Kathy’s head would lay. Mary had sat her bag down on the right side of the table, opened it before going to the sink in the chambers and washing her hands. When she came back to the conference table, she pulled out a pair of disposable gloves and put them on. She then took out a towel, placed it on the conference table, and then a speculum and set it on the towel. When Kathy saw the speculum she asked, “Um, doc? Have you warmed that thing yet? It was quite a shock during my first ever exam because it was so cold.” Mary chuckled and told Kathy, “I’m afraid not. At least for your second exam you’ll know what’s coming.” When Mary was ready she instructed Kathy to get up on the conference table, with her feet facing her. She had Kathy just lie on the table, legs straight, and arms at her side. And Mary proceeded to give Kathy as complete an exam as she could given the circumstances.

When Mary had finished her preliminary physical exam, she had Kathy move up so her butt was at the edge of the conference table. With Terry and Marge acting as stirrups, Mary then proceed to give Kathy an internal exam. Kathy’s “geez that’s cold” caused Terry and Marge to laugh, but did nothing to warm the speculum. When Mary was finished, she told Kathy, “You can get dressed now, dear. I’m all through.”

As Terry and Marge helped Kathy get off the conference table, and Mary wrapped the speculum in the towel, put it into her bag, then went and washed her hands, Paula couldn’t remain quiet any longer. “See, what did I tell you, Mary. That faggot has something on him to hide his dick and balls. See, didn’t I tell you?” As Mary washed her hands, she started shaking her head. “Ahh, sorry to burst your bubble, Paula. But that young lady IS a young lady. She has a vagina, a curvex, a uterus, and the other two organs necessary to have children. In short, Paula, she is a girl.” Mary turned off the water, dried her hands, then walked back over to sit in the chair before Trudy’s desk. “Your honor, that person right there,” and she pointed to Kathy, “is one hundred percent female. Her breasts are real, not fake. Her vigina is real, not some appliance. And there’s not a chance that what I observed inside her is fake. So, Paula,” Mary said, as she turned to face Paula, “still think she’s a boy underneath those clothes? Because if I’m called to testify I’ll tell out there what I’m telling you in here.” Then Mary turned to Kathy and said, “Young lady, be very careful, because it doesn’t look like you’d have any trouble getting pregnant.” There was a screech before Paula and the other six ladies stormed out of Trudy’s chambers, with Carol trying to catch up with them. When Kathy was dressed, Trudy told her bailiff to let the Marshalls back into the chambers. She had a feeling they’d have a few questions for Mary. And they did, which confirmed what everyone had been telling the parents who brought the lawsuit.

After a few minutes there was a knock on the chamber door. When the bailiff opened it, Carol walked in with both an angry and frustrated look on her face. All she said was, “Those damn fools still don’t believe Walter is now a girl.”

Trudy had tried to be patient with everyone. Meeting in her chambers was out of the ordinary, but not illegal. She even agreed to have their own Ob-Gyn doctor examine Kathy, but now she’d had enough of their foolishness. She looked at her bailiff and said, “Bring those stupid people back in here. It’s time they learn what they’re facing when they lose this case.” She then looked at Bret Sr. and asked, “Are your other documents prepared?” Bret Sr. had a predatory smile on his face when he answered, “They are your honor. And have been since this case began.” Nodding her head, Trudy said, “Good. Let’s show those fools a bit of reality, shall we?”

tbc
Chapter 21

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 21

Paula’s husband was the first through the chamber door. And when he saw Mary he angrily said, “Oh, so they’ve got you on their side now. How the fuck could you join them against us?” Chuckles could be heard as Trudy’s bailiff reached up and grabbed the man’s ear, pulling her toward her and telling him, “If I remember correctly, you were told to watch your language. So, keep a civil tongue in your mouth.”

When everyone was in the chambers, Trudy said, “Ladies and gentleman, we have had a doctor of your choice examine Walter, who now goes by Kathy, and YOUR doctor has told us that Walter is no longer a boy. But is in every way a girl, and quite capable of conceiving should she choose to do so one day. Now, Bret Marshall Sr. is going to speak with you for a bit, and explain what WILL happen when you lose this case. Bret…” Bet Jr. then took out six sets of papers and handed one to each couple. It became real quiet as page after page was turned, until the last page when the language ban was broken.

First it was Paula’s husband. “What the fucking hell? You can’t sue us for defamation of character. Who the fuck did we defame?” Then another cried, “Holy hell, how the fuck are we going to afford 200 million dollars?” And another, “You’re fucking with us, right? Hoping we’ll drop this fucking case, right? We are not dropping this fucking case. That faggot queer will not be going to our high school.” And the court reporter happily punched away at the keys on her machine.

Bret Sr. really played it up, as he said, “Oh, my, I’m afraid you misunderstand, sir. YOU won’t be paying the 200 million dollars yourself. It will come from all of you, together. Each of you involved in the lawsuit will have to pay your share of the 200 million dollars to the Williams family. You people have refused to believe the evidence put before you by not one but three doctors. You have caused problems not only for this Court but at a high school that is not yours alone. I assure you, we will collect the entire 200 million dollars from you as a group. And no Applet Court will go against us when they see the evidence we have.”

Trudy had seen some pig headed people in her time, but these twelve people took the cake. First they saw the documents, photos and images, and still think Walter is a boy in a dress. Then the women get to see Walter completely naked, she is examined by one of their Ob-Gyns, and they still refuse to believe what their own eyes tell them. She felt it was time to step in and explain more to them.

Trudy turned her attention to the still angry parents and told them, “I find all of you a remarkable group. There is a court reporter here in my chambers, recording everything said, and you continue denigrating Walter Williams. You are, all on your own, making Mr. Marshall’s case for him. You ladies. You’ve seen Walter naked, you’ve seen she wears no special apparatuses to make herself look like a girl, even calling in one of your own Ob-Gyns to examine her. And despite being told she is all girl, you simply refuse to believe. You are all simply remarkable pig headed fools, who deserve everything you’re going to get when Marshall and Marshall take you to court. Because there is ample evidence to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Walter is female, I’m summarily ruling for the defendants. This case is closed. Mr. Marshall, it’s all yours now.”

Twelve pairs of eyes stared at Trudy in shock, as their mouths fell open upon hearing her ruling. And when Trudy’s words finally registered, all hell broke loose. There were threats against Trudy, which was the wrong thing to do, as the husband who made the threat suddenly found himself in handcuffs and taken out of Trudy’s chambers. Others made threats to take this to a higher court, with Trudy explaining the result of doing that. Others made direct threats to the Williams family, which again resulted in handcuffs and removal from Trudy’s chambers.

When those parents left in Trudy’s chambers had quieted down a bit, Bret Sr. went to work. “You three ladies, and you three gentlemen, I propose to you the following settlement. As my son has researched everything there is about all twelve of you, we know my proposal isn’t going to hurt any of you. Each family involved in this lawsuit will pay my clients ten million dollars, payable immediately. Should we find it necessary to take all of you to court, we will ask for the original two hundred million dollars, plus the needed amount to cover our firms’ fees.” Bret Sr. could see their faces going from white to pink to red, so he held up his hand to forestall any replies until he was finished talking.

“Before any of you speak, and get in deeper than you are already, let me assure you that all of you have the needed capital on hand to pay my clients without any problems, as I already said. Our firm also knows about the separate accounts your husbands have and what’s in each of those accounts, which is a drop in the bucket of what we’re asking in payment.” The husbands still in Trudy’s chambers with their wives all got disgusting looks from their wives. And the wives whose husbands were taken away, because so enraged they were speechless. And the husbands still in Trudy’s chambers knew the other wives would tell their wives about their separate accounts.

Everyone on the defendants side, including the court reporter and Trudy, had to school themselves severely in order not to laugh at the way the wives were acting towards their husband or saying what they were going to do when they saw their husbands. Then Bret Sr. dropped the bomb, by telling them, “I will expect to have your certified checks in my hand by one this afternoon. If I don’t have your checks, all of your checks, by one this afternoon, then my firm will see all of you in court.” And the rush was on. Husbands asked how they could see their wives. Wives asked how to see their husbands. And the husbands and wives still together, were still giving each other what for, with the wives promising something about taking their husbands to the cleaners. Trudy’s bailiff took the herd out of Trudy’s chambers and down to the holding cells, once again bringing silence to Trudy’s chambers. Since their business was concluded, Trudy dismissed the court reporter, asking the Marshalls and Williams family, and Marge to remain.

Trudy got up out of her chair, asking if anyone wanted something to drink. When she heard water from everyone, she motioned them to help themselves as she’d opened the small fridge in her chambers. When everyone had quenched their thirst, she had everyone sit down around the conference table. “Now, providing those boneheads pay what they owe, I don’t see any reason why I can’t hear the petition for Walter to change her name this afternoon about two. Katherine Elizabeth is so much more fitting for such a beautiful young girl.” And Trudy looked directly at Kathy and told her, “And don’t you let anyone tell you differently, young lady. You got that?” Kathy smiled, then nodded her head, blushing as she did so. Trudy saw the time, 11:30 a.m., and told the group they should go get lunch while they wait to get paid. And if all went well, she’d know about it and then would see them again at two that afternoon. She still had to deal with those parents who’d caused problems; perhaps a hefty fine would ring their bells some.

As the Marshalls, Williams family, and Marge were eating lunch at a nearby cafe, Bret Sr.’s cell phone rang. When he answered it, it was a Court employee, informing him that six families were waiting for him at the Courthouse. He told the others to continue eating, excused himself, and walked the one block to the Courthouse. When he arrived, he was shown into a conference room where the parents waited. Also there was a Court employee who would record the transaction so there was a record of the payments having been made. He also saw several husbands with red handprints on their faces, no doubt created by their angry wives. As their names were called, each handed Bret Sr. a certified check for the ten million dollars stipulated in the settlement, with each transaction being recorded. As soon as that was done, the wives, to a one, got on their cell phones and started giving orders, orders Bret Sr. didn’t hear as he left just as he heard the name of several lawyers he knew. He didn’t go back to the cafe, but phoned his son to give him the good news, and to have everyone meet at their offices; they’d have time to return to the Courthouse by two that afternoon.

Bret Sr. wasn’t about to carry sixty million dollars worth of certified checks on his person longer than he needed to arrive at their firm and place the checks in the vault. After he had done that, and everyone else arrived, they got to work getting the files ready in order to petition the Court for Walter’s name change, saying they’d come back to the offices and discuss what their fee would be and give the Williams family advice as to what to do with the money. Bret Sr. was one who believed it wasn’t necessary to give the Governments all of their winnings. And he and Bret Jr. could provide excellent advice on investing it right off.

At 1:50 p.m. the Williams family, Marge, and both Marshalls walked into the Courthouse. At 2:30 p.m. Terry, Shelby, Marge, Bret Marshall Sr., and Bret Marshal Jr. walked out of the Courthouse. Along with one Katherine Elizabeth Williams, the girl whose name was suggested by the young woman whose hand she was now holding as they walked to the Courthouse parking lot.

They returned to the offices of Marshall and Marshall, where Bret Jr. began the process of getting the name on Walter’s other documents changed. As the Williams family, Marge, and Bret Sr. were sitting in his office, he told them, “We shouldn’t have any trouble getting Walter’s name changed on the other documents, now that Walter’s name has been legally changed. I do see, however, a problem when it comes to getting the name, and gender, changed on the birth certificate, given the less than intelligent people we dealt with the first time. Junior and I may have to talk to their supervisor and slowly explain all of the evidence we have that proves Walter is now a girl, whose legal name is now Katherine Elizabeth Williams. And if their supervisor is as slow as those we dealt with, or balks at making the changes, we’ll have to take them to court. And Kathy,” Bret Sr. turned his attention to Kathy, “if we have to take them to court, hopefully we won’t need you there to prove who you are. But if we need you, we’ll let you know. And if they act like those parents did, we’ll have to jump through the same hoops to prove you were Walter the boy, who now is Kathy the girl because of the accident. And,” and he hesitated before saying, “we may even have to do another show and tell. Even another Ob-Gyn exam in front of them.”

All eyes turned to watch Kathy, to see how she’d react after what Bret Sr. just told her. She pursed her lips, shook her head, took a breath and told him, “Mr. Marshall. If those people are as dumb as those parents, a show and tell may not even convince them. However, if it’s necessary to put on our circus act again, then count me in. I’ll even suffer another cold speculum if it proves our point. Or…” It was Terry who knew what Kathy was going to say next and interrupted her with, “Oh no you won’t, young lady. And don’t even say it.” Kathy and Marge giggled, Shelby and Bret Sr. just looked at Terry with puzzled looks. Seeing the looks on her husband’s and Bret Sr.’s faces, Terry looked to the ceiling, closed her eyes, shook her head, then looked at the two men before telling them, “Kathy was going to suggest if those people didn’t believe all the evidence we have, then they could have sex with her and would then know she was a real girl.” Shelby facepalmed himself, while Bret Sr. chuckled, saying, “Oh that would indeed prove you are the young lady we know you are. But may also get them in trouble with the law, since you are a minor. No, we won’t do anything as drastic as that, Kathy. But if we do go to court, I think there’s a certain Judge who could explain what they will be facing. And that we will likely seek damages because of their ill will towards you, Miss Williams. But let’s not jump on that horse just yet. Let’s see what roadblocks my son runs into first, then make our plans. Okay, everyone?”

Once it was understood they would wait on Bret Jr., they started discussing Marshall and Marshall’s fee for handling their case. Bret Sr. never got the chance to suggest an amount when Shelby asked, “Bret, would fifteen percent of the settlement be a fair amount for all the work you’ve done and are doing?” Bret Sr. raised his eyebrows at hearing the sum proposed by Shelby, and told him, “Well, Shelby, it is a fair amount but perhaps a bit more than we were prepared to ask for. You have been good clients over the years, and we wanted to keep you as clients, so didn’t want to take advantage of your sudden windfall.” When Bret Sr. proposed a lower percentage, Shelby shook his head and declared it was too low for all the work they are doing for his family. In the end, though somewhat reluctant, Bret Sr. agreed to the percentage proposed by Shelby. After the firm’s fee was settled, Bret Sr. started talking about how to deal with their settlement, and avoid paying the Governments a substantial amount of their settlement.

There was a knock on Bret Sr.’s door, before it opened and Junior walked in. “Ah, son, I was about to call and have you join us,” Bret Sr. told his son, as they all noticed the smile on Junior’s face. “I have some great news, dad, that’s why I came. It seems we have fulfilled this State’s requirement for getting Kathy’s birth certificate amended. We have already attended a Court hearing which granted our petition for Walter’s name to be changed, so all we have to do is fill out the necessary papers, submit them and within a few days a new birth certificate will be issued. So, what did you want to see me about, dad?” Their fear of a Court battle to get Kathy’s birth certificate changed was now behind them, so Bret Sr. explained to his son the need to invest the settlement so the Governments wouldn’t take the lion’s share right off the bat.

Then it was Shelby who said, “Bret Jr., at the firm I’m partnered with, we have set up several investments, including a trust for each of us for our retirement. What I’d like is to not only set up strong investments but two trust funds, one for Kathy and one for Marge, for them to use if/when they attend College/University or whatever endeavor they pursue. If they attend College/University, it will be used to pay for tuition, books, fees, room and board, meals, and any other essentials. But with stipulations, such as keeping their grades up, that sort of thing. And if they pursue another endeavor, then it will be used as seed money to start the endeavor and pay for all necessary items needed for that endeavor. Plus to keep it running until it stands on its own. At our firm, our Trust Funds are invested, with the interest going back into the Trust. With both girls now fourteen, and four more years before it will be needed, if what I’ve seen our’s do, their Trust Funds should be substantial by the time it’s needed. And, with a provision to revisit the use of those Trust Funds should it be necessary.”

“Mr. Williams, I can’t possibly allow you to do all that for me. I think my parents would object even more than me,” a shocked Marge said after hearing what Shelby wanted to do. Shelby got up out of his chair, walked over where Marge was sitting, knelt before her, took her hands in his, and told her, “Marge. You have been Walter’s friend since you both started school, though he didn’t know it at the time. You have stood by him when all this happened and are standing by Kathy now. And, dear child, I may be considered old by kids your age, but I’m not blind. I can see how much you loved Walter, and how that hasn’t changed now that he is Kathy. And the love you both share isn’t some hormone driven desire with both of you, it’s a real love. It’s a love that weathers storms that come along. It’s a love that lasts no matter what others might say. You are Kathy’s life partner, just as she is yours. And you both deserve something that will help you get off to a wonderful start when it comes time to start your lives together in the real world. And yes, your parents might object, but I think only a little bit after they hear why I’m doing it. Besides, consider this a very early wedding gift. Your parents will, I think.”

When Shelby mentioned marriage, there were tears in both girls’ eyes, as they each reached into their purses and pulled out small boxes. Marge opened the small box she was holding and showed it to Shelby, saying, “Kathy gave this to me a few days ago, I just gave her one. We were afraid to wear them, thinking others might get upset by our pledging ourselves to each other.” As tears flowed down Marge’s cheeks, Shelby took the promise ring out of the box, took Marge’s left hand, and placed the ring on her ring finger. He then went to Kathy and did the same, telling both girls, “It’s not your problem if others don’t like what they see on your fingers, it’s their problem. Wear those rings proudly, knowing one day you’ll give each other real engagement rings. And Marge, unless your parents are blind, they already know you and Kathy are going to live your lives together someday.” Kathy reached out her right hand towards Marge. Marge extended her left hand, and the two held hands throughout the rest of the meeting with the Marshalls.

Shelby sat back down in the chair next to Terry, she reached over and took his hand, smiling at him with that smile which told him she was going to give him the ride of his life later.

As Bret Jr. stood up from his chair, Shelby made one more want known. “Bret Jr., one other thing. I would also like you to consider setting up monthly payments that aren’t hair raising, but enough to slowly build up savings accounts over the next four years. I’d also like you to take five million and find five of the most worthy organizations that would benefit from a one million dollar donation; filed with the IRS but with a provision they keep the donation quiet.” Terry gave Shelby another smile which told him he might be very sore when she was finished with him later that night.

Junior excused himself, left his dad’s office and returned a short time later, carrying several pamphlets with him. He then started explaining the different options they could choose from in order to invest their money and the different payout methods that would be taxed when the payouts occurred. He told them about the pros and cons of each one, and that going one route with one could be less risky than going another way with another option. He even showed them one option which offered insurance so that they’d be paid their entire principle should all of their investments tank. Choosing this option allowed their guaranteed payout, in case of a complete loss of their initial investment, to increase when their investments increased. That would then become the new guaranteed payout in case of a complete loss of their investment. He also explained the maximum amount that could be invested in any one plan, so they’d likely end up with 30-60 separate accounts if they decided to go with that option. He also explained the fee Marshall and Marshall charged for handling investment accounts, which they would charge for handling all of the Williams’ accounts.

Shelby had dealt with investing at his firm, since they needed to do something with much of the money they earned from their clients. He pointed out the investments his firm engaged in and that they returned a steady rate of return so far. The returns weren’t huge, but they were steady. He told Junior that he wasn’t completely at ease putting all their money into one option, but felt it better to split it into two or three different plans. That way if one died, they’d still have the others to work with. Once it was decided the plans, and how much would go into each plan, there was nothing more they could do until the paperwork was started and investments selected. Before the Williams family and Marge left the offices of Marshall and Marshall, both Junior and Senior cautioned them about the sudden onrush of hands coming their way. It would soon be public knowledge about the amount of the settlement they received, and they’d soon have every charity from the sun to the moon asking for money. They also might find out they had more relatives than what was actually in their family trees. When this started happening, they were instructed to tell these people to contact Marshall and Marshall and they’d deal with these people. Gladly.

Handshakes were exchanged and the Williams family and Marge left the offices of Marshall and Marshall. Once they were in Shelby’s car he asked, “Is anyone as hungry as I am? I also think we should celebrate our new daughter’s name change and our victory over a bunch of idiots. And I think maybe it might be a good time to talk with your parents, Marge. So why don’t we go to your house and invite them along for our celebration?” Neither Terry or Shelby heard anything from the back seat, in answer to his question. When they turned to find out why it was quiet, they saw Marge and Kathy exploring each other’s mouths. Terry smirked and gave Shelby an eyebrow, before saying, “OH MY GAWD! THERE’S A SNAKE IN THE CAR!” Terry didn’t know about Marge, but Kathy was not a fan of snakes, and reacted like Terry thought she would, she screamed. When Terry and Shelby started laughing, a visibly upset Kathy told them, “Not funny.” Shelby was still laughing as he told the girls what he’d asked them, getting a yes from Marge.

When they arrived at Marge’s home, there was a strange car parked on the street in front of her house. “I wonder who that is?” Marge asked, as Shelby pulled his car into the Markman’s driveway. The four got out of Shelby’s car, started walking up the walkway to the front door, and were halfway to the front door when it opened and Thomas stepped outside. “Shelby, Terry, there are some people here looking for Walter,” Thomas said, causing Shelby and Terry to wonder who’d be looking for Walter, which was no longer possible.

Thomas led the way into his home, and as Terry and Shelby entered after Thomas, they heard, “Mr. and Mrs. Williams? I’m Eileen Foster, and this is Joel Dunker. We’re from CPS and are looking for Walter Williams. We were told if you were not at your house, you’d likely be here. We have a complaint that you and your wife have been sexually abusing your son, forcing him to dress and live as a young girl. We’re here to take custody of him. The two of you will be summoned to Court in order to face the charges against you. If you do not surrender your son, I will be forced to call the police and have the two of you arrested. Now, where is your son.”

The response Eileen and Joel were expecting didn’t happen, but they were puzzled as first Kathy started laughing, followed by Marge, then Terry and Shelby. Shelby got control of himself a bit, pulled out his phone, dialed a number, spoke to a person, giving that person the Markman’s address, cut the connection, and began laughing again. When Thomas gave Shelby a questioning look, Shelby nodded his head. When Shelby stopped laughing a bit, he told Thomas, “They’re looking for Walter.” It then dawned on Thomas what Shelby meant, and why he had nodded his head, Walter no longer existed. Walter’s name had been changed. He told Dorothy what was going on, and they both started laughing along with everyone but Eileen and Joel. Laughter could still be heard ten minutes later when the Markman’s doorbell rang. When Thomas opened the door, he stood face to face with Bret, Sr. and Bret, Jr. Marshall.

Eileen had tried to get things under control, telling Shelby and Terry if they didn’t produce their son, they would be arrested for violating a Court order. Instead of causing Shelby and Terry to fear being arrested, they simply started laughing again. Harder this time. When Terry and Shelby saw the Marshalls arrive, they were able to stop laughing, telling the two why “these two” were here. By now everyone had stopped laughing, and Bret, Sr., asking Thomas if he could use the dining room table, asked Eileen and Joel to sit down and read through all of the documents they brought with them. Bret, Sr. saved the best for last, as he produced the Court decree that Walter Williams was now and forever known as Katherine Elizabeth Williams, female.

Eileen threw the Court decree back into Bret, Sr.’s face, telling him, “I don’t give a damn what some fake piece of paper says. You will produce Walter Williams or all of you will be arrested.” Then Bret, Sr. got a nasty look on his face, as he asked Eileen and Jeol, “Miss Foster, can you and Mr. Dunker and your department stand to lose a 200 million dollar lawsuit? Can the two of you stand to lose your jobs and have to pay the rest of your lives your part of that 200 million dollars? Because that’s what you and your department will face if you take this any further. By the way, where is your paperwork? I don’t believe you bothered to show it to us. Oh, and just one moment.” Bret, Sr. then went to the front door, waved his hand, and in a few moments, their secretary came walking into the house. Terry had an idea what Bret, Sr. was going to do and beat him to the punch by grabbing Eileen’s hand and telling her, “Come with me, dearie. It’s time you see the truth.” And with that, Terry pulling Eileen with her, Dorothy, Marge, Kathy, and the Marshall’s secretary went back to Dorothy’s bedroom. And all the men heard, before the bedroom door closed, was, okay girl, strip. Joel started to get out of the chair he was sitting in, but Thomas held him down, telling him, “Terry was telling her daughter to strip. Not Eileen.”

What none of the men heard was Terry telling Eileen the story of how Walter was now Kathy, a complete girl, inside and out. They also didn’t hear Terry relate the Court battle they had in the morning with parents who didn’t believe Walter had been transformed into a girl. Terry told of the doctors who certified she was a girl. Of the parents’ own Ob-Gyn who certified Kathy was now all girl. And it was only when Judge Trudy Sharp gave a summarily decision, and the threat of a 200 million dollar lawsuit, that settled everything. Or that Terry made it explicitly clear it was the same lawsuit Eileen and her department were facing if they didn’t see reason, given all the evidence presented to them.

When the bedroom door opened, and the six women came out into the dining room, Shelby told Terry, “Gina instituted this whole thing. My dumb ass sister.” Terry did her look to the ceiling, shake her head, roll her eyes, then said, “It could only be her. She has her head so far up where the sun don’t shine, I’m surprised she hasn’t flushed it down the toilet.” Shelby pulled out his cell phone, dialed his sister’s number, and when she answered, said, “Hey, sis, it’s me, Shelby. How’s it on the nut farm? Just called to tell you to get a real good lawyer, cause you’re going to need it. Oh, and tell that jackass of a husband you have to figure out how he’s going to pay us 100 thousand dollars,” and Bret, Sr. held up two fingers, “um, make that 200 thousand dollars for all the crap you’ve caused by sicking the CPS on us. We’ll see you two morons in Court.” And he hung up.

The minute Shelby hung up, Joel asked Eileen, “Well? What’d you discover? Is that young lady really Walter Williams or not?” Eileen was shaking her head, telling Joel, “Joel. The evidence is on the table before you. Walter Williams no longer exists. What you and I read in all of those reports is true, Walter Williams was transformed into Kathy Williams. She is every bit the young lady we see before us.” Eileen caught what Joel said, but he said it so softly only ‘Gina’ was heard. It was Shelby who voiced, “So, it seems Gina is in hot water with more than just us.” Joel started nodding his head, as he told Shelby, “That she is, Mr. Williams. She’s in big trouble for filing a false report. I hope she takes your advice and finds herself a good lawyer. She’ll need it.”

Eileen and Joel made their apologies, and Bret, Sr. promised to messenger them copies of everything they had, and when the Marshalls and Eileen and Joel had left, it was Marge who said, “Mom, dad, we have to talk. But we came to ask if you’d like to go out to dinner with us?” And she waved her left hand in front of her mom and dad. Then Kathy waved her left hand in front of Thomas and Dorothy. Both frowned for a few moments before they realized what the rings meant, and the four had a group hug. Thomas and Dorothy then told the girls how happy they were for the two. When the group hug broke up, Shelby said, “And there’s more you need to hear about. Chinese?”

tbc
Chapter 22

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 22

Chinese food had always been the Williams comfort food when the family was stressed or just needed to be supportive of each other. They were familiar faces to the restaurant owner, and as usual, when they walked into the restaurant they were taken to their usual table in a quieter part of the restaurant. After the all were seated, had ordered their drinks, and their meals, it was Terry who started off by telling Thomas and Dorothy, “I want to tell you both, it’s been one trying day for us, let me tell you. First those morons for parents forced a hearing to try and prevent Walter from having her name changed--which they lost, big time. And now Shelby’s stupid ass sister sicks the CPS on us because she believed we’d forced Walter to live as a girl. Even after we explained to her, several times, what happened to him. But the best part was finding out our daughters have pledged themselves to each other.” The look on Dorothy and Thomas’ faces didn’t go unnoticed by Terry or Shelby, and Terry asked, “You two knew about this?”

It was Dorothy who replied with, “Terry, Shelby, it wasn’t that we knew they’d pledged themselves to each other, specifically, but rather that they were head over heels in love with each other. And not some puppy or hormonal love either. They are genuinely in love with each other.” Dorothy shrugged her shoulders then said, “They are soulmates, and will be together until it’s their time to move on.”

The four adults then looked at their daughters, who were holding hands and reaching up to the other and wiping tears off the others’ cheek. As Kathy wiped Marge’s cheek, they heard her say, “Yes, we are soulmates. And will be with each other until our lives end.” It was at that moment the two girls turned and hugged each other, with Kathy telling Marge, “I love you Marge,” and Marge telling Kathy, “I love you Kathy.” Both Thomas and Shelby suddenly had something caught in their throats, as both tried to clear their throats and hoped no one saw them wipe their cheeks. Dorothy and Terry were women, so didn’t care if anyone saw them take tissues out of their purses and dab at their eyes. Men!

They received a nice surprise when it was the owner herself who brought out their meals, and other items which she placed on the lazy-susan in the middle of the table. When everything had been placed on the table she bowed to them and said, “Yuàn nǐ de shēng huó yǒng yuǎn bèi wēn róu de fēng suǒ zhù fú. It means, ‘May your lives always be blessed by a gentle wind.’” Then she told them, “Your meals are on the house.” She then kissed Marge and Kathy on their cheeks before walking back toward the kitchen.

It took several moments before all six of them were able to pick up their jaws from the floor, but when they did, marveled at the dishes placed on the lazy-susan. And the ones they’d ordered. When everyone had subdued their appetites it was Shelby who broke the silence by telling Dorothy and Thomas, “When Terry and I learned of the promise rings, while we were speaking with our attorneys, we knew the girls were serious about each other. And that there would be a wedding sometime down the road, we set up provisions for their wedding and the likelihood they both would attend College/University. Or would begin an endeavor of their own.” Terry held Shelby’s hand under the table as he continued. “So we instructed our attorneys to set up a Trust Fund for both Marge and Kathy from the settlement we received today. They will be able to use it for anything needed for their College/University education, and/or to start their own business if they prefer. If they attend College/University, it will cover all costs associated with their education, for as far as they wish to go. If they start their own business, it will be their seed money, and money to keep their business going until it stands on its own. We’d, um, like this to be considered our wedding present to the girls.”

The girls already knew about the Trust Funds and the other items Terry and Shelby had discussed with the Marshalls, so nothing Shelby said was new to them. It was Marge’s parents the four were watching. Watching to see how they would react to the news.

What the four saw on Dorothy and Thomas’ faces was the look of ‘dumb foundedness,’ mixed with surprise, mixed with happiness, since they’d both talked about how to finance Marge’s College/University expenses. They had no doubt there’d be scholarships in her future, but what Terry and Shelby had done was fantastic and went a long way to relieving a lot of stress in their lives. It was Dorothy who took a tissue from her purse and began dabbing her eyes, as they filled with tears because of what Shelby just told them. And this time Thomas was not bashful of wiping tears off his cheeks as he told Shelby, “That is a wonderful wedding present for our girls. And it takes a lot of stress off of Dorothy and my shoulders, because we weren’t sure how we were going to pay for a lot of Marge’s College/University. I never expected we’d be sitting here, becoming a big family, the day I first saw Walter wheeled into the emergency room.

“And, um, there’s one other thing we need to tell the two of you,” Shelby told Thomas and Dorothy. “We also set up a payout plan that will put something into both girls’ savings accounts. Over four years we determined there’d be a substantial amount for them to help start their lives together, or for schooling, or what they each decide. This is our way of saying thank you to Marge for her continued support of Walter and now Kathy.” He then looked at both girls and told them, “You both understand, these savings accounts will be inaccessible until you both graduate high school. You both may contribute to them, but that’s all.” He then looked at his watch and said, “Oh, dear, it’s getting late, and these girls have school tomorrow.”

Hugs were exchanged, as well as a kiss between Marge and Kathy, as the Markman family stood on the front porch and watched the Williams family get into Shelby’s car. They waved as Shelby backed the car out into the street, and drove away towards their home. After Marge had gone to bed, Dorothy and Thomas celebrated their fortune as a loving couple often does.

Kathy was already up and in the bathroom the next morning, letting the water from the shower head rinse off the body wash she had used. She shut off the water, rang as much water out of her hair as she could, toweled herself off, and wrapped a towel around her head. She then put on the clean pair of panties and the bra she brought into the bathroom with her. She played with her hair a bit more with the towel before getting out the blow dryer and giving her hair a good going over. Once her hair was dry, she put on her robe and returned to her bedroom, where she put on the clothes she’d decided to wear to school that day. She added a bit of makeup to her face, and when she liked what she saw in the vanity mirror, slipped on her shoes and went downstairs to eat breakfast.

Terry and Shelby were already in the kitchen, Shelby just finishing his scrambled eggs and sausages, and Terry just getting started on hers. When Kathy came into the kitchen, both parents could see a slight spring in her step, and watched as she took a plate out of the cabinet, spooned the rest of the scrambled eggs out of the pan, and added two sausage links. She sat down in her usual place, reached for one of the glasses sitting on the kitchen table and poured herself a glass of orange juice, before digging into her breakfast. Terry looked at Shelby and both raised their eyebrows, before Shelby asked, “Got a bit of spring in your step this morning. Care to share?”

Kathy had just taken a fork full of scrambled egg into her mouth, and held up a finger as she chewed the mouthful. After taking a sip of her orange juice to wash down the scrambled eggs, she said, “Sure, what do you want to know?” And put a bit too big of a piece of sausage link into her mouth. Both Terry and Shelby gave her the ‘too big of a bite’ look as Kathy quickly chewed the sausage before swallowing. She got the other look from Terry, the one that said, ‘you know what we’re talking about.’ Kathy took another sip of her orange juice before telling her parents, “I’m just happy my name has been changed and the thing with those parents is over. And, of course, the Trust Fund will be there when Marge and I go to College/University. And...that I have two of the most wonderful parents in the whole world.”

Kathy’s last statement caused both of her parents to wipe their eyes and clear their throats. It wasn’t every day they heard parents tell of a child who said that to their parent(s). With a choked voice, Terry told Kathy, “That last statement of yours means a lot to your father and I. Thank you. You do know how much we love you, right? Walter or Kathy, it doesn’t matter to us. You’re our child and will always be no matter what comes along.” Still chewing on another bit of sausage, Kathy got out of her chair and went around to her parents where the three hugged until someone rudely burped and polluted the air around them.

Shelby finished his breakfast first, taking his plate and drinking glass to the sink, where he rinsed both off and put them in the dishwasher. He then gave Terry a kiss on the lips, then Kathy on top of her head, before bidding his ladies, “Have a nice day,” picking up his briefcase, opening the front door and walking out to his car. Both women heard his car start up and listened as the noise faded as Shelby backed his car out into the street and headed to the firm’s office.

Kathy glanced at the clock on the wall and saw their hug fest had put her behind getting her breakfast eaten, and going to the bathroom to brush her teeth. It took Terry telling her, “Slow down, or you’ll choke on something,” before Kathy slowed her eating. When she finished her breakfast, she did as her dad did, rinsed off her plate and drinking glass and put them into the dishwasher. She then headed upstairs to the bathroom where she brushed her teeth and reapplied her lip gloss, a little darker color this time. She then went into her bedroom, grabbed her backpack, and went back downstairs, where she found her mom standing by the front door, keys in hand. The both went out the front door, Kathy closing it behind her, and got into Terry’s car. The drive to Marge’s house seemed to take longer to Kathy, but a pat on the thigh by Terry helped to calm Kathy down. And after pulling into the Markman’s driveway and Marge came to Terry’s car, both Dorothy and Terry thought they saw two lovers who’d not seen each other in years. It took Terry to tell them, “If you two don’t stop greeting each other you’ll be late for school.” That caused both girls to blush, as Marge got into the front seat first, sitting next to Terry. Once Kathy was in the car, and had closed the front passenger door, Terry backed out of the driveway and headed for the high school. As she glanced at the girls, she saw they were again holding hands, both still wearing their promise rings.

Instead of letting the girls out as Terry usually did when they arrived at the high school, she found a parking place, since she and Kathy had to go to the school office to get Walter’s name changed on all of his school records. As they walked into the school and turned left towards the office, several of the students already there said hi to Kathy and Marge, but as some walked by they said just loud enough to be heard by all three, “Oooo, there go the lesbian queers.” It was Kathy who turned around and said, “Morning to you too, Carol.” But Carol didn’t get very far, as one of Robert’s men also heard what she said, and he told her, “Turn around and follow me, Miss Burns.” And together they headed for the school offices, and a nice chat with Tina.

Margot was the first to see the three enter the office, and informed Peter that his sister, niece, and his niece’s girlfriend were here. Peter came out of his office and his first words were, “Well, how’d it go?” Both Terry and Marge saw the smirk on Kathy’s face, and shook their heads, as she walked up to Peter and said to him, “Hello, Principal Stepel. I’m Katherine Elizabeth Williams,” and held out her hand to him. He took her hand, shook it, and told her, “Well, it’s nice to meet you Katherine Elizabeth Williams. And congratulations. Was it bad with the parents?” The smirk was back, the heads shook, as Kathy told her Uncle, “Naw, I just had a show and tell with the wives. And we almost needed doctors to sew their jaws back on their faces.”

Both Terry and Marge face palmed themselves, as it took Peter a moment to understand what Kathy had just said. He got a bit red in the face before asking, “You mean, you,” and he mimed taking his clothes off. Kathy nodded her head and replied with, “Yep, bare as the day I was born.” All four turned as they heard Margot chuckle, then heard a “What?” as she questioned why they were looking at her. “Well, if those old bitties didn’t want to believe what they read, then showing them was the next best thing, right?” Peter said something none of the women could hear, before taking them to the reception desk and explaining what needed done to one of the assistans behind the desk.

Terry then produced all of the documents needed to get Walter’s name changed on all of her school documents. They even took new pictures of Kathy for her school ID that now included Katherine Elizabeth Williams on it. Once Kathy and Marge were no longer needed, Peter told them they best get to class, and took Terry into his office where the two talked for almost an hour. During that almost hour, Peter learned everything which had taken place in the Courtroom and Judge’s chambers. And he was more than surprised by the amount of the settlement they’d received in lue of going to trial. He also heard that the girls had given each other promise rings, which were not driven by hormones or puppy love. But a true love for the other person. Terry told Peter that he’d be invited to their wedding, one day, after the two graduated high school.

After Terry left, Peter called Robert and asked that he keep their eyes open for anything against the girls, and why. It wasn’t long until there was a knock on his door, and after telling the person, “Enter,” he watched as Tina and Carol Burns walked into his office after opening and closing the door behind them. “Principal Stepel, it seems Miss Burns has something against Miss Stillman and Miss Williams, and she expressed herself to them this morning.” Tina then turned to Carol and told her, “Tell Principal Stepel what you called them, Carol.” Carol looked at the floor and said what she’d called the girls. It was Peter who said, “Miss Burns, look at me.” When Carol raised her head and looked at Peter, he then asked, “What did you say to them, Carol?” Neither Tina or Peter could tell if the tears they saw in Carol’s eyes were because she was angry, embarrassed, or sorry for what she’d said. But she told Peter, “I called them lesbian queers.”

As Peter got up from the chair behind his desk, he motioned for Tina to sit down, and asked Carol to sit as well. He then turned one of the other chairs in front of his desk around so he was facing Carol and asked her, “Carol, why would you call those girls that? How did they react when you called them that?” Carol was looking at her hands she’d placed in her lap, before saying, “Because that’s what I heard my parents call them. And all Kathy said to me was, ‘morning, Carol.’” In a gentle voice, Peter asked, “Do you know what happened to Walter in his science class? The whole story? The true story?” When Carol shrugged her shoulders and said, “No, just rumors,” Peter proceeded to tell Carol the whole story. Even the morning when Walter discovered he was no longer a boy. When Carol asked questions, he corrected the rumors she’d heard, giving her the truth about the rumor. When Peter had finished, all Carol said was, “Oh, boy. I messed up, didn’t I? Guess I’ve got some apologizing to do, huh?” When Peter told her, “Yes you did, and yes you do,” he then gave her a warning to not let it happen again. Because the next time she would have known better and would get two weeks detention after school. When Carol assured Peter, and Tina, it wouldn’t happen again, Peter told her she could go. Carol had opened Peter’s office door, stopped and looked from Tina to Peter before telling them, “I’m sorry for having caused a problem for you two,” and walked out of Peter’s office, closing the door behind her. Tina and Peter watched where Carol had been standing before Tina turned to Peter and asked, “Do we need another assembly?” Peter shook his head, then looked at Tina and told her, “Let’s wait and see if it’s needed. See if any others have moms and dads like Carol’s. I’d hate to rake the whole school over the coals just because of a few students. But if we hear about any more talk like Carol’s, then I guess it will be necessary. And maybe not just for the students.”

Kathy and Marge walking to class holding hands had become a familiar sight in the high school, so very few watched them as they walked first to Kathy’s hall locker and then Marge’s. There were a few, though, who felt like Carol once did, and they vowed to make sure the two got the message loud and clear. And those same students didn’t go unnoticed by Robert’s team members.

Marge and Kathy were not the first to walk into their first period science class, nor were they the last either. There had been a buzz heard coming from the classroom before they walked into the classroom, which stopped the minute they entered the classroom. And those students involved in the session breaking apart and going to their usual seats. Who these students were was not lost on Kathy or Marge, but unknown to Brigette as she walked into the classroom just after Kathy and Marge. “So, care to share with the rest of the class when everyone is here?” Brigette asked those now sitting in their regular seats. “I did catch a few words that have me worried, worried enough to have all of you, except Marge and Kathy, taken to the office and explain yourselves to Principal Stepel. Worried enough to have all of your parents called, even the police, after what few words I heard.”

More students entered the classroom until everyone had arrived just as the second bell rang. “Well, I’m waiting,” Brigette told the students who’d had their own little session before class. “For those of you who are wondering what I’m talking about, before Marge and Kathy, and myself, came into the classroom, six of your fellow students were having their own little session, a session which sounded like they were making plans to explain the way of life to Marge and Kathy. Those of you I’m talking about please stand up. NOW!” The six who’d been talking stood, most looking at the floor or somewhere else, while two were burning holes into Brigette’s eyes, angry they’d been singled out in front of the entire class. Brigette looked at the two angrily looking back at her and said, “Well, it looks like the two of you are the ring leaders of this little group, care to share with the rest of the class, or take a walk and make your explanations known to Principal Stepel? I can assure you, if you go see Principal Stepel you won’t like the results. You may even get to spend two weeks extra after school. So, talk here or I’ll have that lady standing at the back of the classroom march you six up to see Principal Stepel.”

Everyone turned to see Bobbie Hamphil standing at the back of the classroom. They’d been so busy paying attention to Brigette that they didn’t hear her come into the classroom, as she intended. Bobbie was one of two women on the school’s security force, and a woman many found out the hard way not to take lightly. Several of the larger male students thought they could take the petite woman, until they ended up face down on the floor. They hadn’t known she’d been an unarmed combat instructor while in the military. And Bobbie just smiled at the students, which was enough to get two of the six to start talking.

It was Patty Palmer who spoke first, saying, “The six of us decided we don’t want that queer faggot in our class any more,” and she turned to look directly at Kathy. “Its a fake, its nothing but a boy perverting the way it should really be. Boys are boys and girls are girls, and they can’t be the other.” It was then Doris who added, “And when we can, we’re going to explain that in detail to it.” As Brigette and Bobbie watched, two of the six sat down, one saying, “We tried to talk them out of this, Mrs. Stokes, when they talked about hurting Kathy. But they threatened us if we didn’t go along with them. Our parents are the ones who want us to hurt Kathy, because they don’t believe Walter ever turned into a girl because of that accident.”

The serious atmosphere of the classroom was broken by the laughter of first Kathy and then Marge. Both girls were belly laughing so hard, Brigette first thought they were laughing out of the thought of being physically hurt. But when they’d both slowly stopped laughing, it was Kathy who spoke.

“My gawd, you people are dumber than two pet rocks. Yesterday, after some of your parents lost in a major way trying to block my name change, I was allowed by the Court to change my name from Walter James Williams to Katherine Elizabeth Williams. Walter Williams no longer exists, either on paper or physically.” She looked at Brigette and said, “Mrs. Stokes, if you’ll permit me a few minutes I think I can clear up this whole stupid thing.” And when Brigette told her to go ahead, Kathy turned to Bobbie and asked her to bring all six girls to the class’s supply room. With Kathy in the lead, and Bobbie bringing up the rear, the eight walked into the supply room. A few moments later the entire class heard through the thin door, “NO FUCKING WAY;” “OH MY GAWD;” “Well I’ll be damn;” “You didn’t have surgery?;” “My parents are going to blow a gasket.” And a few moments later six dejected girls followed Kathy out of the supply room, followed by a chuckling Bobbie.

All six girls took their seats, looking a bit green around their gills. Both Patty and Doris had their heads in their hands, Doris saying, “My parents are going to flip out when I tell them about this.” She then looked up to Brigette and said, “They aren’t going to believe me, Mrs. Stokes. They may even come up to school and demand Kathy be kicked out of school.” Then Patty told Brigette, “Mrs. Stokes. I can guarantee my parents will come up to school and demand Kathy be kicked out of school, after I tell them what I saw. They won’t believe me when I tell them Kathy is a real girl.” The six girls who were forced to attend Kathy’s show and tell, knew now how wrong their parents were to think ‘Walter’ was trying to present himself as a girl. And how wrong they were to listen to their parents. After all six apologized to Kathy, it was Kathy who told them, “You six are learning something my parents have taught me from the time I was little. Listen to everything others say, but decide for yourself where the truth lies. And never be afraid to talk to the person who is at the center of any controversy, because they know the whole truth about themselves.” She then looked to Brigette and Bobbie, who was standing next to Brigette, and asked, “Wouldn’t you agree a lesson has been learned here and now? And that things have been settled? And maybe Principal Stepel can be told how we settled things, instead of these six girls needing to talk with him?”

All six girls were staring at Kathy, realizing she was pleading for them. Realizing she was trying her best to keep them from having to face Principal Stepel’s anger, as some have done. Realizing Kathy wasn’t angry with them, but showing them mercy. And all six realized they had tears slowly sliding down their cheeks. It was Doris who asked Kathy, “Why are you asking Mrs. Stokes all this? We were really going to hurt you, thinking you were still Walter as our parents said.”

Kathy looked at each girl one at a time, seeing how their tears were now black streaks lining their cheeks. She looked at the expecting Brigette and Bobbie, shrugged her shoulders and told them, “Because it’s the right thing to do. And you realized you were wrong, and admitted it. I have forgiven all of you, you learned a lesson, what can be gained if you have to talk with Principal Stepel? He’ll be told the matter was handled and settled, which is what he would want.” Everyone had been so intent on the six girls and Kathy that no one noticed Bobbie had left the classroom, a sure sign she was no longer needed in the classroom. A sure sign she agreed with Kathy that the matter had been settled. It was Brigette who voiced what Bobbie felt as she left the classroom, “Yes, Kathy, I think the matter has been settled, and lessons learned. And speaking of lessons, let’s see how much of our today’s class lesson we can get through. Shall we?” And with that, Brigette started the lesson she’d had planned, knowing Kathy had just gained six allies who were likely in for a rough time when they got home and told their parents what they saw today in the supply room.

It was rather strange how Bobbie always appeared in Kathy’s next class, and how one or two female students learned the same lesson Patty, Doris, and the other four girls learned. And how Bobbie left each class after the same scene played out, with each girl saying the same thing about her parents.

And both girl’s predictions, and the predictions of the other girls, proved true, as the next morning found angry parents demanding to see Peter, and also demanding that the ‘pervert’ be kicked out of school. Patty also came to school with a rather large bruise on the right side of her face, something that warranted action by the school.

Peter had been told by each of Kathy’s teachers of the scene in the classrooms, and how each had been settled, and of the predictions from each girl. Knowing the predictions might come true, he’d called Terry and told her what had happened and that she and Shelby might be needed at school the next day. He also suggested they contact Marshall and Marshall and have them be at school in the morning. And bring their amminuation with them. His preemptive actions proved a wise move.

As the angry parents arrived at the school the next morning, parents who hadn’t been party to the lawsuit brought against Walter Williams, were shown, in turn, to the big conference room. Where they found Terry and Shelby Williams and two other men already seated in the conference room. It did take long for the parents to recognize Terry and Shelby, and for the threats and insults against Terry and Shelby to begin. None of the parents spotted the recorder that Bret Marshall, Sr. had already placed in front of him on the table. Or that he had started recording the moment the first set of parents entered the conference room. Five sets of parents ended up in that conference room, and it was five sets of parents who were recorded making threats and insults to Terry and Shelby. And Kathy.

When the door to the large conference room opened again, it was Peter and Robert, along with three of Robert’s team, who entered the room. It was also at that moment five sets of parents all began at once to holler at Peter, each threatening him, the school, and of course, Terry, Shelby, and Kathy. Peter ignored them as he walked to the podium that was at the front of the room, while Robert and his team took up positions at the back of the room. Peter let them rant and rave for a full five minutes before he reached under the podium and pulled out a small horn, which he let blast until everyone had quieted down.

“Ah, there now, it’s quiet. So let’s have no more outbursts or the people at the back of the room will help you leave the school grounds. Now, let me make introductions all around, shall I?” Peter first introduced Terry and Shelby, Kathy’s parents. He then went on to introduce the parents, and the name of their child in the school. And when he introduced Bret Marshall, Sr. and Jr., and when Bret, Sr. made it known he was recording the meeting, and had been recording when the first parents entered the conference room, all hell broke out again. Some claimed it was an invasion of their privacy, until it was pointed out that Peter had given Bret, Sr. permission to record the meeting. Others claimed they’d been trapped, until it was pointed out that it was they who decided to say what they’d said without provocation of any kind. And still others threatened a lawsuit if the recording was made public, again being reminded they were in a public institution.

When all the objections to the recording of the meeting had been voiced and quashed, Peter turned the meeting with the parents over to Bret, Sr., who opened his briefcase and removed all of the same documents, pictures and images used during the meeting in Trudy’s chambers. “Ladies and gentlemen, sitting on this table are the exact same documents used to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Walter Williams no longer exists due to the accident he experienced in his first period science class. There are doctor statements and reports. There are photographs showing Walter, now legally known as Kathy, when he, now she, first arrived at the emergency room at the hospital. There are also a series of images taken when he, now she, first arrived and of her subsequent checkups. Ladies and gentlemen, because of that accident, and Walter’s exposure, now Kathy’s exposure, to a wide variety of chemicals, the DNA of his, now her body, was affected and transformed him into the young lady she is now. Those parents of the lawsuit even called in their own Ob-Gyn who examined Walter, now known legally as Kathy, and their own Ob-Gyn certified Walter, now known legally as Kathy, as 100 percent female. In every way. I would advise all of you to examine these documents and see the truth for yourself. Otherwise, if you still persist in making these outrageous demands, you will give the Williams no choice but to take all of you to Court for defamation of their daughter’s character. And threatening the lives of the Williams family. And I believe one of you is already going to face questioning by the police because of the bruise your daughter is sporting today. So, take as much time as you like, look over these documents, and the five of us,” and he indicated his son, Terry, Shelby, and Peter, “will leave you to yourselves. Understand. If we go to Court, I will seek to drain every one of your bank accounts dry, and then some. And with the documents before you, it WILL happen. The choice is yours.”

And with that, Terry, Shelby, Jr., Peter, and Sr. got up out of their chairs and left the conference room, running into a police detective and a person from CPS waiting in the hallway of the school office. Also waiting down near Peter’s office were Marge, Kathy, and Patty, who was sitting between Marge and Kathy. The two girls appeared to be consoling Patty, as Patty dabbed her eyes several times during Peter’s viewing.

As the five waited on the parents, they talked with the detective and the woman from CPS. “Principal Stepel, I’m detective Brian Grom. And this is Patricia Winslow, from child protective services. With the help of your Vice Principal, Patricia and I spoke with Patty Lunker while you were in with the parents. Because this appears to be an abuse case, we were within our rights to keep the young lady away from her parents while we talked with her. And it was as you suspected. When she told her parents about Kathy’s condition, they called her a liar, and her father slapped her hard enough to leave that bruise. It didn’t help that the force of the blow knocked her into the trim of the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. We think that may have been the actual cause of the bruise. As it stands right now, once you are finished in there,” and he pointed to the conference room, “Patricia and I will have a word with her parents. And depending how they respond to our questions, will determine whether we move Patty to one of her immediate relative’s homes. What I’m hoping is what little I heard you say, Mr. Marshall, they’ll realize the mistakes they’ve made and be as upset by what they did to their daughter as they are about the lies they’ve listened to. Either way, there’s going to be mandatory counseling in their future.”

In the pause with detective Grom, they all heard a heated discussion going on in the conference room, with the men unconvinced after reading the documents and looking at the photos and images. Then all of a sudden they heard from one of the women, “You assholes wouldn’t believe anything unless you stuck your dicks into it, now would you? The women in here have seen enough images in their lives to know the real thing when they see it. And we’re telling you, jackasses, those photos and images are the real deal. That accident Walter suffered through transformed him into this Kathy Williams. A very real girl. And I suppose none of you men would believe us unless you could fuck her. Right? None of you would believe us unless you could feel her up. Right? Well, Tommy Donald Lunker, you better get this through your thick skull right now. That young lady was Walter Williams, a boy, and is now Kathy Willaims, the girl. And unless you want to spend the rest of your days alone, and pleasing yourself, you’ll change that tune you’ve been whistling ever since you listened to that moron involved in that lawsuit. And you know what it cost them, right? Well, buddy, it ain’t gonna cost us nothing, not if I have anything to say about it. And from here on out, I do.”

There were a lot of suppressed chuckles from those standing just outside of the conference room, and a lot of surprises too. It was only a few moments later that Mrs. Lunker opened the conference room door and asked Peter, “Principal Stepel, would it be possible if we spoke with Kathy Williams? We have a personal question to ask her.” Detective Grom and Particia were lost as to why they wanted to speak with Kathy, but Peter, Terry, and Shelby had an idea why. The women in that room wanted a show and tell from Kathy, one that would put a lid on the arguing they’d heard coming from the conference room. Peter walked down towards his office, where Marge, Patty, and Kathy were sitting, and told Kathy, “The wives in the conference room would like to have a word with you. If you don’t mind.” Kathy looked at Marge, and Marge looked at Kathy before they said in unison, “A show and tell, again.” They then laughed at their own silliness before telling Peter they didn’t mind. Peter reminded Kathy it was only for her, but Kathy reminded Peter, “Marge has been my support throughout this whole stupid thing, and I’m not about to drop her like a rock now. And I want Patty to come with us.” Hearing her name spoken, and why, caused Patty to give Kathy a questioning look. And all Kathy said after shrugging her shoulders was, “Friends stick together through thick and thin. And you’re my friend.” Patty couldn’t help herself, and the tears fell from her eyes. After all the things she’d said about Kathy and to her, Kathy considered her a friend.

When the four walked back to the large conference room, five very grumpy men were milling about outside of the room. Each mumbling to themselves about this and that, and it was all a bunch of lies. Peter stopped when he reached the conference room, but Kathy went right ahead and opened the door, closing it after Marge and Patty had gone in behind her. The shade on the window in the door was pulled, and low voices could be heard from those standing quietly outside the room.

“So, let me guess,” Kathy boldly proceeded, “you still have questions and want to see the truth for yourselves? Right? You want a show and tell? If I show you mine,” and Kathy never finished what the smirk on her face said she was going to say, as Marge cleared her throat and told Kahy, “I don’t think you should finish that statement. We aren’t here to embarrass these ladies.” It took a few moments for some of the wives to realize what Kathy was about to say, and chuckled at the thought of them showing Kathy theirs if she showed them hers.

Kathy asked the ladies to sit down, and then went on to tell exactly what happened the day the accident occurred. And about the subsequent days as her boy body started changing. She explained the number of tests she’d endured, and the lack of definitive answers from any doctor who’d been consulted, as to why those chemicals her body had absorbed were affecting her DNA. Affecting it to the point of transforming her into the girl that stood before them at that very moment. And after her story, she very calmly disrobed down to her birthday suit. Even allowing the women to inspect her to make sure what they were seeing was the complete, whole, truth. That she was now a young fourteen-year-old girl. In every way a girl could be. Once Kathy had redressed, Mrs. Lunker raised the shade on the door window, opened the door and unceremoniously told the husbands, “Get your butts in here, NOW!”

Because of the tone in Mrs. Lunker’s order, and the look on her face, all of the husbands were as little boys who’d been caught smoking out behind the shed by their mammas. None said a word as they filed into the conference room, a wise move once they saw the angry looks on their wives. One of the other wives ordered, “SIT DOWN, YOU MORONS,” and each husband found the closet chair and dropped into it. Each not saying a word.

It was Doris’ mom who said, and in a very tightly controlled voice, “You stupid assholes almost caused us a lot of trouble, listening to your ‘good buddies’ like you did. That young lady right there,” and she pointed to Kathy, “is as much a young woman as we ourselves used to be at her age. There is no boy under her clothing, she has everything that you’ve seen on us many a time during our marriages. But that could change at any minute, if you catch my drift. And I mean permanently. All those documents, photos and images, that you butt holes dismissed, are completely true. We tried to tell you that but, nooo, you wouldn’t believe us. Well, ask any of us and we’ll tell you the same thing. Kathy matches every photo and image, and doctor’s report lying on that table,” and she pointed to everything scattered on the table. “Gentlemen, your future with us depends on a few things. One, we’re going to marriage counselling. And it’s not an option. You may think our marriages have been peachy, but let me tell you they’ve been anything but, with all of you acting like you’re the king of your castle. And you’re going to get up off your butts and help more around the house. Nothing major, just cleaning here and there, and helping with the dishes and such. Because right now, gentlemen, you all are on the verge of being single again. Think about that for a few moments. And Mr. Lunker, I believe two people at the back of the room would like to have a word with you after we’re done here. Am I right, sir?” And she looked at detective Grom, who nodded his head.

After what Mrs. Palmer had just said, their husbands looked as though they’d had a severe session with the school principal. And most cringed when they heard the price of what their stupidity was going to cost them. But even though they were pig-headed in many ways, their wives still were in love with them, and honestly wanted a better marriage than what they’d had for the past several years. It was another of the wives who said, “Kathy, I can see all of this has been difficult for you, but I think it was meant to happen. I think you are meant to open people’s eyes to look past what people see on the outside and look to what’s on the inside of a person. My husband can be a jerk at times, like now. But he’s my jerk, and I want to grow old with him.” A lot of feelings were ripped open in that conference room during that meeting with Peter. And although it’s said grown men don’t cry, none of the husbands in that room seemed to have remembered that saying. As not one of them had a dry eye after what they’d just heard. Even Mr. Lunker apologized to Patty for hitting her, and asking her to forgive him. When Peter, detective Grom, and Patricia saw Patty and her dad hugging, both crying, they knew the mistakes which had been made were going to be mended in time, and the two people left the conference room.

The husbands then made the rounds, apologizing to Kathy and her parents, and to Peter for causing a needless problem. But what the one wife said resounded in the minds of Marge, Terry, Shelby, Peter, and Kathy. Had Walter’s accident actually been an accident? Or might it have been something more? Something that would bring out an attitude in other people, an attitude they never realized they had? Something that would help others grow in ways they’d never considered? Something that was meant to teach people to look at a person’s actual self, and not what shows on the outside?

tbc
Chapter 23

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 23

Because of the ‘show and tell’ in the Judge’s chamber at the Courthouse, and the exam by their chosen gynecologist, and the ‘show and tell’ held in the large conference room of the high school office wing, and the one held in the supply room of the first period science class, attitudes and opinions at the high school, and elsewhere, started changing. Those wives and mothers of students at the high school spoke to other wives and mothers of other students and made it abundantly clear there was no trace of Walter under any of the clothing Kathy wore on any given day. Even the girls who were in the supply room spoke with, and corrected, other girls at the high school who were still under the impression Walter was under the clothing Kathy wore. Even so, some still had a hard time believing what they were being told, and had to see things for themselves. Two of the girls who had to see things for themselves happened to be in Kathy’s last period PE class.

Mrs. Connie O’Conner, the girls PE teacher, had sent the last period girls class into the girls locker room to shower and get ready to leave school for the day. She had gone into her office for a few minutes but came out after she heard all of the showers shut off, to make sure the girls weren’t planning to leave school early; some girls in the past had left before the last bell rang to dismiss classes for the day.

Showering as a girl had been a new experience for Kathy, she was still trying to come to grips with some of the sensations she experienced while showering. Sensations which caused her body to react in new, and unfamiliar, ways. She had talked to her mom about this new experience, and was assured, they were normal for many girls.

Kathy was the last out of the showers, had toweled herself dry, and was standing in front of her gym locker with her panties in her hand. She was about to step into her panties when she heard, “Are those real?” Connie had come out of her office just before the question had been asked, stopping where she was so she could see how things played out. All of the other nine girls’ attention was on Kathy, so none but Kathy saw Connie standing near her office watching. Kathy surreptitiously nodded to Connie, letting her know it was okay, before looking at the nine other girls whose attention was on her. She then asked the girls who’d asked the question, “Are what real? My breasts?”

Carol Stigman was the shy one of the class, but intelligent in her own quiet way. Carol looked around at the other girls before telling Kathy, “Yes. Are your breasts real?” Kathy could see the fear in the girl’s eyes and knew from past times that Carol, while intelligent, lacked self confidence. Kathy smiled at Carol and replied, “Yes, Carol, they are real. They are the result of the accident I had in the supply room during my first period science class.” Kathy saw her explanation didn’t satisfy Carol so she told the girl, “Come see for yourself.”

Kathy saw Connie start to walk towards the girls, and again, surreptitiously, shake her head, causing Connie to freeze where she stood. Carol again looked at the other nine girls watching the scene before she slowly walked up to Kathy. Kathy could see how hesitant Carol was to touch Kathy’s breasts, and said in a soft voice, “Go ahead, it’s okay. I don’t mind.” Reassured by Kathy, Carol brought both hands up and started examining Kathy’s breasts. She felt how warm they were; how firm they were--Kathy’s breasts were pushing the boundaries between a ‘B’ and ‘C’ cup. Carol then examined the area around Kathy’s breasts, presumably looking for any indications the breasts were glued on. She then examined underneath Kathy’s breasts, looking for any indications the breasts had been surgically enhanced. When Carol realized she was ‘feeling’ real breasts on another girl, she jerked her hands back and with tears in her eyes told Kathy, “I...I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I...I thought what others were saying was true.” Even though both girls were still naked, Kathy gently put her arms around Carol and told her, “It’s okay. There’s nothing to be sorry about. You needed to know the truth, and that’s all that matters.” Only Kathy saw Connie smile.

After Carol backed away from Kathy, another girl, one who was ‘full’ of herself demanded, “Yeah, your breast might be real. But what about between your legs?” Kathy saw Connie start to move again, and again, surreptitiously, she shook her head, causing Connie to freeze where she stood. A pin could have been heard hitting the floor because of the girl’s question, and all eyes were on Kathy. Instead of reacting bitterly to the vehenmentaly asked question, Kathy told the girl in a compassionate voice, “If you need to find out for yourself, then come and see for yourself. I won’t mind.”

This girl, Debbie Marlow, was not timid. Had never been timid in her life, which had caused her some problems in the past. Unlike Carol, she walked right up to Kathy, who had spread her legs wide, and when Debbie started to reach for Kathy’s groin, Kathy grabbed her wrist and told Debbie, “Only the outside. Got it?” Debbie saw a look in Kathy’s eyes which said there’d be no debate, and when Debbie nodded her head, Kathy let go of her wrist. Debbie was not rough examining Kathy’s groin, but she was thorough. She felt Kathy from belly button to rectum, on both sides. She even bent down to look for anything which said ‘glued on.’ Still bent over, Debbie looked up at Kathy and said, “Damn, there’s nothing fake on you down here either.” Debbie had a puzzled look on her face as she saw the smile on Kathy’s face, and asked, “Why are you smiling? Are you trying to make fun of me?”

As Debbie straightened, Kathy gently took the other girl’s hands in hers, and looking straight into Debbie’s eyes, said, “No, Debbie. No one is trying to make fun of you. You don’t know what you’ve done, do you? You don’t know what you’ve done for the girls now in this locker room or out there,” and Kathy threw her head in the direction of the door to the girls locker room. “Debbie, I’ve seen how other girls look at me, how they examine me with their eyes. They look first towards my breasts then to my groin, asking themselves, ‘Is everything real?’ They think I’m Walter under the clothes I wear. They think my breasts are fake, that I’ve got something applied to my groin in order to appear ‘girl like’ down there. Can you even imagine how it feels to be a boy one day and suddenly start to become a girl the next?” Tears started forming in Kathy’s eyes, some even slipping out of her eyes. “Do you even understand how frightening that is, knowing you’re becoming something you never even considered becoming? And you have no control over any of it? Please,” Kathy said, as she looked at the other girls, and Connie, “there’s nothing wrong about being a girl. It’s just...it’s just not something I ever wanted to be. I was happy being Walter. I was so much freer than I am as Kathy.” Tears were now running freely down Kathy’s cheeks, and it was Debbie who reached up and wiped the tears off Kathy’s cheeks.

“How were you much freer as Walter, Kathy?” Connie asked, letting the girls know for the first time that she’d been standing there and listening to everything. Nine heads whipped around to look at Mrs. O’Conner, each showing uneasiness. “It’s okay, girls. No one is in any trouble. In fact, I’m proud of all of you for the way you’ve conducted yourselves in all of this,” Connie told the girls, which caused each one to visibly relax. “How were you freer as Walter, Kathy?” Connie asked again, causing the nine girls to once again focus on Kathy.

Kathy took a shuddering breath then said, “Do any of you realize how much pressure you are under by being a girl? Likely not, since it was applied a little at a time as you got older. Until it got to the point it all became ingrained. As Walter, a boy, there was no pressure to always wear something that fit my body correctly. There was no pressure to have my makeup applied correctly for this or that occasion. I didn’t have to worry if the shoes I wore matched the clothes I was wearing, unless I attended church, a wedding, or a funeral. All of you know how other girls look at you if your hair is not properly styled, or combed neatly. As Walter, that wasn’t a problem I had to worry about. I was a boy, boys often have messy hair. Boys’ clothing is often disheveled. Boys hardly ever consider fashion to be important.”

“But now as a girl, I’ve been thrown into a life I’m not familiar with. I went from a fourteen-year-old boy to a fourteen-year-old girl in a matter of months, and I don’t know all the rules and regulations connected with being a girl. And I’m frightened. Frightened I’ll make a mistake being a girl. Frightened I’ll upset someone because my mind remembers everything about being a boy. Frightened because, if the doctors are right, I’ll experience something in a few days that only girls experience and I don’t know how I’ll handle that time.”

All but two of the girls in the locker room had grown up with Walter, and watched how he handled the situations which wanted to knock him down. They’d never seen him frightened or scared, as Kathy was at this moment. They all watched as she let go of Debbie’s hands, turned, sat down on her towel, put her face in her hands, and openly cried. It was Debbie who bent down, put her arms around the distraught girl and told her, “It’s going to be alright, Kathy. We’ll help you learn to be a girl. We’ll even help when your period comes, though no hands on, you understand.” This caused Kathy to laugh, and reach up to take Debbie’s hands and tell her, “Thanks Debbie.” It wasn’t long before other hands were hugging Kathy, or rubbing her back, trying to let her know she wasn’t alone. That she was now part of a family that transcended being blood related.

Connie stood back and let the girls comfort Kathy, and mused on what Kathy told Debbie about what the girl had done for other girls. She chuckled as she bet herself that Kathy didn’t know what she’d done for other girls, girls who were shy or feeling left out or lacked a good self image. Connie knew how many in the school had been in school with Walter from kindergarten to this point in time. She also knew how many of them envied how he handled the situations which seemed to come his way. And how they now were watching Kathy to see how she handled a situation she’d been thrown into. Connie was brought back to the group of girls around Kathy when she heard Kathy say, “This situation I’m in is like the other ones I encountered. And like those situations, I have no control over what’s happened to me now. But I do have control over how I deal with it.” And in a softer voice, Kathy said, “And with help from all of you I think I can learn to be happy as a girl.” Connie just smiled as she watched a group pile-on group hug with the naked girl sitting on the bench in front of her locker. Connie hated to do it but, “Okay girls, you all need to let Kathy get dressed, and get dressed yourselves.” Connie just laughed as she heard ‘awww’ as the group hug broke up and the girls returned to the lockers and their clothes. Maybe the girls didn’t feel it, but it was there. That change of atmosphere in the locker room. Every girl was happier, even Kathy, as she got herself dressed. The last bell of the day rang, signaling the end of school. But not the end of an encounter which was really going to test Kathy’s ability to handle.

It was a Monday, a few weeks later, when Mr. and Mrs. Stoner, Jackie and Thomas, arrived at the high school with their two son’s, Tony and Patrick. They were walking from where Tom parked the car in the visitor parking, and had just started walking towards the school’s front doors when Tony spotted a gorgeous girl walking ahead of them--it was Kathy. As he watched the girl reach the front doors of the school, and pull one open, he became aroused, and decided right then she was going to be his, all his. And he was going to enjoy her to the fullest. Little did he know, then, how his lascivious desire was going to cost him and Patrick their freedom. Or their physical well being. But that was something Tony never considered when he was on a conquest. All he desired was to get between the legs of his target, and enjoy his time there. Whether she enjoyed it or not.

Thomas held the school office door open as Jackie, Tony, and Patrick walked into the school office. Following behind them, he watched as Jackie stopped at the desk of an older woman and asked where they registered the boys for school. Jackie then introduced herself, Thomas, Tony, and Patrick, before the four proceeded to the reception desk to register Tony and Patrick. As Margot greeted the four, she saw something in Tony’s eyes that rang every bell in her body, and when the four had passed, she picked up her notepad and pencil, went down the short hall to Peter’s office, knocked, and entered without waiting for Peter to say ‘enter.’ She then sat down in the middle chair of the three sitting before Peter’s desk, and remained silent.

Peter had looked up when the door to his office had opened and Margot entered without being bid to do so. And when she sat down he knew something was wrong. Very wrong. Margot had been with Peter the entire fifteen years he’d been principal, and he’d come to trust her when she was in the state he now saw her. Several times before she’d done this very thing, and several times before she was right on with her warnings. So he knew to give her a few minutes to calm herself or it’d take longer for her to give him the warning. But he wasn’t prepared for what she would be telling him.

“Peter,” Margot said after about ten minutes, “we just got a predator in our school. His name is Tony Stoner, and he looks really hungry. The parents are gems, and the younger brother is just a follower--might be Tony beats him to do what he wants, there are a few light scars on him. But it’s Tony you need to watch, he’s major trouble.” Margot was shaking now, a sure sign to Peter that she was shaken. Peter got up out of his desk chair and walked over to the small fridge in the corner of his office. He opened it, took out a bottle of bottled water, handed it to Margot and told her, “You sit and work on this bottle. I’ll go introduce myself and see what is with us today.” Margot looked at him with pleading eyes, before saying, “Please, Peter. Do something before he starts in on our girls.” Peter loved the older woman like she was his mother, and reached out to gently touch her cheek and said, “Don’t worry, Margot, we’ll do something.”

Margot was still shaking as Peter left his office and headed to the reception desk. As he approached the desk he saw the four Margot had spoken of, two parents and two teen boys, one of which was watching every girl behind the desk or walking by the four. Peter had no trouble recognizing what the boy was doing, and saw Margot was right, this boy was major trouble. He walked up to the adults and said, “Hello, I’m Peter Stepel, Principal at West High School.” Jackie and Thomas turned to face Peter and replied, “Hello, Principal Stepel, I’m Thomas Stoner and this is my wife Jackie. These two are our son’s, Tony and Patrick. Our company transferred the two of us here to this City to troubleshoot some problems the company’s facility in this City has been having. So we need to register our sons for school. We have all their school records from Tonga High School.”

Peter could see from looking into the eyes of Jackie and Thomas that they were good people. But not telling him the real reason they were here in the City. Peter shook hands with the two, then extended a hand first to Patrick then to Tony, the latter having a cold feel to his hand. Looking into Tony’s eyes, Peter had no trouble seeing what Margot had told him, this kid was a predator. But keeping the smile on his face, Peter told Jackie and Thomas, “Well, it’s great to have another family move into our City, and two more students in our school. I hope you enjoy your stay,” and turning to Patrick and Tony, “and I hope you two boys enjoy your time at our school. If you’ll excuse me, my paperwork is never done. It was nice to meet you.” Peter then turned and walked back to his office, where he found Margot much calmer and another bottle of bottled water in her hands; the empty one sat on his desk. He walked around to his desk chair, sat down, picked up the phone and dialed two numbers. When the person at the other end answered, Peter said, “Robert, please come to my office. We just inherited a major problem.” After hanging up he dialed two more numbers. And after a quiet word with the person at the other end of the line, hung up the phone and opened the bottom drawer of his desk. He removed several binders before he found the one he was after, the directory of every school in the State and the surrounding States.

More years ago than Peter’s been principal at West high, a Superintendent got really pissed when she was trying to find the phone number of a school in the Eastern half of the State. She finally found it, but it took over a half hour. That’s when she had the idea of a Statewide school directory which would include those surrounding States. She sent out letters to every Superintendent of every school district in the State and the surrounding States, stating her case and giving her reasonings. The result, after much collating, was the school directory Peter was now thumbing through.

“Tonga High School...T...To...Ton, ah here it is. Tonga High, Jessie Milner Principal. Oh my gawd, this should be real fun.” Margot sat quietly as Peter made the comment, knowing by his facial expression the fun he was really going to have. He picked up the phone, dialed the number for Tonga High School, and when it was answered he said, “This is Peter Stepel, Principal at West High School. May I please speak to Principal Milner? Thank you, I’ll hold.” Now with a smile on his face, Margot was sure some fun was about to happen.

Peter had put the phone on speaker, so when Principal Milner answered, she said something Margot knew wasn’t Principal etiquette. “Oh gawd, Stepel. Don’t tell me you’re still having problems working quadratic equations. I thought I’d taught you how easy they were to solve.” Margot saw the biggest grin on Peter’s face as he shot back, “Yeah, no problems with quadratic equations today, Jessie. But since we’re bringing up old times, who pulled your butt out of the fire in your chemistry class? As I remember it, you couldn’t even grasp what a chemical was at the time.” The two old friends sat back and laughed at the banter between them, before Jessie asked, “So, Mr. Principal at West. How ya’ been Peter? And what can I do for you?” Peter thought how good it was to hear Jessie’s voice again, they made a wicked pair in undergrad and graduate school. “I’ve been at West fifteen years, Jessie. They’ve been some of the best years of my life. And I’m doing fine, actually getting married soon.” Margot tried not to laugh when she heard, “Wwwhhhaaattt...some gal wants to put a saddle on you? How much did you pay her, Peter?” Jessie laughed after what she said, and waited on Peter. “Jessie, she isn’t putting a saddle on me, just a ring. And no, it isn’t going through my nose. She’s the school’s Vice Principal, and yes, you’re going to be invited to the wedding. So don’t ask.”

Then Peter got serious and told Jessie, “Jessie, I really wish this was a social call, but we have a problem and I need information from you. I understand Tony Stoner was a student at Tonga, as was his brother Patrick. What can you tell me about the boys?” All Peter and Margot heard at first was, “Aw fucking shit!” They then heard file drawers being opened and slammed shut. They then heard Jessie yell, “Barry, get me that file on that Stoner kid. And make it yesterday.” There was several minutes of silence before they heard a male voice say, “Where’d those two bastards end up, Jessie?” And when Jessie told Barry, Margot and Peter heard, “Hope someone doesn’t kill them this time. Good luck to you whoever you are.”

Peter and Margot heard Jessie shush Barry, as Jessie started talking to Peter. “Peter, Barry is right about hoping someone doesn’t kill Tony this time. Tony is a predator, pure and simple. The parents are gems, and how Tony ended up like he did is anyone’s guess. His younger brother is a freshman, and follows Tony, though I think Tony beats the hell out of him if he doesn’t do what Tony says. Peter, that animal abused ten girls here at the high school before they picked the wrong girl to go after and they ended up in the hospital. We never heard about the ten girls before the boys got their butts kicked, because Tony threatened to do worse to them if they talked. Why they didn’t end up in juvie for the remainder of their teens, I don’t know. It was taken out of my hands. I will tell you there were ten fathers who wanted five minutes with both boys, and I didn’t blame them.” While Jessie spoke about Tony, there was a soft knock on Peter’s office door and when it opened, Robert stepped in and closed the door behind him. Peter indicated a chair and put his finger to his lips. Robert just nodded and sat down next to Margot, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. The look on Margot’s face told him all he needed to know. Margot smiled at Robert, returned the squeeze, then returned her attention to the conversation with Jessie.

“Peter, you got to put someone on Tony the whole time he’s at school. He’s a sneaky bastard, and will try to get an unsuspecting girl to go with him using some excuse or other. And unless I miss my guess, he’s already picked out a target at your school. So watch him like a hawk, Peter. And Peter, pray someone doesn’t kill him when they learn he’s done something to one of the girls at your school. We had to confine all of our students to their classes when the EMT’s came to take them to the hospital. Especially our football players. Several of them had sisters Tony abused. I’ll send you a copy of his complete file, if it isn’t too late already.”

The three in Peter’s office could hear Jessie sigh then say, “Peter. I can only say two more things. Good luck with Tony, and I’ll see you at your wedding. Can’t wait to see you in a monkey suit, you dog. Bye Peter, take care.” And the line went dead. Peter hung up his end, then turned to Robert. “Tony and his family are still at the reception desk. I need your crew to keep an eagle eye on that kid. Keep someone on the cameras the entire time he’s at school. Hopefully we can keep him from doing anything, but that’s wishful thinking. Margot? You doing better?” Margot nodded her head then told Peter, “Yes, I’m better now that we know what we’re dealing with. I best get back to my desk.” Peter watched as Margot got up from the chair, walked to the door, opened it, and closed it after leaving Peter’s office. Peter ran his fingers through his hair then whispered, “Awww shit. Just what we don’t need.”

Robert didn’t say anything, as he got up from his chair, picked up a spare clipboard, shoved some paper under the clip, and left Peter’s office, heading for the reception desk. He saw a man and woman with two boys at the reception desk, focusing on Tony’s face. He walked in behind the reception desk and acted like he was checking the counters which were kept on the far wall. As he watched Tony, he could see what the boy was doing, as Tony watched every girl that walked by the desk. Robert walked over to a phone, picked up the receiver and dialed two numbers. Very quietly, he spoke with the person on the other end. And out of sight of the Stoner family, a camera moved and focused on Tony. Robert then told the person to follow that kid everywhere he goes, not to lose sight of him. And to pass the word to have everyone meet in their offices. The Stoners had finished registering the boys and had started walking back to the entrance, papers in hand of the boys classes and school regulations. Robert stealthed his way behind them, watching Tony as he continued watching every girl that walked by. He followed the family until they turned into the bookstore, and he then continued on to his offices. This kid was trouble, big trouble. Trouble like they’d never had. Trouble which could get both boys killed if they messed with the wrong girl.

The next day a courier arrived at West High School. He stopped at Margot’s desk, telling her he had a special delivery for Principal Stepel. Margot signed for the package, then got up and went to Peter’s office. After knocking on his door, and waiting until Peter said ‘enter,’ she went into his office and handed Peter the package from Jessie. “Margot, have Tina handle anything while I read through this material. And field my calls, tell them I’m in a meeting and will call them back when I’m free.” Margot nodded her head after Peter spoke, then left his office. Peter took a deep breath, then opened the package and began reading. He didn’t realize how loud he had said ‘oh shit,’ but Margot heard it and knew something was bad. She knew just how bad when Robert passed her desk, knocked on Peter’s office door and walked right in. Margot’s intercom buzzed a few minutes later, meaning Peter wanted her in his office. After waiting to hear ‘enter,’ Margot walked into Peter’s office and saw Robert looking out the only window in the office. Peter never said anything but handed her the file to read. It didn’t take a mind reader to see how upset Peter was and Margot had been around Robert long enough to see he too was upset. Actually, Robert was really pissed. When she finished reading the file, she asked, “How has that kid kept from being jailed? West is the fourth school he’s been in in the last year, and he’s been expelled from the other three. Who’s pulling strings to keep him out of jail? I don’t get the feeling it’s his parents, they don’t seem the type to let something like his behavior slide. Any ideas, Peter? Robert?” She sat and watched both men, as Peter shook his head and Robert shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. Peter picked up his phone and dialed Jessie’s number, finding out she was out of the office until late afternoon.

It was Robert who spoke first by saying, “Whoever is keeping that little shit out of jail has a lot of juice. Enough to influence three other Cities. I know some people who might be able to find out, Peter, if you’d like.” All Peter said was, “Do it, Robert. Quietly.” They had to find out and find out quickly, before Tony struck at their school. Robert pulled out his cell phone, as he left Peter’s office and called the one person who could find a fly on the moon. When the person answered, Robert gave her the score and was assured he’d have his answer in about an hour. Exactly sixty-five minutes later Robert’s cell phone rang, and Robert learned who was pulling strings to keep Tony out of jail. Students stepped out of Robert’s way as the big man made his way to Peter’s office; they’d seen the look on his face before. Robert went right past Margot without a word, knocked on Peter’s door, and walked right in, closing the door behind him. Peter knew what the look on Robert’s face meant, and knew to let Robert speak first. Peter saw the big man work to keep his emotions under control as he told Peter, “It’s the fucking grandmother who’s pulling strings. She’s got money pouring out of her ears, and knows people. That fucking bitch is enabling her grandson to continually abuse girls. I made another call before I came here, Peter. Her days on the free market are about to come to an end. If that little shit does anything this time, his ass IS going to jail. And everything in his recent past will be added.” Robert said “no more,” as he angrily left Peter’s office. Peter knew why this grandmother grated on Robert’s nerves, he’d seen something similar when he was in the military. And it took everyone involved blowing the whistle to bring down the officer who was pulling strings then.

For three days, Robert’s team kept an eye on Tony no matter where he went. There was always a member of his security team walking any of the halls where Tony had a class. They made sure he went to class and made sure he came out of class to go to his next class. When he went into the restroom, they made sure no one came out of that restroom in worse shape than they went in. And made sure Tony came out of that restroom in time to get to class.

Robert had made it clear to his team they needed to find out which girl Tony had targeted, and fast. It had been the second day of his time in school that security started noticing Tony was in the same area as Kathy Williams. They noticed how he paid attention to where she went and at what time; Tony always was looking at his watch when around Kathy. They even caught him following Kathy at one point, but he turned into another wing for his next class. By the fourth day Robert was certain Tony was going after Kathy Williams, but couldn’t provide proof to substantiate his feelings. So they continued to watch Tony and let the boy string out his own rope. It was three weeks later when all hell broke loose at West High, when Tony finally struck.

It was on a Friday that started calm and peaceful, like it did every Friday. Everything was fine until after the last bell of the day had rung, and an event occurred which drew the attention of school security away from watching Tony. One of the kitchen staff was cleaning a piece of equipment when something caused a fire to start on that piece of equipment. It acted more like a burner which had been turned up too high, but it drew a lot of attention to get it put out.

At the same time, Kathy came out of the girls locker room from her last period PE class, when Tony and Patrick, who’d been waiting near the boys locker room door, grabbed her and pulled her into the boys locker room.

At the same time Marge, followed by Bobby, were coming out of the class wing where they both had history. Marge heard a scream and when turning to the sound, saw Tony and Patrick pulling Kathy into the boys locker room. She yelled at Bobby, who was walking the other way, “Bobby, that little piece of shit and his brother have grabbed Kathy and taken her into the boys locker room.” She’d started running towards the locker rooms as she yelled at Bobby, so didn’t hear him whistle and yell to other football players who were in the main corridor.

When Marge ran into the boys locker room, she could hear Tony talking to Kathy. “So, the bitch thinks she’s too good for me, does she? Well, bitch, you’re going to get a good lesson in manners when it comes to me. I’m going to have so much fun with you and leave you with a reminder who it was who gave it to you.” Marge heard a slapping sound, followed by a cry from Kathy. When Marge rounded a set of lockers, she saw Tony standing in front of Kathy, his jeans and underwear down around his ankles, and his penis fully erect. Patrick was behind Kathy holding her by her arms, her skirt and panties lying on the floor off to the side. Marge didn’t mince words as she yelled, “WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU ASSHOLES THINK YOU’RE DOING?”

Marge’s intrusion caught Tony and Patrick off guard, and they turned their heads to look at Marge. This slight distraction was all Kathy needed. Kathy was so enraged by what the two boys had done, and were about to do, that the force of her right leg snapping up, and the instep of her foot slammed into Tony’s naked groin, actually lifted the boy off the floor a few inches. Tony screamed, grabbed his groin, before dropping like a rock to the floor, ending up in a fetal position still holding his groin. Kathy then brought her right foot up and slammed the heel of her three inch high heel shoe into the instep of Patrick’s foot. She was so angry that the force of her strike drove the heel of her shoe completely through Patrick’s instep and sole of his foot, striking the floor beneath his foot. She pulled her shoe free just as Patrick started screaming and released her, himself dropping to the floor and holding his punctured foot as he screamed.

Bobby was the first of the football players to arrive in the boys locker room, and watched as Marge picked up Kathy’s skirt and panties and led her towards the showers to help get Kathy redressed. Bobby walked over and blocked the path to the showers, just as the other players arrived. Bobby pointed at Tony and Patrick and growled, “These two pieces of shit went after Kathy. Two of you drag that piece of shit,” and he was pointing at Tony, “and two of you take that piece of shit,” and he pointed to Patrick,”to the office, and don’t bother putting their clothes back on. The rest of you stick around, we need to help Kathy when she gets dressed.” A few kicks landed on both boys as two players picked up Tony and two picked up Patrick, and as someone held the locker room door open, four football players dragged, or carried, the boys out of the locker room and towards the office.

When Marge and Kathy came out of the area of the showers, Bobby could see how upset Kathy was, and how Marge was supporting the girl. Bobby tried to help Marge with Kathy but it caused Kathy to move away from Bobby. Bobby had turned and started walking towards the locker room door, but his friends stood firm and shook their heads; they knew what Bobby planned to do but wouldn’t let him get himself in trouble. Instead, with Bobby leading the way while the other players followed, and Marge and Kathy between them, they slowly headed towards the office. The small group hadn’t gotten far when several school security came running toward them, then tried to get the football players to move along when the security people reached the group. The small group stopped, and five angry football players formed a line in front of Marge and Kathy. It was Dwight who told security, “You want to come with us, fine. But we’re going to escort both girls to the office. And if you want to argue about this, bring it on. We need to kick the shit out of somebody today.” All five teens stood a good foot taller than most of the security people, and outweighed most of them by a good one hundred pounds.

It was Robert who arrived last and pushed his way through his people, before he stood in front of all five boys. Robert was probably the only man there who could take on all five boys and end up with only a few bruises, and the boys knew this. But they weren’t moving. When Robert finally spoke, he used a soft voice, attempting to keep his anger under check. “You five continue guarding Marge and Kathy as you take them to the office. I’m going to have Millie and Susan go with you, the girls need women with them until their parents arrive. Keep a lid on it, boys. Don’t do anything to get yourselves into trouble. I know exactly what you want to do to those pieces of shit, it’s what I want to do as well. But we can’t, unfortunately. Millie, Susan, go with this group to the office. Put the girls in one of the meeting rooms, and stay with them. No one but school staff, police, or medical gets in to see the girls. Got it?” Robert received two ‘yes, sir’ before the boys regrouped around the girls and the group continued towards the office.

Peter was standing in the office hallway when the four football players brought Tony and Patrick into the office. “Where do you want these pieces of shit, Principal Stepel? We’ll throw them wherever you want them.” Sam Wilson was one of the players Walter, then Kathy, tutored in math so he could remain eligible to play football, and he was pissed. Peter knew exactly how the four felt, Kathy was, afterall, his niece. “Take them down to the big conference room, and don’t throw them onto the floor. Set them down, away from each other. We have to handle this the right way, though I totally understand how you boys feel,” Peter told the four, who followed Peter’s orders to the letter. It wasn’t long before the second group arrived, and Peter could see how upset Kathy was because of what two animals almost did to her. “Take the girls to one of the small conference rooms,” Peter said to Bobby. Bobby nodded his head and led them to the first small conference room they came to. Millie and Susan waited in the room with Marge and Kathy, while five tigers stood guard in front of the door to that room.

At the Williams’ home, Terry was going nuts after receiving the call from Peter. Her car was in the shop so she had to wait for Shelby to come by to pick her up. She never let Shelby shut off the engine of his car, as she opened the front passenger door even before Shelby had completely stopped his car. “Go...go...damit, GO, Shelby,” Terry almosted screamed, as Shelby accelerated away from the curb in front of their home. Shelby was doing the speed limit, which didn’t sit well with Terry. “DAMIT, SHELBY! GO FASTER. BREAK THE SPEED LIMIT. DO YOU HEAR ME! MOVE!” Shelby pulled the car over and stopped, turned to Terry and said in a firm voice, “Terry, I will not endanger our lives to satisfy your need to get as quickly to the high school as you need to get there. Kathy is in good hands, and there’s nothing we can do if we end up in the hospital. So sit back, calm down, and we’ll get there in a few minutes.” The look on Terry’s face after being lectured by Shelby could have cracked granite, but she did as he said, and Shelby put the car in gear and drove them safely to the high school. Once in the parking lot, at the loading zone, Shelby had to throw the car into Park, and jump out of the car to catch Terry before she got too far. He caught up with her just as she entered the school, grabbed her shoulders, spun her around, shoved her up against the wall and told her in no uncertain terms, “Damit, Terry, stop it right now. If you go charging in there and do what you want to do, you’ll blow whatever case an attorney had of convicting those two assholes. NOW, stop it right NOW. You WILL stay right here while I go park the car. You WILL wait for me and we WILL go into the office together. And you WILL keep your mouth shut and let Peter tell us everything. Do you understand me, Terry?” Terry had never seen Shelby in such a state with her before now, but she knew he meant every word he said. So she simply nodded her head and watched as Shelby went back outside to move the car. When he came back into the school, he gently took her hand and together they walked into the office wing.

When Shelby and Terry walked into the office wing, Peter took them into his office and started explaining everything he’d been told. Shelby put an arm on Terry’s arm, as he saw her start to rise out of the chair she was using. All he said was, “No, Terry. Stay seated.” Peter then took them down to the small conference room where Marge and Kathy waited. When they approached the room, the five boys parted to let them enter the room. Shelby let Terry enter first, a wise move since Kathy rocketed out of her chair and practically jumped onto Terry. “Oh gawd, mom, what they were going to do to me,” Kathy said as she held onto her mom with a death grip. “If it hadn’t been for Marge, they’d...they’d...oh gawd…” and Kathy broke down and started sobbing. Shelby gently pushed Terry further into the small room so he could close the door behind him. Once the door was closed, the five tigers once again made it impossible for anyone but authorized personnel to enter the room.

Sometime later there was a knock on the small conference room door, and two women entered. One was in a police uniform and the other in plain clothing. They saw Millie and Susan, nodded to them, then looked at Marge, Shelby, and Terry holding a still distraught Kathy. All were sitting around the table in the room. “I’m detective Barbara Stevens, and this is officer Jo Dunnley. I realize this is a bad time but I need to speak with Kathy and Marge.” Looking at Terry and Shelby, Barbara said, “I take it you are Kathy’s parents?” When both Shelby and Terry nodded, Barbara told them, “Good, you need to be here so I can legally question Kathy.” She then looked at Millie and Susan, and both shook their heads, they were not leaving the girls alone. Barbara understood, but was a bit miffed.

“Kathy,” Barbara asked, “do you think you can answer some questions for me?” Kathy was sitting in Terry’s lap with her head on Terry’s shoulder. She lifted her head, turned it towards the detective, and told her, “Yeah, I think so. What do you need to know?” For the next thirty minutes, Barbara asked the usual questions: ‘Where were you when the boys grabbed you?’ ‘Did you do anything to encourage them in any way?’ ‘What did they do to you?’ ‘How did they get hurt?’ ‘How did Marge help you?’ As Kathy answered each question, she became calmer, almost angry again, but didn’t go off the rails. When Barbara had all the answers she wanted, she told all of them she would be back after she questioned others. When Barbara opened the small conference room door, she almost ran straight into Peter, who was trying not to drop an arm full of bottled water. He backed out of her way before going into the room and setting the bottles on the table. With the door closed behind him, everyone reached for a bottle of water; Shelby got three, handing two to Terry and Kathy.

Peter sat down in one of the chairs, and told the four, “Well, the EMT’s arrived shortly after the police arrived. We sent them directly to check on Tony and Patrick. Kathy, you really did a number on both boys. But I don’t blame you. They had to give Tony a muscle relaxant in order to check his injuries. From what they saw, he won’t be giving his parents any grandkids in the future. But that’s not the worst thing I could hear. Boy, girl, you must have been really pissed to punch a hole straight through Patrick’s instep. They said you missed any major vessels, or bones, but it’ll take some time for that hole to heel. Where’d you learn to do those things anyway?” He watched as Kathy looked at his sister, then turned to him and tell him, “After I fully transitioned, mom thought it a good idea if I took lessons from a friend of hers who helps people relearn how to walk, eat, that sort of thing. Mom said just because I turned into a girl, it didn’t mean I knew how to walk like a girl. And as it turned out, mom’s friend also taught self defense classes. No Martial Arts stuff, just plain old ‘poke them in the eye’ type stuff. She’s the one who taught me where to hit a guy when it was him or me.” Peter chuckled, shook his head, then said, “Smart mom you got there, kid.”

They were making small talk when there was a knock on the small conference room door and Barbara and Jo came into the room. “Principal Stepel, Mr. and Mrs. Williams, the two boys are on their way to the hospital. I’ve spoken with their parents, and your’s, young lady,” she said, pointing to Marge, “and took statements from your guard dogs just outside the door. I’ve done all I can do tonight, but I will need everyone to come to the station tomorrow morning and give a formal statement of the incident. Mr. and Mrs. Williams, it might be a good idea to take Kathy to the ER and have them give you a good check up. Just to make sure she didn’t get hurt when those two dragged her into the locker room. And Kathy. I understand you’re new to being a girl. I’m so sorry you had to experience something like this. Something every girl fears might happen to her. It’s a hell of a way to be introduced into girldom. Thank you all for being so patient with me, and giving me your time at such a horrible time. One thing I can assure everyone, those two boys won’t be returning to this, or any other, school. I hope you all can have a better evening.” And with that, Barbara and Jo left the room, letting everyone finally leave the room as well. When they stepped out of the room, all five football players were still there. Terry turned to all five and told them, “Guys, thank you very much for looking out for the girls. Shelby and I really appreciate what you did.” With Kathy and Marge’s parents there, the five boys walked out of the office to head home. As the small group watched the boys walk away, it was Kathy who said, “One day some lucky girl is going to get quite some guy for her boyfriend. And he’s going to treat her like a princess.”

There was a slight fuss when Shelby told Peter they’d take Kathy to the ER as the detective suggested. Kathy agreed to go, but only if Marge came with her. Shelby and Terry tried to reason with Kathy, telling her Marge might be very tired after everything, but it did no good. Shelby looked to Dorothy and Thomas, Marge’s parents, and they agreed letting Marge go with Kathy was a good idea; the Williams could bring Marge home afterwards. As Peter watched another small group walk out of the office, he said to the older woman standing besides him, “Damn, Margot. Will that kid ever get a break? Is there something she’ll do in the future that requires her to go through all this crap?” Margot patted Peter on the back and told him, “Only time will reveal that answer, Peter. Why don’t we close this place up and get out of here? Don’t you have someone waiting for you?” Peter chuckled and openly agreed with everything Margot said, before doing exactly that.

Marsha was standing at the reception counter in the ER when the doors swished open, causing her to turn to see if she was going to be needed right away. A big smile formed on her face as she saw Shelby, Terry, Kathy, and Marge walk into the ER. That smile faded as she saw the look on all of their faces, this causing her to quickly make her way to the group. “Hi, guys,” Marsha cautiously said, “is everything alright?” Marsha watched as Terry and Marge both put their arms around a visibly upset Kathy, who was again starting to shake; her mind was replaying the events which had taken place only a few hours ago. Shelby stepped closer to Marsha, lowered his voice, and told her, “Marsha, Kathy was attacked at school by two boys. They dragged her into the boys locker room and had torn off her skirt and panties, and were about to rape her when Marge showed up. They never got the chance to do anything more to her, as the distraction of Marge showing up gave Kathy the chance to take care of both boys. We need to have her checked over to make sure she wasn’t hurt by the boys as they dragged her into the locker room.” As Shelby told Marsha why they were in the ER, Marsha looked over at Kathy and saw the tears freely flowing down her cheeks. It then hit her, and she asked, “Did one of the boys have sandy colored hair? And the other a dirty blonde?” When Kathy nodded, Marsha realized she had treated both boys when they’d been brought into the ER. Marsha stepped over to Kathy, gently took the girl’s hands, and told her, “I initially treated those two boys when they were brought to the ER, both were a mess. The older one is now up in surgery, his testicles were severely damaged and will have to be removed. The younger one was taken up to the surgical floor so the doctors could evaluate how to repair the hole in his foot. Sweetheart, I’m so sorry you had to experience something like this, but you did good in defending yourself.” Marsha then asked Shelby to wait in the waiting room, called over two female nurses and told them to prep exam room three, and asked the woman to follow her.

Shelby stood rooted where he was as he watched Terry, Marge, and Kathy follow Marsha through the doors leading to the exam rooms. He wanted to do more than kick one of those boys in the groin, and punch a hole through the foot of the other. He wanted to kill both of them, slowly. But he resigned himself to let the law deal with them, as it should and would, if he had anything to say about it all.

When Marsha and the three women reached exam room three, Kathy laughed when she saw the number on the door. That laugh caused Marsha, Terry, and Marge to look at Kathy, but she shook her head and told them, “No, I’m alright. It’s just, this room is where it all began. It was in this room where Walter was examined after the accident. And it was in this room Kathy found out she was a total girl. And it’s in this room I’m going to find out how banged up I am.” Kathy smiled at Marsha and asked, “Guess you still have those revealing gowns to wear?” Kathy’s question, and her recollection of past events had two effects. The gown question caused all of them to laugh, Walter’s butt had always been flying in the wind. Kathy’s recollection brought tears to Terry’s eyes, memories of a hurt boy lying on the exam table and the loss of her son rushed back to her. Then Walter popped up as Kathy said to Marsha, “Maybe you should rename this room ‘The Katherine Elizabeth Williams Exam Room,’ Marsha. Or maybe I should try and gain squatters rights to the room.” The smile on Kathy’s face after what she said spoke volumes, and Marsha knew it. It was the way Walter had handled the situations he’d run into. It was Marge who said, “Well, someone is feeling better.”

tbc
Chapter 24

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 24

Kathy may have appeared to be better after her ordeal, but Terry knew better, as she could see it in Kathy’s eyes. It was Terry who said, “Hi, Jenny, didn’t take you long to arrive.” Marsha, Marge, and Kathy turned as one to see Jenny Thomas walking down the hall towards them. Then the three, as one, turned to look at Terry, who was still watching Jenny approach. “Okay, mom, what gives?” Kathy asked, as she then turned her attention back to Jenny. When Jenny reached the three women, she hugged Terry and told her, “I got here as fast as traffic allowed. No since getting into a wreck or speeding ticket.” “Mooom…?” Kathy said in a questioning tone. It didn’t take Marsha but a moment to realize what was taking place, and told the others, “I think we should take this into the exam room, ladies. Don’t you?”

Kathy barged past Marsha and went into the exam room first. Marsha looked at Terry and mouthed, ‘Dumb move Terry.’ Terry didn’t care what Marsha thought, Kathy was her only concern at the moment. It didn’t take a puzzle master to decipher the look on Kathy’s face when the four women walked into the exam room. And Kathy didn’t hold back when Marsha closed the door after Jenny had entered the room. “OKAY, MOM, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? WHAT IS JENNY DOING HERE? IF YOU THINK I’M ABOUT TO TELL ANYONE BUT THE POLICE WHAT HAPPENED, THEN YOU ARE SORELY MISTAKEN?”

Terry was no one to let her daughter speak to her in that tone of voice. Marge saw what was about to occur as Terry quickly walked over to Kathy. Marge was closer to Kathy so she quickly stepped in front of Kathy, facing her, and hugged her to pin her arms to her side. She then told Terry, “You don’t want to do that Terry. Given the state she’s in, she will hurt you. And believe me, she can do it, thanks to those lessons you insisted she take.” What Marge said pulled Terry up short, causing her to stop and step back. When Terry looked into Kathy’s eyes, she could see the truth in Marge’s words. Kathy was in a state, and not one Terry’s seen before. Jenny stepped up behind Terry, put a hand on her shoulder, and told her, “Terry, you need to calm down and step back from all of this. If you don’t, you could lose your daughter and any chance the lawyers have of getting a conviction against the two boys. I would tell you to step out in the hallway with me, but because Kathy is a minor you have to be here. The only question is, what state are you going to be in while you’re in this room?”

The nurse in the room had come around the exam table and was standing next to Marsha, both women ready to grab Terry if she made another move towards Kathy. Terry dropped her head, nodded, then let Jenny lead her to one of the two chairs in the room. The tension in the room had dropped, but hadn’t dissipated. Marsha had the nurse take out a gown from one of the drawers below one of the counters, held it out to Kathy and asked her to step behind the screen and get completely undressed before putting the gown on. Marge let go of Kathy, but Kathy didn’t let go of Marge, as she grabbed Marge’s hand as she took the gown in the other hand. Both girls went behind the screen and Marge held Kathy as the girl broke down and sobbed into Marge’s shoulder. Jenny felt Terry start to get up, but kept a firm hand on the woman’s shoulder, keeping her in her seat. “She needs this, Terry. Let her be,” Marsha told Terry, pushing harder as Terry tried to break free of her grip. Terry almost broke free of Jenny’s grip and if it hadn’t been for Marsha standing before Terry with a hypodermic in her hand, Terry would have succeeded. “Now Terry, you have a choice. I can sedate you to calm you down, or, you can calm down on your own,” Marsha told her, the look in Marsha’s eyes telling Terry she meant every word she said. Jenny felt Terry relax, and she lessened her grip on Terry’s shoulder; but kept her hand there just in case.

Marsha set the hypodermic on a gauze pad on the counter, just in case it was needed, and watched as first Marge then a gowned Kathy came out from behind the screen. Marsha then went through a preliminary exam, height, weight, DOB, before having Kathy get up on the exam table. She had Kathy sit at first, taking her blood pressure then her temperature. She checked to make sure Kathy’s pupils were equal and reactive, then had Kathy lie down. Kathy insisted Marge hold her hand, even though Marsha wanted to examine her arms for any signs of injury. She spotted bruises on both of Kathy’s upper arms, bruises in the form of fingers. Marsha then asked if either boy hit her. Kathy told her, yes, she’d been slapped on the right side of her face. Marsha gently turned Kathy’s head to get a better view of the right side of Kathy’s face, noting the welt that was on display just below Kathy’s right cheekbone. The gown stopped at Kathy’s knees, so Marsha started examining Kathy’s lower legs next. She started at each knee, going down to each foot, articulating the lower leg and foot to see if anything was damaged. When she reached Kathy’s right foot, however, she saw a semi-circle imprint on the instep of the foot. Knowing what happened to Tony, she asked the nurse to get Kathy’s right high heel shoe from behind the screen. When the nurse returned with the shoe Marsha gently put the shoe on Kathy’s right foot, and saw how the curve of the top portion which covered Kathy’s toes exactly matched the imprint on Kathy’s foot. Marsha tried to not let on how much force Kathy had used to cause such an imprint when she kicked Tony, but Kathy’s keen eyes caught it nonetheless. “What, Marsha? What do you see?” Marsha looked at the nurse, then Jenny, then Terry, hoping to get some affirmation if she should tell Kathy the truth. But no one offered a sign. Marsha sighed, then said, “Kathy, you kicked Tony with so much force that an imprint of this portion of your shoe is on your foot,” and she showed Kathy the location on the shoe that caused the imprint. “It isn’t anything to worry about, none of the blood vessels look damaged, so it should fade in a few days.” Marsha had been drawing things out, trying to slowly work up to what she had to do next. She only hoped Kathy wouldn’t come apart when she did.

Still drawing things out, Marsha asked if Kathy needed anything to drink. Jenny saw the look on Marsha’s face when Kathy told her no. She also realized what had to be done next, and whether both mother and daughter could tolerate it.

Marsha took a deep breath, and told Kathy, “Kathy, I need you to be completely honest with me because I’m going to start examining your upper body. Did the boys touch your breast, punch you in the stomach, hit you in the back? Did you bang into anything when they took you into the locker room? Or did they just take off your skirt and panties?” Jenny tightened her grip on Terry’s shoulders, as tears fell from Kathy’s eyes. “I don’t know what it was, but I bang my back on something as they took me into the locker room. Then they sort of dropped my feet and my heels hit the floor, before they took off my skirt and panties.” Kathy’s grip tightened on Marge’s hand as she told Marsha the whole truth. Marsha took a tissue and dabbed Kathy’s eyes, catching the tears which had slid towards Kathy’s ears.

Taking another deep breath, Marsha asked, “Kathy, did either of those two boys enter into your body with themselves or anything else?” Just after Kathy told Marsha, “No,” she rose up from the table and took Marge in a death hug, as she again cried on Marge’s shoulder. Jenny firmly pushed Terry back into her seat. She bent down and whispered in Terry’s ear, “remember what I told you about losing your daughter and fucking up the case against the boys.” Terry again relaxed in her seat. When Kathy had cried herself out, Marsha did insist Kathy drink quite a bit of the bottled water Marsha gave her. When Kathy had drunk half of the water in the bottle, she had Kathy sit up and turn so her feet were hanging over the edge of the exam table. She told Kathy to hold on to the front of the gown so it didn’t fall down, as she untied the back so she could examine Kathy’s back. What she saw was a good bruise that ran just below Kathy’s shoulder blades and from left to right. Kathy jumped slightly as Marsha palpated the entire area, paying close attention to the backbone that lay under the bruise; That place would need to be scanned. Marsha checked the rest of Kathy’s back, before having the girl lie back down on the exam table.

Kathy again flinched, and gripped Marge’s hand harder as Marsha gently pulled the top of the gown down to expose Kathy’s upper body. Even with her eyes tightly closed, the tears fell as Marsha gently examined every inch of Kathy’s upper body. Kathy then felt the gown being placed back over her upper body, and knew what was coming next. She couldn’t speak, but only nodded, when Marsha told her, “Kathy, I have to examine your groin now. I want you to lie how you are right now. Then I’ll tell you when to raise your legs so your feet are flat on the table. Okay?” When Marsha saw Kathy nod, she said, “Okay, here we go.”

Marsha took the hem of the gown and lifted it and pushed it up until it lay just below Kathy’s chin. It wasn’t hard to see the fear in Kathy, as her body had started to shake. Kathy let out a cry, then whimpered, as Marsha started to palpate Kathy’s abdomen and upper thighs. Kathy reached out with her other hand towards Marge when Marsha had her raise her legs until her feet were flat on the table. Kathy had let Debbie Marlow examine her groin, and didn’t bat an eye as she did so. But that was before what Tony and Patrick had done and planned to do to her. Now she only muffled her crying as Marsha examined the inside of both thighs, both sides of her groin, and the entrance to Kathy’s body. It got to be too much for Kathy as Marsha examined the folds of skin, and the girl burst out in tears. Marge had bent down to let Kathy hold her as Marsha said, “I’m almost through, Kathy.” Marsha tugged the bottom of the gown out from under Marge, and pulled it down to once again cover Kathy. Marsha patted Kathy’s arms and told her, “Okay, sweetheart, I’m all through. No more. You can get dressed now.”

Marge pulled Kathy into a sitting position, before Kathy swung her legs off the exam table and got off the table with Marge’s help. The two girls went behind the screen and were there for some time as Kathy had more tears to shed. While Kathy was getting dressed, Marsha wrote up her notes, then turned to Terry and told her, “There are no signs of penetration. No bruising in the groin region, though there is the welt on the right side of her face, and a bruise just below her shoulder blades, running from left to right. Because it runs across a vertebrae I’m going to send her down to imaging so they can have a good look at that area. Also, I know why you called Jenny, and agree with your decision. So, I’m going to prescribe that she see Jenny three times a week to start with, then leave it up to Jenny to set further appointments. I know of Walter’s past and how he reacted to situations. But even Walter couldn’t have come out of something like this unscathed. As for you, Terry,” and Marsha wrote on her prescription pad, “I want you to get this filled and follow my instructions. These won’t put you to sleep, but they will help you calm down and get through all of this crap.” She tore the script off the pad and handed it to Terry, looking her in the eye and telling her, “I meant what I said, Terry. The needle or the pills, and I’ll be checking with Shelby to make sure you’re taking the pills. Don’t risk blowing things by letting yourself get out of control. I know what you’d like to do, but that won’t undo what’s been done.” Jenny was nodding her head at everything Maraha was telling Terry. Then a shocked Terry heard, “And Terry, I’ll call you and let you know the time and date for your appointment with me.” When Terry looked up at Jenny, Jenny told her, “You need me as much as Kathy does at the moment. You both have been attacked.” Terry thought about Jenny’s last words and nodded her head in understanding. By now both girls had come out from behind the screen. Marsha picked up the phone in the room and dialed a number. Then she said, “This is doctor Taylor in exam room three. I need an orderly to take Kathy Williams and friends up to Imaging. I’ll be calling up there to let them know what I need. Okay, thanks.” A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. After opening the door, Marsha gave instructions to the orderly and after hugs were exchanged, Marsha apologizing to Kathy, watched as the four followed the orderly to the elevators. It was the first time the nurse with Marsha spoke when she asked, “Do you think she’ll be alright, Marsha?” Marsha chuckled, then told Betty, “Betty, let’s go get some coffee and I’ll tell you about the exploits of one Walter Williams. Better known today as Kathy Williams.”

Kathy’s experience in Imaging went much better, as they took her in right away then asked her to put on another hospital gown. Marge stayed with her, right up until it was time to perform the scan of Kathy’s back. Except for some of the noise, Kathy was able to relax as the scans, and images, were taken. When they were done, Kathy was allowed to get dressed, and asked to wait in the waiting room; Marsha had told the person in charge to make sure to let the Williams know of their findings before the Williams left. And, a little more than an hour later the doctor handling the scans and images came out to the waiting room. “Marsha was insistent I tell you of the results before you left the hospital, she was concerned there might be some damage to the vertebrae that would warrant further treatment. I am glad to say everything looks fine, there were no signs of fractures or anything out of the ordinary. Judging by the bruise you have, young lady,” and the doctor looked at Kathy, “you’re going to be sore for several days. Momma,” and she looked between Jenny and Terry, as Terry raised her hand. “Mrs. Williams, I want you to keep an eye on your daughter. Watch for any signs of out of the ordinary movement, pain when none had occurred before. Any dizziness, nausea, anything you know your daughter has never experienced. If you see anything out of the ordinary, get her back up here yesterday, last week, two years ago. Otherwise, I’d use a cold compress wrapped in a towel for 10 to 20 minutes a day. Also, if you notice any abnormal swelling, get your daughter back up her pronto. And young lady,” she addressed Kathy, “you take it easy. No jumping, twisting, or anything else until that bruise is gone. Understand?” When Kathy, and Terry, nodded their understanding, the doctor shook everyone’s hands before bidding them goodbye. The doctor then returned to her office, where she sent the results of the scans to Marsha, where it would be added to Kathy’s file, which would be turned over to the police.

The hospital work was done, but Jenny had yet to start her part, as she suggested getting something from the hospital cafeteria so they all could talk. Jenny walked behind Terry, Marge, and Kathy, watching to see how relaxed, or tense, they were now that the tests were over. Kathy and Marge were holding hands, and Kathy was almost attached to Marge’s right hip, something Jenny hadn’t seen the girls do at school. She also noticed how robotic Terry was as she walked, again, something she’d not seen Terry do before. She also saw Terry clench and unclench her fists, a sure sign Terry really needed to unwind. The only one who seemed to be doing alright was Marge, the rock Kathy and Terry had been, and still were, leaning on.

When they reached the cafeteria Jenny asked what everyone wanted to drink, or snack on. Once she had everyone’s preference, it only took a few minutes before she sat a tray of drinks and snacks on the table the girls chose. Jenny waited until Kathy and Terry had their mouths occupied by their snack before she said, “Okay, you two,” and she pointed to Kathy and Terry. “Kathy, I want to see you after school in my office at school Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And if you need Marge to come with you, that’s okay. Terry, I will see you in my downtown office Tuesday evening at 7 pm, no ifs ands or buts. And if I have too, I’ll have Shelby bring you. And if neither of you shows up, I’ll be at your home within fifteen minutes after your appointment. I’m deadly serious, Terry. While Kathy and I need to talk, you may be the one who needs my help the most. This is a first for you, having your daughter attacked, something that Walter would never have gone through. So,” and she looked both Kathy and Terry in their eyes, “are you two going to corporate of your own free wills, or do I have to get a Court order to get you both to comply? And believe me, after what happened, I know just the Judge who will agree with me.” Kathy nodded straight away, while Terry, more reluctant to agree, since she didn’t feel the need to speak with Jenny, finally nodded her head in agreement. “Good,” Jenny said, “then I think it’s time to get Kathy home and let her get some rest.”

They all finished their drinks and snacks, before Jenny walked with them out to the waiting room to pick up Shelby. Terry filled Shelby in about Kathy’s exam, and Jenny told him about the appointments Kathy and Terry had with her starting the following week. She then suggested Shelby take his girls home so both could relax and get the rest they needed. It was Kathy who then turned to Marge with pleading eyes, and as Jenny, Terry, and Shelby watched, Marge pulled out her cell phone and called her mother. Thomas and Dorothy had been notified by the high school about the incident, so Dorothy wasn’t surprised by what Marge told her over the phone. “Hi mom. I’m going to spend the night with Kathy, she’s still upset and wants me with her. I know we have to be at the police station at 9 am, so I’ll catch a ride with the Williams and meet you and daddy there. I love you too, mom.” Jenny was rather pleased at the non-reaction from Shelby and Terry, when they heard Marge basically invite herself to spend the night with Kathy. But it was easy to see the change of expression on Kathy’s face when she learned Marge would be with her throughout the night. And Jenny had a feeling it was going to be a rough one at that. The small group walked out to the parking lot together, where Jenny said her goodbyes, and watched as the Williams, and Marge headed to Shelby’s car. She walked the short distance to her car, got in, pulled out her cell phone, and when her call was answered, said, “Hi sweetheart, I’m on my way home. See ya in a few.”

After everyone was in the car, Shelby asked where everyone wanted to eat. Marge kept quiet, as the question was directed at Terry and Kathy. When both answered with, “I don’t care,” Shelby turned so he could look at both Kathy and Terry. “Look, girls. I know Marge will eat anything we choose, she isn’t picky. But you two are somewhat picky. If I have her pick a place, it might not be one either of you likes. So, what do you want to eat tonight? And don’t say pizza, we’ve pizza’d things out for a while.” Shelby waited, and almost started pulling on his hair, when Kathy said, “Um...Chinese sounds good.” Shelby looked at Terry and watched as she nodded her head in agreement. Shelby continued looking at Terry’s face, seeing how tense she was and hoping his idea, when they got home, helped her relax. He might have to force her to corporate, for her own good, but he knew if she didn’t relax it would be one hell of a weekend. Shelby started the car, backed out of the parking space, then pulled out of the parking lot and headed to their favorite Chinese buffet. As he drove, he watched Kathy and Marge through the rear view mirror. Kathy had almost laid herself down on Marge’s lap, though she actually was resting her head on Marge’s breasts. Her eyes were closed, and she saw Marge mouth to him, ‘She’s asleep.’ Shelby nodded his head and concentrated on his driving.

No one spoke the entire drive to the restaurant. Shelby occasionally glanced at Terry, who looked the same as when they first got into the car. Shelby slowed the car as he turned into the restaurant parking lot, then shut off the engine when he’d parked in a space near the entrance. Marge hated to do it, but she quietly spoke to Kathy in order to wake her. When Kathy finally opened her eyes, and realized where her head had been, she quickly sat upright and tried to apologize to Marge. Marge looked Kathy in the eyes and told her, “Kathy. You were tired, and needed to lay your head some place you felt safe sleeping. I was here and offered you a safe place, which you took advantage of. You haven’t caused me any embarrassment or shame, so to apologize for feeling safe is not needed.” Kathy reacted by throwing her arms around Marge’s neck, and thanking her for being there with her. It was Shelby who broke the spell by suggesting they head inside to get something to eat.

Normally Terry would wait for Shelby to open her door, as he always did. Not this time. This time Terry all but bolted out of the car and was at the entrance to the restaurant before the others had gotten out of the car. Shelby had to call out to Terry and order her to wait on them, as she was just about to open the door and go inside the restaurant. As the three walked to the entrance, Shelby did something he’d only done a few times in their marriage. He told the girls to wait and grabbed Terry’s arm and dragged her away for a private conversation. Terry had been angry in the hospital and the entire drive to the restaurant, but she was now pissed because of what Shelby just did. And Shelby didn’t mince his words.

“Now you listen to me, Terry Marci Williams, and you listen good! None of this is about you, as you are trying to make it. It’s about our daughter, and the animals who attacked her. It’s about something our daughter, as Walter, would never have considered happening to him. You’re pissed because of the way people have kept you in line, to keep you from fucking up the case against those animals, and from causing our daughter more trauma.” When Shelby mentioned Terry causing more trauma she gave him a sharp questioning look. “Yes,” he went on, “you could cause Kathy more trauma than she’s already suffered. You would smother her with your concern to the point she would start rejecting you, doing anything to keep away from you. You would start running her life, just to make sure this type of thing doesn’t happen again. You’d have to be everywhere she went. You’d probably hire someone to be with her the whole day at school. She’d never be rid of you if she wanted to go out with her friends. And perish the thought she and Marge would ever have a moment to themselves. In trying to protect Kathy so this type of thing never happens again, you’d push her away from you because of your actions and attitude.”

And then it happened, Terry cracked. She threw her arms around Shelby’s neck, pulled him close and began to cry. It wasn’t long before she felt other arms go around her, as she lifted her head off Shelby’s shoulder, she looked down and saw Marge and Kathy there with them, their arms around Terry. Terry let go of Shelby and grabbed Kathy and pulled her in close. Through tears that continued to fall she said, “I’m so sorry baby. I’m so angry about what happened to you that I forgot it wasn’t me who needed the support and love. Oh sweetheart, please forgive me.” Both were letting tears fall freely now, as Kathy told Terry, “It’s okay, mom. I’ve seen you this way before. You’re angry with yourself because you couldn’t do anything to prevent it from happening. And you took that anger out on others, as you often do. But it’s okay, really. Because if you hadn’t done this, it would have shown you didn’t really care about me or daddy.” Shelby found he had something in his eyes, as she took out his handkerchief and wiped his eyes. Marge even opened her purse and took out a tissue to use on her eyes. The healing of these four people had begun, but it would take much more time before they let all of the tension they carried fall away. And more time before Terry and Kathy could come to grips with what was done to Kathy.

Because the girls’ makeup was in shambles, Shelby entered the restaurant first. The ladies followed but made a beeline to the ladies room to make the necessary repairs. Shelby was shown to a table for four, sat down and because he knew what everyone would want to drink, ordered their drinks. It was just a few minutes before he saw his girls walking toward their table, Marge on one side of Terry and Kathy on the other side; Terry had her arms around both girls. Shelby stood when his girls reached the table, telling them he’d ordered drinks and they should go and get their meals from the buffet carts. Through the years of work Shelby did, he’d developed the ability to tell when tensions were high during a conference with a client. And he reached out with that ability now and discovered the tension he felt in the car had drastically dropped, which pleased him no end. His plans for Terry when they got home just might work. The rest of their time at the restaurant was pleasant, thought stilted. Terry and Kathy were talking again, which was good, but skirting the issue they needed to talk about.

Marge and Kathy went to the buffet a second time, wanting to try some of the other dishes offered. This gave Shelby a chance to speak with Terry for a short time. “Terry, I’m sorry I spoke to you the way I did outside. But I just couldn’t let you steam roll over others in the state you were in. And frankly, it was the only thing I could come up with at the time.” Terry reached over with her right hand and gently rubbed Shelby’s right cheek, telling him, “I’m glad you were able to get me to see how wrong I’ve been acting. And you were right, I was trying to make all of this about me and my not being able to keep Kathy safe.” She then chuckled before going on with, “I’d forgotten she’ll be leaving us one day and I can’t be there to protect her no matter how much I’d want to be there. You’re one hell of a man, Shelby Williams. And you do have your moments.” She then leaned over and gently kissed Shelby on the lips, just as they heard, “Eww...get a room.” Terry turned her head so her cheek was against Shelby’s cheek. What they saw was two girls who had the biggest smiles on their faces, and each holding a plate piled high with food. As if a signal had been given, Shelby and Terry stuck out their tongues at the girls, at the same time, causing both girls to start laughing. More healing had occurred.

The drive to the Williams’ home found the couple in the front seat, and the couple in the back seat cuddled together. Terry had her head on Shelby’s shoulder, while Kathy had her head on Marge’s shoulder. Shelby couldn’t put his arm around his wife, as he wanted, but Marge could put her arm around Kathy and had pulled Kathy tight to her; they even practiced applying each other’s lip gloss with their lips during the drive. Because they had to be at the police station at 9 am Saturday morning, Terry and Shelby decided they all needed an early bedtime, though nothing was said what time they each had to be asleep. Each couple bid the other a goodnight, and hand in hand, the couples headed to their respective bedrooms.

At some point during the evening, Shelby’s idea for Terry somehow reached Marge’s brain. Marge had planned to shower with Kathy. She planned to completely wash Kathy, making sure to get the girl aroused while they were in the shower. She’d try to bring Kathy to orgasim while they showered together, keeping her on the edge afterwards, so that when they got in bed, Marge could work her magic again and make sure Kathy was so relaxed she’d have no trouble sleeping. This was pretty much Shelby’s idea, but with an adult flair. Marge’s and Shelby’s plans worked great, until about three o’clock in the morning.

Marge had brought Kathy to ecstasy three more times in bed, before Kathy fell into a deep, exhausted, sleep. Marge cuddled Kathy to her and fell into her own exhausted sleep. The clock showed three in the morning, when the house rang out with a horrid scream. Even though the door to Shelby and Terry’s bedroom was closed, they had no trouble hearing it. Both were out of bed and running down the hall to Kathy’s bedroom as another scream was heard. Terry was through the door first, and flipping on the ceiling light, saw Marge tightly holding a hesterial Kathy. Just as Marge had done in the exam room, she had her arms tightly around Kathy’s arms, a bruise already forming on her right cheek. “She had a nightmare about what they were going to do to her,” she told Terry and Shelby, as she softly talked to Kathy, trying to get her to calm down. It was then Terry and Shelby realized Kathy was still asleep, and trying to fight the boys again. It took a few minutes, and soft words from Marge, before Kathy finally woke up, only to find herself sitting up and Marge holding her arms at her side. “What happened? Oh gawd, I dreamed those two assholes were about to rape me. How’d you get that bruise, Marge? Did I do that?” Kathy then broke down, Marge releasing her arms and taking Kathy in her arms to let the girl cry as long as needed. Only then did Shelby let Terry walk over to the bed and help Marge comfort Kathy. Shelby had something in his eyes again. Kathy cried for ten to fifteen minutes, before Terry suggested everyone head to the kitchen for something hot to drink. Hot chocolate maybe. Terry moved back so Marge could help Kathy out of bed, and with Kathy wrapped about Marge, Terry and Shelby led the way to the kitchen. While Terry made everyone hot chocolate, Marge took Kathy to the bathroom. After using the toilet, Marge helped Kathy wipe off her face with a warm washcloth. It took about an hour and a half before Kathy felt calm enough to go back to bed, and hopefully just sleep. Terry and Shelby followed the girls back up to Kathy’s bedroom, watched as they both got into bed, and as Marge laid on her side, Kathy spooned into her, pulling Marge’s arm tight to her chest. Shelby shut off the ceiling light, and followed Terry back to their bedroom, where Terry did the same to Shelby as Kathy had done to Marge. The rest of the early morning was peaceful, until an alarm went off at 7 a.m., and four very tired people stumbled out of their beds.

Showers were again taken, and as was done the previous evening, Terry and Kathy enjoyed the time Shelby and Marge spent helping the two relax, though Shelby and Terry in an adult way. Once everyone had finally dressed, and powdered their noses, they met in the kitchen for a simple breakfast; Shelby planned to take them out for brunch after the interviews were over. At 8:30 a.m. they piled into Shelby’s car, drove to the police station, where they met Marge’s parents and the nine football players and their parents. The desk Sergeant called upstairs and informed detective Barbara Stevens, the detective handling Kathy’s case, that all of the witnesses of the high school attack were in the waiting room. It was only a moment later Barbara arrived and asked everyone to come with her. The sight of several big teens following the petite woman made quite the sight, as more than one male detective stopped and asked if everything was fine. When Barbara explained why they all were there, more than one detective removed their hand from their firearm.

With the number of interviews that would be conducted Barbara had reached out to other departments and borrowed other detectives so the time the teens spent giving their statements could be kept as short as possible. She didn’t want anyone just sitting around waiting their turn. Each detective took a football player and their parents to an interview room, but a problem arose when Barbara wanted Kathy to go with her while Marge and her parents went with another detective.

Kathy refused. She wasn’t going anywhere without Marge by her side. Much like Shelby did to Terry at the restaurant, Marge grabbed Kathy’s arm and pulled her over to a bench sitting by one wall. She wasn’t kind as she shoved Kathy down onto the bench, and lit into her with a full head of steam.

“Listen, girl. You are not acting like the person I learned I was in love with back in grade school. The one who always got up off the ground when ‘he’ was knocked on his butt. I can understand how frightened you are because of what those ASSHOLES did to you, but you can’t let them control the rest of your life. You have to take control, act like Walter would have acted afterwards. Spit in those BASTARDS’ faces. Kick them again in your mind and watch as they again hit the floor. And watch in your mind as your friends come to your rescue. If you continue being afraid of every man, boy, shadow, being without me at your side, those ANIMALS will have done within your mind what they weren’t able to do in the locker room. And you risk losing me in the bargain. Because I’ll have a hard time staying with a person who allows herself to continually be raped in her mind. I realize getting through this isn’t going to be easy, and I’ll be there with you, but only if you’re willing to fight your way through.”

Marge had verbally slapped Kathy across the face, and Kathy knew it. Especially the part about possibly losing Marge. It was as though Marge’s words were a sledge hammer that shattered the glass wall Kathy had formed in her mind after the attack. And as everyone watched, Kathy turned to Marge, grabbed her love and broke down harder than ever before. Terry and Shelby walked over to the girls and sat down on either side of the girls, reaching out to hug both girls. Terry could see tears falling from Marge’s eyes, and Shelby could see tears falling from Terry’s. He too, he realized, had something in his eyes. In fact, many watching the girls found their cheeks wet from tears, especially Marge’s parents.

When Kathy had cried herself out, Terry suggested she and the girls go to the ladies room, to freshen up, as she put it. Shelby and Terry helped the girls to stand, as Officer Dunnley showed the women to the ladies room. After Shelby’s women left, he sat back down hard on the bench, putting his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees. It wasn’t long before someone had sat beside him and placed a hand on his back. He looked up only to find Barbara sitting next to him, a concerned look on her face. “There wasn’t anything I could do to protect my daughter, Barbara,” a tearful Shelby confided in Barbara. “And I can’t even fully understand how Kathy is feeling right now, or how to help her through all this,” he lamented. Shelby watched as Barbara nodded her head, in understanding, before she told him, “Shelby. One thing I learned with my kids is that I can’t be there with them 24/7, and wherever they go. I can only give them the tools to try and keep themselves safe. No one knew your daughter had been targeted by those two boys, but she did give them exactly what they deserved--and you didn’t hear that from me. As to helping Kathy through all this? How’d you help Walter when he had something hit him? Didn’t you listen to him when he needed to talk with you? Weren’t you just there for him when he needed you? You may not understand how Kathy feels after that attack, hell, she doesn’t even know how she feels at this point. But you can be there for her, listen to her, and hold her when she wants you to hold her. Every woman fears what Kathy experienced, and it will take time for her to want you to hold her, because you are a man and the memory of those boys is fresh in her mind. But she will eventually trust the man in her life and want his arms around her.” Officer Dunnley had returned with her three charges, and Barbara patted Shelby on the back before she got off the bench and walked over to the three women. “How’s everyone doing?” She asked, as she paid close attention to Kathy. It was Kathy who spoke first by saying, “I think I can go with you, Detective Stevens. I think someone spanked me hard enough to make me realize you don’t bite. And that I’ll be safe with you.” Three groans sounded when Kathy said ‘bite,’ but Kathy, holding Terry’s hand, did let Barbara, and Office Dunnley, lead them into a room so Kathy could give her statement. Shelby sat back down hard on the bench and waited. He understood why Kathy shied away from him, and wished he could have five minutes alone with those two boys, no, animals. But if he did that he would do the very thing he’d already told Terry. No, he’d wait until Kathy came to him, needed him again. And he hoped it was soon, because he missed hugging his daughter and being needed by her.

Barbara had a meeting with all of the detectives who would be interviewing the teens an hour before the teens arrived. She outlined the questions they should ask, making sure to cross every ‘T’ and dot every ‘I.’ She pushed her own memories back down into the depths of her mind, lest they interfere with the case, as she told them she was tired of boys like these two getting off with a slap on the wrist.

The interviews with eight of the football players lasted a little over forty-five minutes, since they hadn’t really witnessed much of anything other than the two half naked boys. Bobby’s interview lasted almost an hour, since he’d seen more. Because Marge and Kathy were the primary witnesses, their interviews lasted almost an hour and a half, as Barbara made sure every question a defense lawyer could ask was asked by her.

Shelby had put his head back against the wall and closed his eyes as he sat on the bench, so he was unaware of the nine football players who’d formed a semicircle in front of him. It wasn’t until he heard, “Is Kathy alright, Mr. Williams?” That he opened his eyes and brought his head forward. There, standing in front of him, were nine rather large teen boys, each having a concerned look on their face. When Bobby realized Shelby hadn’t heard his question he asked it again. “Is Kathy alright Mr. Williams? We’re kind of concerned about her.” Shelby had watched each of the boys in front of him grow up, and he’d worked with their parents at some point in the past.

“Thank you for asking, Bobby. And to answer your question, all of your questions, yes and no.” The boys’ parents had joined their sons to hear what Shelby had to say, and a few of the wives held tight onto their husbands when they finally heard what Shelby did say. “Guys, physically Kathy has a few bruises where those two an...boys grabbed her arms and banged her back against something hard. Physically, she’ll just need time to heal.”

“Mentally? She’s a mess, to put it bluntly. All of you boys grew up with Walter, so imagine how you’d feel suddenly finding yourself transformed into a girl and then have something like this happen. She was still coming to grips with being transformed into a girl, and then two boys grab her and want to...well, all of you were there and know what they were about to do. Guys, right now she’s going to be afraid of you and every male who comes near her, because of those two as...boys. Give her time. Give her space. But be there if and when she needs you.” Shelby’s voice cracked as he added, “And guys, please watch after my daughter. She means the world to me and her mom.” Shelby then reached up and wiped tears off his cheeks. Bobby was the first to offer his hand to Shelby, who stood and shook eight other hands. The boy’s parents were slowly following behind their sons as they filed out of the detective’s room. The last thing they heard as they left, was Shelby saying, “That’s a mighty fine bunch of boys walking out of here.”

Shortly after the football players and their parents left, two more doors opened and Marge and her parents, and Kathy, supported by Terry, came out of the interview rooms. To Shelby’s eyes, both girls were a mess, as it was obvious both girls, and their parent or parents, had been crying. Shelby squeezed his eyes shut until he saw red, clenching his fists as he did so. Five minutes with those assholes, he thought, just five minutes. He relaxed, opened his eyes and hands, hoping Kathy would come to him for the comfort he could give her. But she didn’t. She even flinched when he reached up to wipe tears off her cheeks. Even though Shelby understood why Kathy flinched when he touched her, it still hurt.

Terry and Dorothy said they were taking the girls to the ladies room before they left the police station. Shelby and Thomas watched as the four ladies left the room, before both men sat down on the bench. It was Thomas who broke the silence as he said, “I bet you’d like to get your hands on those two little monsters. I bet if you did, it’d be you going behind bars instead of them, right?” Shelby nodded before saying, “Yeah, Thomas, I would like to have just five minutes with both of them. But what I want and what is right has to be considered. So what I want has to stand aside and let what’s right lead the way. But whoa if the Judge slaps them on the wrist. And double whoa if a defense attorney comes after Kathy. If that happens it won’t be me who might get to see the inside of a jail. It’ll be Terry, and me visiting her.” Thomas nodded his head, knowing from Marge just how bad off Kathy was at the moment. Thomas kept his own counsel, as Shelby continued with, “She had a nightmare at three this morning. Thank God Marge was there to be with her, Thomas. If it wasn’t for your daughter, I really believe Kathy would be totally out of it. We’d have to commit her until she was mentally well enough to be released. Five minutes, that’s all I’d need, Thomas.” Thomas put his hand on Shelby’s shoulder and squeezed it, just as the four ladies returned.

The two men stood up and as Shelby cleared his throat, he said, “Um, would you and Dorothy like to come with us for some brunch, Thomas? I’d like the company, and I think Terry would too.” Thomas looked at Dorothy, who nodded her head in agreement, as she knew for a fact Terry needed the company. Shelby got his answer as Thomas told him, “Yes we would, Shelby. We’d like that very much.” Led by Marge and Kathy, holding hands, Dorothy and Terry followed behind the two girls, with Thomas and Shelby bringing up the rear. Everyone was throwing out a name for brunch, and when one name kept coming up, it was settled they would have brunch at that restaurant. Thomas looked at Shelby, and Shelby at Thomas, as the two men watched as Terry took Dorothy’s hand as the six walked out of the police station. Dorothy had suddenly become Terry’s Marge, something Terry definitely needed at the moment. Both men simply nodded their heads in a silent agreement.

tbc
Chapter 25

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 25

It was after brunch, and before they left the restaurant and went their separate ways, that Marge talked with her parents. She told them of Kathy’s needs at the moment, and of the nightmare Kathy had in the early morning. Surprisingly, it was Dorothy who told Marge to stay with Kathy, to have Shelby bring her by the house so she could pick up more clothes and what she’d need for school on Monday. And it was Dorothy who told Marge to do ‘everything’ she could to help Kathy through this terrible time. Dorothy just smiled when she said ‘everything,’ knowing Marge understood her meaning. And Mage had no trouble with her understanding of ‘everything.’

Shelby followed Thomas and Dorothy out of the restaurant parking lot, heading for the Markman home. When they arrived, Shelby parked the car at the edge of the sidewalk, before the four left the car and went into the Markman home. Everything almost seemed planned, as Marge and Kathy went to Marge’s bedroom, Dorothy and Terry slipped out into the kitchen, and Thomas and Shelby sat down on the couch. It was quiet in the house, so not hard to hear the crying coming from the kitchen and bedroom. Shelby was glad Kathy was with Marge, because there were some words coming from the kitchen she didn’t need to learn at the moment. Shelby put his head back and asked, “Gawd, Thomas. How can I get through all this? Kathy shies away from me. Terry’s wound up so tight she blows up at the least thing. I’ll be there for both of them, but…” and his voice trailed off.

Thomas sighed before saying, “Well, Shelby. To start with, take it one day at a time. Be there when the girls need you and don’t push anything on them. Don’t get angry because it’s taking so long for them to get their heads straight. And don’t go beating two pieces of shit into a pulp, that won’t help one bit. And, you might not like this one, but make an appointment to talk with Jenny, the woman Terry and Kathy will be seeing.” Shelby gave Thomas a questioning look when Jenny’s name was mentioned. “Terry told Dorothy and Dorothy told me. She was going to see about Marge talking with Jenny too, but found out Marge will be going with Kathy to help keep Kathy calm. So that’s taken care of.” The two were quiet again, listening to more coming from the kitchen and bedroom. Thomas broke the silence when he said, “Shelby, it was two young men, two pieces of shit, who caused this problem. Us two older men can not step in and try to fix it. We’ve been hurt by it just as much as the ladies, only in a different way. We weren’t there to protect our girls from animals who are a waste of space on this planet. We weren’t there to kick the shit out of those two assholes the minute they grabbed Kathy. Our egos have been assaulted, Shelby. The one thing that really rips a man apart. And we’ll just have to let our egos heal, as we watch our women suffer through their own healing processes. But as I said, Shelby. Don’t do anything stupid. And if you decide to be stupid, call me. I’ve got a shovel and a map.” Shelby chuckled at Thomas’ last words, something a father often tells the boys who date his daughter.

There was cuddling on the drive from the Markman home to the Williams’ home, a hand or two drifting into nether regions. Terry’s hand had drifted to Shelby’s groin, quietly explaining to Shelby what she wanted when they got home. Shelby hissed because of the problem her attention was causing him while driving. Terry only chuckled and enhanced her actions. Kathy had pulled one of Marge’s hands between her legs, and helped Marge understand what she wanted, what she needed from Marge. They were all tired from the morning’s events, and the events in general. They’d planned to relax the rest of the day, but not how they’d spend the day relaxing. That decision seemed to have been decided by two of the people in the car, as they both continued to silently explain that need to their partners with greater gusto. When Shelby pulled the car into their driveway, no one said a word as they got out of the car, went into the house, and went their separate ways to their bedrooms. The rest of the afternoon was spent giving and receiving some much needed attention.

Around five o’clock in the afternoon, water could be heard running in both bathrooms, as two showers were being taken. After about an hour, or so, both showers shut off, and thirty minutes later everyone gathered in the kitchen dressed in fresh, relaxed clothing. It wasn’t hard to see how relaxed Terry and Kathy were, after being helped to relax most of the afternoon. Maybe Terry and Kathy were ignoring the look on Shelby’s face, or just didn’t recognize what it meant. But Marge saw it and knew exactly what it meant, and said something about it to Kathy. She took Kathy’s hand and told her, “Kathy, do you know you’re punishing your dad because of those two assholes? Do you realize how you’re reacting every time he tries to hug you or put his arm around you? You even did it when Bobby tried to help me take you out of the locker room, you shied away from him. You’re punishing those men and boys who love you and are concerned about you, just because two boys attacked you. They’ve been hurt enough because of what you experienced, and almost experienced. You don’t need to continue hurting them just because they’re males.”

Marge had pulled Kathy to her as she told her these things. She knew Kathy was silently crying because her tears were falling onto Marge’s arm. In a throaty whisper caused by her tears, Kathy said, “I’m sorry, daddy. I’m so sorry.” Shelby so wanted to hurry around the kitchen table and take his daughter into his arms, giving her a hug he hoped would comfort her in her time of need. But Thomas’ words echoed in his mind, “Let her come to you,” so he just sat watching his daughter hurting. As everyone watched, Kathy broke Marge’s embrace, got up from her chair and walked around the table to where Shelby sat. It was then her silent crying broke into the open, as she tearfully apologized to her father before throwing her arms around his neck and bawled on his shoulder. Shelby nestled his head into Kathy’s neck, pulling her tightly to him, his own tears falling freely.

The two stayed as they were for more than a half hour, it took half that time for Kathy to cry herself out. It was a few minutes more when Kathy said, “I missed you, daddy. And I’m so sorry I pushed you away. I didn’t think about how hurt you felt from all of this, I’m sooo sorry.” Shelby sniffed, cleared his throat, before saying, “Oh, sweetheart. I’ve missed you too. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to help prevent all of this.” Kathy lifted her head off her father’s shoulder, sniffed herself, and told her father, “There was nothing you could have done. No one knew those two were going after me. No one could have known who they were going after.” Shelby looked at his daughter’s tear streaked face, her red eyes, and took in her words. She was right. There wasn’t anything he could have done, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he should have been there. “Daddy,” Kathy started, seeing the wheels in her father’s mind turning, “it’s noble of you to always think you have to protect me, but you can’t. You can’t be with me every minute of the day I’m not in this house. You couldn’t be there when I encountered all of those other situations, and you couldn’t have been there for this one. I’ll just have to learn how to deal with this one as I did the others, though I think this one will take more time to deal with.” She laid her head back on her father’s shoulder, feeling the warmth of her dad’s body emanating through his clothing. She’d missed that warmth. That feeling of safety as he’d hold her. She’d unintentionally hurt her father more than he’d already been hurt by the attack. More tears fell onto Shelby’s shirt.

Kathy actually broke up the somber atmosphere as she straightened up, let go of her father, and said, “Aw, crap. I have to pee.” It must have been urgent, because Kathy ran to the downstairs bathroom. Marge was the first to laugh, as she said, “That’s Walter for you.” While Kathy was taking care of things in the bathroom, Terry walked over to Shelby, pulled his head to her, and told him, “It’s going to be alright, honey. Just be patient.” Shelby had just nodded his head in understanding when they all heard, “MOM, I’M BLEEDING! OH GOD, MOM. I’M BLEEDING!” Terry dropped her head to her chest, then said, “And so it begins.” Marge just chuckled and said, “Yep, Walter is definitely no longer a boy.” Terry and Shelby slowly turned their heads to look at Marge, before both gave Marge the stink eye. And before all three burst out laughing, though to Kathy, it was no laughing matter. It was now time for THAT mother/daughter talk, about certain things. Terry kissed the top of Shelby’s head before going to the downstairs bathroom to help her rather new daughter with her first period.

Marge was doing her very best not to continue laughing. To have known Walter practically all her life and now to hear of a situation he would never have encountered had finally arrived, just struck her as too funny. When Shelby asked her, “What’s so funny,” she had to explain her thoughts to him. He thought about it for a minute, then agreed with her, it was a situation Walter could never foresee himself getting into. And as much as he tried, he couldn’t keep from chuckling at the thought. After a few moments, Terry came out of the bathroom and went upstairs. She returned carrying a clean pair of panties and disappeared into the bathroom again.

A few minutes later Terry led an embarrassed Kathy out of the bathroom. She didn’t immediately run off to her room, or go and demand a cuddle from Marge. Instead, she crawled up into Shelby’s lap, putting her arms around his neck and buried her head into his chest. The elephant in the room was finally approached when Kathy said, “This is so DAMN embarrassing.” Shelby bent his head down and kissed the top of Kathy’s head, before telling her, “Language, sweetheart, language.” Marge had clamped her hands over her mouth because she kept snickering at the thought of Walter finally having to endure what women have had to deal with for ages. Finally, the humor of it all became too much for her and she started to laugh until tears rolled down her cheeks. Shelby knew why she was laughing, and worked hard not to join her , Terry was in the dark. Kathy only turned her head and gave her love a death glare like she’d never given anyone before. In a deep, throaty voice, tinged with malice, Kathy demanded, “Okay, soon to be ex girlfriend, what’s so DAMN funny?” Kathy’s attempt to intimidate Marge only backfired. Marge took one look at Kathy’s face and began laughing all the harder. She laughed so hard she actually fell out of her chair and onto the floor, where she continued to laugh. And then, for no apparent reason to the others, she started to cry in earnest. She lay there, on the kitchen floor, crying so intently she never felt herself pulled up off the floor and put into a comforting hug by Kathy. She simply grabbed the person holding her, and continued to cry. Terry had become so upset by what she witnessed that she took Kathy’s place on Shelby’s lap, attempting to bury herself into his chest. There wasn’t a dry eye in the kitchen at that moment. Kathy was talking softly to Marge, trying to help her calm down, as Shelby was doing the same with Terry. Shelby looked up at the kitchen ceiling, and not for the first time, wondered how they’d ever get through all this. “One day at a time,” Thomas said in Shelby’s mind. “One day at a time.”

It was close to half an hour before Terry and Marge’s tears stopped flowing. But neither girl let go of their comforter. It wasn’t until they all heard, “Aww, man, I gotta go pee,” from Marge. That was followed by Terry saying, “Best you use the upstairs bathroom, dear. So do I.” Just the way Marge informed everyone she had to pee, and what Terry told her, hit Kathy and Shelby’s funnybones, because both broke out laughing. Trying to maintain her dignity, Terry stood off Shelby’s lap, and said in a snooty voice, “I don’t see what’s so funny about two girls who need to pee.” If the two weren’t laughing hard to begin with, they were now after the manner in which Terry addressed them. Looking down her nose first at Kathy, then at Shelby, she took two of her fingers and reached down and grabbed Shelby’s chin, forcing it up so he was looking her in the face. The laughter remained in his face as she told him, in her snooty voice, “You’ll pay for this, mister. You wait and see if you don’t.” She let go of his chin, then as she passed by him, she lightly smacked him on the back of his head. Terry’s last statement, and her last action, set Shelby and Kathy off again. And they were still laughing when Marge, then Terry, returned to the kitchen.

By the time Marge had returned to the kitchen, Kathy had gotten up off the floor and was again sitting in her chair. As Marge started to sit in her chair, Kathy reached out and pulled her into her lap, wrapping her arms around Marge’s lovely body. “Hey, you. I was worried about you lying on the floor crying. What’s up? How can I help you?” Marge started playing with a button on Kathy’s blouse, while her mind tried to form the words she wanted. As Kathy waited for Marge to answer her question, Terry had taken glasses out of the cabinet and filled each one with water, then sat a glass before Shelby and the two girls.

Kathy, as Walter, had been around Marge enough throughout his life to know what the look on Marge’s face meant. She was thinking, trying to find the words she wanted. And when that look appeared, Kathy knew it was a matter of patience until Marge was ready to speak. Terry and Shelby both smiled as they watched Marge unbutton the button just below Kathy’s breast and slowly slide her hand into Kathy’s blouse. They both chuckled as Kathy lightly smacked Marge’s hand and told her, “Stop that. Not here you goof.” They both saw the smirk on Marge’s face. After Kathy rebuttoned that button, she asked, “Okay, enough stalling. Why were you crying and how can I help you?”

Tears started leaking out of Marge’s eyes as she said just above a whisper, “I wasn’t there for you when they grabbed you. If I’d been there we could have kicked their asses before it ever got into the locker room, and you half dressed. Or Bobby ever seeing you half dressed. He was nice enough about it, never saying a thing to the other guys. But he saw anyway.” Like Shelby, Marge felt guilty, felt she failed Kathy by not being there to help protect her. Kathy pulled Marge tightly to her before telling her, “Oh, sweetheart, you’ve done nothing wrong. You couldn’t have known what those two rectums were about to do, any more than I could. We can’t be in the same class every time, be together every moment at school. I know you feel guilty because you couldn’t protect me from those slime balls, but don’t. Everything is on their heads. They decided to act out like they did. They decided to try and rape me, not you. And they are the ones who’ll get to see the inside of a detention center, or jail, until pigs fly. Or I’ve a feeling two people in this kitchen are going to demand an answer as to why not. I will always be there for you, my love. Especially when you feel like poo poo.” The kitchen got extra quiet. Marge lifted her head off Kathy’s chest and looked the girl in the eyes. And in a dead panned voice she asked, “Poo poo? Really? Poo poo? You had to say, poo poo? Gads, Walter! You haven’t used those words in, um, maybe, nine years? You first used those words when that dog took a dump on the playground, and you walked over to look at the pile. I walked over to see what you were doing, and you pointed to that pile of dog crap and told me, ‘poo poo, that’s dog poo poo.’” If Marge, Terry, and Shelby had laughed any harder the ceiling in the kitchen would have collapsed. Kathy couldn’t help herself and joined in the laughter before saying, “Well, I think they’re cute words. They’re expressive without being vulgar.” Then she got a funny look on her face and hurriedly told Marge, “Oh, crap. Get off, get off, get off,” before bolting out of her chair and running to the bathroom. A moment later they all heard, “MOM! I NEED A CLEAN PAIR OF PANTIES!” Terry chuckled then said, “We will have to do some serious underwear shopping soon.”

Shelby held up both hands, palms facing Terry, and told her, “Sorry, dear, count me out on that trip.” Shelby had been with Terry long enough to read her facial expression to a tee, and what he saw now told him she was getting an idea he WASN’T going to like. Shelby looked at Marge’s face when Terry looked at her, and saw the same smirk on her face as the one Terry was wearing. He was quick on the uptake this time, as he realized what Terry had in mind. “Don’t you dare. Don’t even think about it, because it isn’t going to happen.” Then it was the innocent face on both girls, as Terry said, “Why, dear, whatever do you mean?” Shelby’s head fell back as he said, “God help me royally this time.” The bells went off in Shelby’s head, as Terry walked over to him, swung her leg over his so she was facing him, and started lightly kissing him on the lips. While one hand was busy doing something else. After breaking the kiss, she leaned close to Shelby’s ear and whispered, “It’ll be our secret, sweetheart. And I promise you’ll love what I can do for you.” Terry had a cheese eating grin on her face as she watched her red faced husband try and not act like he was enjoying what one of her hands was doing at the moment. But the magic was broken when they heard, “MOOOM! I NEED SOME CLEAN PANTIES!” Both girls then laughed when Shelby said, “Darn, now I have to use the bathroom.” Terry crawled off his lap, and because of what Terry had caused, Shelby tried to stand without things being too obvious. But he failed, and Marge saw his bulge. Shelby acted like nothing was amiss, and left the kitchen for the upstairs bathroom. Terry had a big smile on her face as she watched Shelby walk out of the kitchen. She then looked at Marge, who told her, “You’re such a stinker.” Terry only laughed, then replied, “Yeah, ain’t I.” Both girls laughed until, “MOOM! PANTIES!” Marge watched as Terry hurried out of the kitchen to get Kathy a clean pair of panties. With Kathy waiting for a clean pair of panties, Terry off getting her a clean pair, and Shelby using the upstairs bathroom, Marge sat alone in the kitchen with her thoughts.

While she was alone, she reflected on the events of the past couple of days, and this morning. She found herself playing the should have, could have, would have game, always coming back to the beginning without solving anything in her mind. She was so lost in thought she didn’t hear the question put to her until she felt something touch her arm. Then her eyes came back to the present and she found herself looking into Shelby’s eyes. “A penny for your thoughts,” he asked again, gently touching her arm. An enigmatic smile formed on her lips as she said, “Oh, I was just thinking about the last couple of days, and this morning. How much I love Kathy, have loved Walter for so long, and our love making. And, um, your’s and Terry’s.” Shelby’s eyebrows rose upon hearing her refer to his and Terry’s love making, and his face asked the question which Marge answered by saying, “Um...your bedroom isn’t soundproof. And Kathy and I have laid awake listening to your love making. And you don’t know this, but hearing you two making love fills Kathy with happiness.” Shelby blushed with what Marge told him, but he was also filled with his own happiness knowing he and Terry brought happiness to Kathy, if in an unusual way. Marge went on with, “And Shelby, no matter what I thought I always came back to the beginning. I keep kicking myself, Shelby, and yet realize there wasn’t anything more I could do.” Marge’s eyes were moist, but held onto their tears. Shelby reached out with both hands and took Marge’s hands in his. “Sweetheart, you and I are in the same boat. We’re both kicking ourselves for not doing more to prevent all of this. And the sad thing is, there wasn’t anything more we could have done. I spoke with Peter and they’d been watching Tony, but didn’t know when he was going to do something or who they’d chosen. What else could you or I have done? And the truth is, Marge, nothing. Ab-so-lu-te-ly nothing. That’s what hurts us the most. Right?” Marge was silent for a few moments before she simply nodded her head in agreement with Shelby.

Terry walked by the two sitting at the kitchen table holding hands, and gave them a questioning look but kept heading to the bathroom. They heard the bathroom door open then close, then, “GAWD, I HATE THIS. HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO PUT UP WITH ALL THIS CRAP?” The reply was quick and with some heat. “Listen, young lady, you’ve been told more than once about your language, and just because you’re going through something completely new to you is no reason to start dropping bombs all over the place. You know, you’re not too old to have your mouth washed out with soap. As to how long you have to put up with all of this crap, a long time, just as all women have put up with it for ages.”

Marge and Shelby, still holding hands, had dropped their heads onto the kitchen table and were laughing as quietly as they could. They were still quietly laughing when they heard, “And just what do you two think is so funny?” Both looked up and found Terry standing there looking at them with both hands on her hips. What she asked, and how she looked, caused both to burst out laughing. Shelby kept laughing even as Terry smacked him on the back of the head. That only caused him to laugh harder. He kept laughing as Terry grabbed his chin, turned his head to face her, as she told him, “You’ll pay for this, mister!” And when an embarrassed Kathy came into view, their laughter started again. The sour look Kathy gave her dad and Marge had the same affect Terry’s look had, they both laughed harder.

Terry had walked off to put Kathy’s panties in water to soak, when the front doorbell rang. After drying her hands she walked to the front door and opened it, only to find Jackie and Tom Stoner, Tony and Patrick’s parents, standing there. When Shelby heard Tom ask Terry, “Mrs. Williams, may we come in? We’d like to talk with you and your husband,” he walked out of the kitchen and joined Terry at the front door. He read Terry’s expression and stepped close to her, trapping her right hand to her side and using his left arm to trap her left hand to her side. But he was surprised when he heard Terry tell the Stoner’s, “Yes, Mr. Stoner, you and your wife may come in.” Shelby looked at Terry with a frown on his face, wondering what Terry had in her mind. Shelby let go of Terry and led Jackie and Tom into the living room, inviting them to sit down on the couch. Terry turned to Kathy and Marge, who had followed Shelby, and told them, “Girls, why don’t you go up to Kathy’s room.” Before both girls had taken one step, Jackie said, “Please, Mrs. Williams, let the girls stay. They need to hear what we’d like to say.” Terry looked at the girls, then at Shelby, who nodded his head, and Terry nodded to the girls for them to stay.

Once Terry, Shelby, Kathy, and Marge had seated themselves, Jackie said, “Mr. and Mrs. Williams, we didn’t come here to apologize to Kathy for what our boys did, that’s their task, because it was their decision to act as they did. We never taught our sons to treat girls as they did Kathy, but we think we know where they got it from.” It was at that point the front doorbell rang again, and again Terry answered the door while everyone else remained seated. It didn’t take long before Tom was on his feet and practically running to the front door with what he heard coming from that direction.

“Sooo...you’re the mother of the whore who enticed my Tony and had him arrested.” Standing before Terry was an elder woman, maybe in her 70’s, accusing Kathy of being a whore. Terry’s blood boiled, and the palm of her right hand lashed out as she slapped the woman so hard the woman spun on her heels. The elder woman turned back around and told Terry, “Yeah, that’s right. That’s the action I’d expect from the mother of a whore.” This time when Terry struck, her strike was hard enough to knock the woman down on her butt. It was then Tom showed up at the front door, groaning when he saw who the woman was making all the noise. It was his mother, Glenda Maria Stoner, the woman who’d been pulling Tony and Patrick’s chestnuts out of the fire. And who Tom believed, had been teaching Tony and Patrick their manners behind Tom and Jackie’s backs.

Tom addressed Terry by saying, “Mrs. Williams,” which Terry stopped him and said, “It’s Terry, Mr. Stoner.” Tom then said, “Okay, it’s Tom then, Terry. I think you should know, that’s my mother, Glenda Stoner, the reason, we believe, for the attitude of our sons. She has a restraining order to stay away from your home, and your family, Terry. She also has a restraining order to stay away from Tony and Patrick, which she broke yesterday at the hospital. She was stupid enough to think her money could usurp any Court order as she tried to see Tony. But she made a mistake and attacked the uniformed officer guarding Tony’s hospital room. She spent the night in jail until she bailed herself out. She isn’t supposed to be here, so she’s violated the terms of her bond and the restraining orders. If you’ll excuse me for a moment.”

Tom stepped back while pulling out his cell phone. Terry could hear who he called, the police. A patrol car must have been in the area, since a patrol car pulled up just as Tom put his cell away. Tom stepped back next to Terry as the two officers approached the Williams’ home. “Officers, my name is Tom Stoner, I made the call to have you come here. That woman,” and he pointed to his mother, “is Glenda Stoner, my mother, who had violated terms of her bail agreement and a restraining order to stay away from the William’s home and the family.”

One officer stepped away and made a phone call on her cell phone. A few moments later she came back and told her partner, “Everything he said is true. She bailed herself out this morning and signed an agreement to stay away from this house and family. She also has a restraining order for this man’s sons. She to be arrested and taken to the station.”

Glenda paid no attention to the two police officers, she was glaring at Tom and started giving him what for. “YOU FUCKING TRATOR. YOU PUSSY WHIPPED SON OF A BITCH. THAT FUCKING WHORE YOU SHACKED UP WITH HAS MADE YOU SOFT. I’M SURPRISED SHE STILL LETS YOU FUCK HER, AS SOFT AS SHE’S MADE YOU. ARE YOU SO SOFT YOU CAN’T GET IT UP TO STUFF INTO HER? YOU TWO MOLLY COLLIED THOSE TWO BOYS, BUT I TAUGHT THEM HOW TO BE MEN. I TAUGHT THEM HOW TO TAKE WHAT THEY WANTED. ME, THE ONLY MAN IN THE FAMILY. EVEN YOU, A WIMPY FATHER, COULDN’T DO WHAT WAS RIGHT IN RAISING YOUR SONS. OH, NO, HE KEPT ME FROM RAISING YOU RIGHT. HE HAD TO HAVE HIS OWN WAY. BUT NOT ME, NOT NOW. I KNOW HOW TO RAISE BOYS. I KNOW HOW TO TEACH THEM TO TAKE WHAT THEY WANT, WHETHER OTHERS LIKE IT OR NOT. ME, A WOMAN!”

When Glenda had started her rant, one of the officers had turned the recorder on their cell phone on to catch her every word. When she ran down, they both walked over to her and informed her that she was under arrest, and stated the reasons. They then advised her of her rights, then helped her off the ground and began to handcuff her when she lashed out with both hand and foot, striking both officers. Glenda’s rant brought Jackie, Shelby, and the girls to the front door. And as they watched, both officers then took Glenda to the ground, putting her on her stomach and pulling her arms behind her to handcuff her. Once she was handcuffed, they lifted her off the ground, but slammed her back down on her stomach when she started kicking out at both officers. One of the officers held Glenda down as the other officers went to their patrol car and returned with a pair of leather straps.

As the one officer held Glenda’s legs down the other officer put one of the straps around Glenda’s ankles, pulling it tight before running the end through the buckle. That same officer held Glenda’s legs, the other officer placed the other strap just about Glenda’s knees, tightening it then running the end through the buckle. As those in the Williams’ home, and neighbors who’d come out to watch the action, watched, both officers each grabbed one of Glenda’s lower arms then the strap at her ankles, before lifting her off the ground and carrying her to their patrol car. They sat her down on the street, her mouth still running, as the back doors of the patrol car were opened. They picked her up again then placed her half-way into the back of the patrol car. With that down, one of the officers went around to the other side, got into the back, grabbed Glenda under both arms, and helped the other officers pull Glenda into the patrol car. They then pulled out four straps, which they secured to rings on the floorboard, and having placed the seatbelts to secure Glenda, closed the back doors and returned to the William’s home.

When the police officers reached the front porch of the Williams’ home, Shelby asked, “Would you care to come inside, officers?” The woman officer, who seemed to be the senior partner, replied, “I’m sorry sir, we can’t. Not with a prisoner in our patrol car. But we would like to know how all this started, and how the woman ended up on the ground.”

Kathy didn’t wait for an invitation and said, “It all started last Friday just when school let out, and two boys, that woman’s grandsons, attacked me at the high school. They dragged me into the boys locker room, pulled off my skirt and panties, dropped their jeans and underwear, and were about to rape me if it hadn’t been for my girlfriend here,” and she pointed to Marge. “Detective Stevens has the case and everyone’s statements.” No one said a word as Kathy gave the officers the highlights of what happened, or hushed her either. She needed to have her say.

Then Terry picked up the story with, “As to how that bitch ended up on her butt on the ground, I did that after she called our daughter a whore for the second time. And was spewing her filth. With everything going on, what happened to our daughter at school, and how we’re all feeling at the moment, that bitch picked the wrong day to get into my face.”

Tom then spoke up and told the officers, “Officers, my mother has done this before, after our sons attacked other girls at the other high school they attended. She’d go to the family and threaten to take them to court if they didn’t agree to drop any charges brought against the boys. And if she couldn’t intimidate them into remaining quiet, she’d buy them off. She’s the reason our sons act as they do. We tried to keep the boys away from her, but she seems to always know where they’ll be when they go out by themselves. Well, she may have gotten by with her antics in the past, but no more. She may have forgotten, but I have her power of attorney to handle her medical needs if she ever becomes incompacitated, and as far as I’m concerned, she’s become incompacitated right now.”

And if Glenda’s drama scene wasn’t enough for that morning, a car came racing down the street and screeched to a halt right in front of the Williams’ home. As everyone watched, a man got out, ran to the patrol car, which piqued the officer’s interest, looked inside, then came running over to the officers and said, “I’m James Perkins, Mrs. Stoner’s attorney. I demand you release Mrs. Stoner right this minute, or I’ll file police harassment charges against both of you, your department, and this City.” The two officers looked at each other before shaking their heads at each other, then the woman officer said, “Mr. Perkins, your client is in deep dog poo. Not only did she violate the terms of her bail, but violated two Court issued injunctions to stay away from this house and this family. Plus, Mr. Perkins, she created a public scene at this house. And, Mr. Perkins, she attacked both of us, a real big no no, Mr. Perkins.” Twirling a pair of handcuffs around her index finger, she went on with, “And Mr. Perkins, if you are planning to make a scene here and now, we have plenty of room in the holding cells at the station.”

James Perkins was a mousey man, never one to stand up to a confrontation when he could use the nearest exit. Not even in a courtroom. His weapon of choice was bluff and huff, which often worked until he came up against someone who didn’t bluff or tolerate his huff, like right this moment. James was contemplating what to do next when the woman officer went on with, “Plus, Mr. Perkins, if an investigating pans out, your client may be facing some serious jail time. Money or no money, Mr. Perkins. So unless you wish to join your client I suggest you hold your huff and bluff and wait for your client at the police station.” She was still twirling the handcuffs around her index finger when James decided her words had merit, and left in his car.

The two officers did their best to keep a straight face, but it was rather hard to do after Marge said, “Gawd, what a putz. And he passed the Bar?” Everyone looked at the straight faced Marge before breaking out in laughter. The officers cleared their throats, attempting to regain their composure, before the woman officer said, “Mr. Stoner, I think it might be a good idea if you came down to the station and gave a full statement of everything you know about your mother’s actions. After what you’ve told us I have a feeling there are others who would be very interested to hear what you have to say. If, as you’ve said, she’s done something like this before, she could be in serious trouble. Trouble she isn’t going to buy her way out of.” She then handed Tom a card and told him to contact them if they have any more trouble from his mom or Mr. Perkins. Those neighbors still standing outside watching the show, went back into their homes after the two police officers drove off. Everyone at the Williams’ home did the same, collapsing into a chair after the front door was closed. Every head slowly turned to stare at Kathy after she said, “Aw darn, I forgot the popcorn.” Kathy did her best to block the numerous pillows that came her way from her family, and the Stoners.

After Kathy had to pick up all the pillows, and return them to their rightful locations, Tom started to say, “Shelby, Terry, Jackie and I…” but he never finished what he was about to say. Shelby spoke up and told him, “Tom. If you’re about to apologize for your mother, don’t. She’s the one who owes all of us an apology. She’s the one who decided not to honor the restraining orders or the bail agreement, it’s all on her. Not you or Jackie. In fact, if you will excuse me for a moment,” and Shelby got out of his chair and went upstairs to his and Terry’s bedroom. He returned a short time later, looking like he just ate the canary. Terry saw the look right away, and asked, “So, who’d you call?” While Shelby was upstairs, doing whatever, Terry had gone to the kitchen and came back with something liquid for everyone. As Shelby sat down he said, “Who said I called anyone?” To Jackie and Tom it looked like a huge fight was about to take place between Terry and Shelby, judging by the expression on Terry’s face. But they became confused as they saw Marge and Kathy start giggling. “Shelby Benton Williams, you called someone. You have that ‘I did something really smart’ look on your face. So give. Or would you want to forgo any further after hours entertainment?” Now Marge and Kathy were outright laughing, which confused Jackie and Tom further. To them, Terry looked like she could chew a mouth full of nails and spit them out in smaller versions of their former shape.

But when Shelby said, “Oh, heavens. I’m being threatened with the end of my sex life. Oh, dear me. Whatever shall I do?” And he did so in a poor attempt at dramatic acting that the two girls were almost rolling on the floor with laughter. Jackie and Tom finally realized the couple was teasing each other. “Well, my glamorus sex partner, if it will not end my sex life, and you just have to know, and because what that woman called Kathy, and what Tom told the officers, I called detective Stevens. And she should be here…” and the front doorbell rang, finishing Shelby’s statement for him. He got up and went to the front door, opening it and finding Barbara and officer Jo standing there. “Hello detective Stevens, and you officer Jo, won’t you two come in? I think you’ll find what has to be said rather interesting.”

Shelby stood aside and Barbara and Jo walked into the Williams home. The two women followed Shelby to the living room where they said hello to Terry, Marge, and Kathy before Shelby introduced Tom and Jackie Stoner. The parents of the two boys who attacked Kathy. Terry took over and told Barbara about their recent visitor, Tom’s mother, and what Terry did and what Tom’s mother said. Tom went on to tell Barbara about his mother violating two restraining orders and the terms of her bond. He then told Barbara exactly what he told the two uniformed officers about his mom doing something like this several times before, and the places it occurred. He got a sad look on his face as he told Barbara about his mother being the reason their sons acted as they did. Barbara got so interested in what Tom was saying, she asked if they had any objections to letting her record all the information Tom had to give. No one objected, so Barbara sat a portable recorder on the table in front of Tom and asked her to start at the very beginning when it all started. Terry came back from the kitchen with drinks for Barbara and Jo, then sat down and listened to Tom and Jackie’s story.

When Tom and Jackie finished their story with the recent attack on Kathy, Terry and Shelby looked at each other and silently, together, realized their problems, because of the attack on Kathy, was miniscule compared to what the Stoners have been dealing with over the years. And for them, it wasn’t over. It wouldn’t be over for them until something could be done about the woman’s interference in Jackie and Tom’s lives. Shelby thought to himself of a way to end this, but he didn’t look good in an orange jumpsuit.

Tom and Jackie were in tears after finishing their story, a story which started the day they married. And had gotten worse with the birth of Tony then Patrick. When Tom could speak he asked Barbara, “Detective, what can we do to keep my mother away from us and our sons? Our company has moved Jackie and I several times now, but she keeps finding out where we live. It’s got to stop, detective Stevens, we just can’t go on like this any more. And short of shooting her, nothing we’ve done legally has helped.”

When Kathy had been Walter, Shelby and Terry had discovered he had a knack of being able to read the expression on people’s faces. And it was Kathy, who saw the predatory smile on Barbara’s face, who said, “Mr. Stoner. If I’m reading the expression on detective Stevens’ face correctly, I think your ‘problem’ is about to disappear. I think you might have given detective Stevens cause to investigate those previous attacks, and your mother’s involvement in them.” When Kathy finished talking, Barbara turned to Shelby and Terry, with a puzzled look on her face, and asked, “Does she always know what others are thinking?” Shelby and Terry chuckled before Terry said, “Barbara, as Walter, we found out he could read the expression on a person’s face and accurately tell what they were thinking or going to do. He was accurate ninety-five percent of the time. And it looks like, as Kathy, the ability remains.” Barbara then looked at Kathy and told her, “Young lady, that’s a remarkable ability you have, but I ask you to keep what you’ve discerned to yourself. I don’t want what I’ve planned to spoil anything. Okay?” Terry, Shelby, and Marge had seen the look on Kathy’s face before. So they knew how deadly serious she was as she said, “Ma’am, if it puts that bitch away so they can’t hurt the Stoners any more, and if it helps the boys get out from under her influence, then I won’t tell a soul what you’ve planned. I only hope you cross your ‘Ts’ and dot your ‘Is’ so she can’t wiggle out of anything.” The Stoner’s respect rating for Kathy shot up to one hundred by what she told the detective. Kathy’s tone as she spoke to the detective, made Jackie and Tom understand why their sons were in the hospital. When Kathy was serious, it was best to find a place to hide.

Detective Stevens spoke with everyone for a few more minutes, asking if anyone had anything to add, before she and Jo left. As Shelby closed the front door behind them, an elephant crept into the living room, noticed by the adults and revealed by the girls. With Terry looking at Shelby, then Shelby looking at Tom, then Jackie looking at Terry, it was Kathy who asked Marge, “Do you want to say it or should I?” Marge shrugged her shoulders and said, “Naw, you say it.” The back and forth between the girls had the attention of the adults, as all eyes shifted to Kathy with what Marge had said. With the usual smirk, Kathy said, “They do make a lovely couple, don’t they?” With the elephant exposed the adults began to admit they saw the attraction between the two ladies, and it was strong, but didn’t want to say anything with the two ladies in the room in case they were wrong. This time it was Terry and Shelby who first saw the smirk on Kathy’s face, and knew she was about to say something which might get her in dutch. But when they heard her say, “You weren’t wrong. They are a couple,” Terry relaxed and thanked the stars that was all she was going to say. Tom and Jackie added more to their original story, more which showed they were totally miserable. It was Terry who went and sat down by Tom, taking one of his hands in hers, and one of Jackie’s in her other. “Look guys,” Terry said, as she switched her gaze between Jackie and Tom. “Any time you two need a shoulder, call us. It seems we’re all in this together whether we want to be or not. And, I know a woman who would love to help you two, we’re going to be seeing her, Kathy quite a lot. I can give you her number and you can mention us when you speak to her. I think she’d find it interesting to learn how all this began. And it’d help the two of you learn how to get some peace in your lives.” Jackie had tears running down her cheeks after hearing the generous offer made by Terry. No one in the past has ever wanted anything to do with the Stoners, once they learned about Glenda Stoner. Jackie leaned across Tom and gave Terry a hug, whispering ‘thank you’ in Terry’s ear. They talked for another thirty minutes before Tom and Jackie said they had an appointment to keep, and thanked everyone for their support. The Williams and Marge followed the Stoners to the front door, where hugs and handshakes were exchanged before Shelby opened the door and the Stoners left. As the four watched the Stoners walk to their car, Kathy said, “And I thought I had problems. Those two are a mess.” No one said a word in disagreement, as Shelby closed the door once the Stoners had driven off.

“Gawd I feel drained,” Marge said, as they all walked back into the living room. “I think I really need a nap now,” Marge added, seriously wanting to sleep. As she looked at Kathy, then at Shelby, then at Terry, she saw all three had smirks on their faces. She rolled her eyes and told the three, “Guys, I really mean sleep...though relaxation before sleep wouldn’t hurt.” The four burst out laughing before Terry took Shelby’s hand and Kathy took Marge’s hand and they headed to their bedrooms. They did take naps, only after helping each other relax.

Two hours later, and after both upstairs showers had been used, they again met in the kitchen, where Shelby suggested they go out to eat. Their naps, and relaxation sessions, had caused them to miss lunch, and more than one stomach reminded them of that fact. With a consensus reached, they got in Shelby’s car and headed to their restaurant of choice, another buffet. The drive to the restaurant would take a little over a half an hour, because the restaurant was in another town. It was during the drive that Marge noticed Kathy was quieter than normal. She asked Kathy if anything was the matter, getting no response from her, as Kathy kept staring out the window. It wasn’t until Terry turned to look at Kathy, then gently touched her leg, that Kathy turned to look at Marge then her mom. Tears were falling from her eyes, and her lips were trembling. She cleared her throat, but still found it hard to ask, “What do I do about tomorrow at school? No doubt what happened has gotten around to most everyone. How can I face everyone?”

Marge pulled Kathy into her, holding the girl as she cried. Shelby found a place to pull off the highway so he could stop and park the car. Kathy was having another full blown cry, and Marge was speaking to her softly, reassuring her they were there for her. Would be there for her. And they loved her and always would. It took several minutes before Kathy was just sniffing her nose, at which point Shelby asked if they should go home. Kathy shook her head and told him, “No. I’m hungry.” That short statement caused the other three to chuckle, as Shelby turned back around, started the car and pulled back onto the highway, heading for the restaurant. As Terry and Shelby held hands in the front seat, looking out of the windshield, they heard Marge say, “You goof. You and your stomach. HAY, none of that now!” Terry and Shelby heard squealing coming from the girls. Shelby looked in the rearview mirror, while Terry turned to look, and saw the girls tickling each other. Terry and Shelby squeezed hands, as they realized they would be alright after a while.

The atmosphere at the restaurant helped the four forget all about their troubles. They joined in with the entertainment held on the weekends. They sang along, clapped, laughed, but most of all, enjoyed the fine food. But the magic ended when they left the restaurant and headed home, and real life stared them in the face once again.

On the drive home, Marge told Kathy, “You know, we never answered the questions you asked on our way up here. And I think the answer lies in how did Walter handle the situations he found himself in? As I remember, that day the paint got poured over you, you made a joke out of it. You said you were the Pepto Bismol boy. And could take everyone’s heartburn away. You may not have seen it, but every teacher who heard you say that rolled their eyes and shook their heads, but laughed. It may be hard to do, but I think Walter would hold his head up and not let on that anything had happened. And if someone makes a big deal out of it all, or tells you that’s what you get, look them straight in the eye and ask them if their IQ is the same as their shoe size. Then walk away.” Shelby and Terry had been expecting something wise from Marge because of her build up. But they weren’t expecting her last statement, and snickered before laughing. Even Kathy had to laugh at the idea. Marge turned so she was facing Kathy and told her, “Look, sweetheart. No matter what anyone else thinks, I’m still there with you. I’m still in love with you, and if you want I’ll deck the jerk for you.” Terry turned and looked at Marge. Shelby shared the road with the rearview mirror. And Kathy gave Marge a funny look, each seeing the straight face Marge held. It didn’t take long before all four were laughing again. And Kathy was showing Marge her appreciation for sticking with her; Terry and Shelby kept their eyes looking out the windshield, as what the girls were doing would make it hard for Shelby to drive if Terry tried the same thing. She’d save that for later tonight.

When they arrived home, and in the house, Shelby could see how the events of the day still held his girls’ attention, too much of their attention. He looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was time for a program on TV they often watched at this time in the evening. He turned on the TV, turned to the right channel, and like Terry and the girls, settled back in his chair to watch the mindless drivel in the hopes of leaving the day’s events behind for a little while.

Shelby’s idea worked, in fact it worked too good. Terry, Marge, and he were so engrossed in the program they didn’t see the anguish look on Kathy’s face. They didn’t see how it contorted from pain to humiliation to embarrassment and back to pain. They didn’t see the panicked look which suddenly formed on Kathy’s face, but they did hear her cry out, causing Terry and Shelby to turn their attention to their daughter. They saw the look of horror on Kathy’s face as she crawled up onto Marge’s lap and tightly hugged Marge. Shelby could see Kathy’s lips moving, meaning she was saying something, but her voice was so soft he couldn’t hear what it was she was saying. He pressed the power button on the TV remote, and as the sound from the TV died, Kathy’s word could then be heard.

“I can’t do it, I can’t do it, I can’t do it. Everyone will know what happened. They’ll know I was half dressed, and going to be raped. I can’t face them, I can’t face them, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. They’ll all know, I’ll become the laughing stock, they’ll point, laugh, and laugh, I can’t do it, I can’t do it…” Kathy’s mantra continued without letting up. Shelby heard Marge speaking softly to Kathy but her words seemed to be ignored. Terry got up out of her chair and went into the kitchen. A few moments later Shelby heard her talking with someone but not what Terry was saying. Kathy was still reciting her mantra when Terry returned to the living room, sitting down again to watch her daughter, feeling helpless.

tbc
Chapter 26

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 26

It was perhaps thirty minutes later when the front doorbell rang, causing Terry to get up out of her chair and go to the front door. This time, after Terry opened the door, Shelby could hear what Terry said, as he heard, “Jenny. Oh thank gawd you could come. Kathy’s in a tizzy, a meltdown. She’s been reciting the same thing over and over again since a few minutes before I called you. She seemed fine when we arrived home after eating out, then she is as you see her on Marge’s lap.” Terry had led Jenny into the living room, where the two women stood looking at Kathy, still in Marge’s lap, still reciting her mantra. Jenny then addressed Marge by asking, “Marge, will you be alright with Kathy for a few minutes? I need to speak with Terry and Shelby alone.” It wasn’t hard for the three adults to see the tears in Marge’s eyes, but she nodded, and it was Terry who suggested they go into the kitchen. Once there, Jenny started asking probing questions. How was Kathy yesterday? Was she upset at any point? Did anything happen today? It was with this question Terry and Shelby regaled Jenny with the day’s events, even what Glenda screamed at them. Word for word. And that Kathy seemed in a good mood going and coming from the restaurant. The two parents did tell Jenny about Kathy’s question about school tomorrow, and how to handle it since it was likely word had spread of the event.

After speaking with Shelby and Terry for a few minutes, Jenny now felt she understood what had Kathy frozen in her own thoughts, and a possible way to thaw out those thoughts. And help alleviate her fears. Standing, Terry and Shelby followed Jenny into the living room, where she proceeded to sit on the couch so she could see Kathy’s face. Gently, so as not to startle Kathy, Jenny touched Kathy’s arm as she spoke, “Kathy, sweetheart, it’s Jenny. It’s Jenny, sweetheart. Can you hear me, Kathy? Kathy, sweetheart,” and she gently shook Kathy’s arm to try and get Kathy’s attention. Kathy’s mantra faded and was replaced with, “J-e-n-ny...J-e-n-n-y?” Jenny smiled and replied, “Yes, sweetheart, it’s Jenny. Can you look at me, please?” Kathy had been staring at nothing down and away during her mantra, and ever so slowly raised her head so she was looking at Jenny. When Jenny was looking directly into Kathy’s eyes, knowing she had Kathy’s attention, she softly said, “Hi, sweetheart. I understand you’re really upset about school tomorrow. I’d like to hear why you’re upset, I think I can help you.” At the mention of school on Monday, Kathy started to drop her head, but Jenny softly placed her extended fingers under Kathy’s chin and gently lifted her head.

“Kathy, no sweetheart, keep your head up so I can see those beautiful eyes.” This time Kathy let her head be raised, and let the tears fall as she told Jenny, “I’m scared, Jenny. How can I face everyone tomorrow? Like everything else that happens at that school, it won’t have taken long before everyone knows exactly what happened. They’ll know those two bastards pulled off my skirt and panties, making me half naked. And that they were going to rape me, both of them. The boys will wonder what I looked like half naked, some girls will say I deserved what I got. How do I handle all that? What do I say? What do I do?” Marge held Kathy tight, as Kathy broke down and sobbed on Marge’s shoulder. Jenny had reached over and was gently rubbing Kathy’s back as she cried. Terry and Shelby weren’t doing any better.

As Jenny gently rubbed Kathy’s back she softly said, “Oh, you sweet girl. You are adjusting to becoming a girl and then this gets thrown onto your back. Kathy, I’ve watched you as Walter, the boy who always got up when a situation knocked him down or threw something at him. I’ve watched you now as Kathy, and you still get up when a situation knocks you down or throws you into a mess. The heart you had as Walter still beats within the girl now known as Kathy. When you found yourself transforming, you could have gone several ways, none healthy. But you stood your ground, you accepted what was happening and continued on with your life. I’ve heard about the ‘show and tell’ sessions you held, which would have been impossible for some girls to do. Even being examined by a doctor in front of all those women, which is often embarrassing for most women. Kathy, your mom and dad have instilled in you a will to go on no matter what hits you or what you have to walk through. And it’s a good thing they did, because like some your age, they could be sitting here today wondering why you ended your life. What they could have done differently, why they didn’t see any signs of your impending death.” Jenny’s mention of suicide caused both Marge and Kathy to really lift their heads and listen to what she was telling them. And it shook Terry and Shelby because it wasn’t something they’d even consider Kathy might do.

And Jenny continued with, “But that’s not who you are, Kathy. You’ve gone through an event which would have driven other boys your age insane. You’ve gone through a horrendous experience which would have caused many girls to fold up and hide themselves away. And yet, you went through those experiences and are stumbling out the other side, trying to get your feet back under you so you can continue on with whatever plans you have for your life. Kathy, that takes an inner strength most people, adults included, don’t have. That alone makes you a very special young lady who will take others by storm in your future. And if you let this other beautiful young lady,” and Jenny reached over and lightly caressed Marge’s cheek, “help you through these times, and the ones to come, you are going to be a storm to reckon with at some point in your life. Both of you together.”

“Now, how to handle tomorrow at school? Well, how did you handle things when Walter discovered he was becoming a girl? What did you say to those who made fun of you or threatened you? You did exactly what Walter always did, you held your head up and continued on with your life. And that’s what I recommend you do tomorrow at school. So what if the school knows what happened? So what if they hear what those two animals did and were about to do? What they will remember, and talking about the most, is how you and Marge put them into the hospital. How the girls in that school will never have to worry about Tony attacking them or having offspring who will follow in his footsteps. You will frighten the boys who weren’t there because they will hear what you did to Tony and Patrick, and wonder if you’d do it to them if they bothered you. What I think you’re likely to find is a school who will stand up and protect you from now on. Because you stood up for yourself during a horrendous time and walked out the other side. Yes, you’re a little beat up, and rightly so, but you’re still on your feet. You aren’t folded up in a ball, unable to be reached by anyone. And you’re still alive to carry on with your life.” Jenny then leaned forward and gently kissed Kathy on the cheek, telling her, “Be Walter tomorrow, when he learned he was being transformed into a girl. And I’ll see both of you in my office at school after school tomorrow.” Jenny then lightly touched each girl’s nose with her finger before standing up and asking to speak with Terry and Shelby.

When the three walked into the kitchen, Jenny lowered her voice and told the couple, “I know some of what I told Kathy and Marge shocked both of you, especially about Kathy taking her own life. I know it isn’t something either of you would have considered because you wouldn’t think it was something Walter would do. And you’d be right. But we’re not dealing with Walter any more, it’s Kathy we’re dealing with, a fully functioning fifteen-year-old girl. Who now has a different mindset because she is a girl. And who now knows the terror an attempted rape can pose, and she’s going to dwell on that for longer than she did when Walter learned he was becoming a girl. Like you, I think her inner strength will keep her safe from herself, but we still have to be mindful of the other possibility, slim though it may be. Terry, you’ve grown up knowing about the possibility of rape every woman and girl is open to, let Kathy know your feelings about it, let her share hers with you. Encourage her all you can without pushing too many buttons. She was doing good adjusting to being a girl, until now. Now I think she might really want to be Walter again, a boy who would have never considered he could be raped. And because they are like two peas in a pod, let her lean on Marge as much as she has too. Believe me when I tell you this, as it’s something you might not have considered. Marge is kicking herself right now for not being there for Kathy. Right now she blames herself for the boys getting to Kathy because she wasn’t with Kathy. Marge needs Kathy as much as Kathy needs her. And they both need the two of you, since you’ve basically accepted Marge as your second daughter. And because you have let them be together. I don’t think either of you realizes how special you are as parents. Not only have you instilled in your child an inner strength which has gotten her through some terrific events, but you’ve accepted her falling in love with another girl. Many parents would have been up in arms, would have either beat their child to try and make them change their mind, or shunned the child completely. I know you were firm with Walter, and now Kathy, but you did so with love. And you continue to show that love despite everything that’s happened to Kathy.” Jenny paused as she looked at Terry and Shelby, both having wet eyes, before she said, “Well, I think I’ve done all I can tonight. I’ll see Kathy and Marge after school tomorrow,” and pointing at Terry she said, “and you Tuesday at seven in the evening at my downtown office. Right?” Terry nodded her head before she found herself in a hug from Jenny. Jenny hugged Shelby before the two walked Jenny out of the kitchen, and towards the front door. As Jenny walked by Marge and Kathy she softly bid the girls a ‘goodnight girls’ before opening up the front door, saying ‘goodnight’ to Terry and Shelby and heading home.

When Shelby had shut the front door Terry slumped against him, put her arms around him, telling him, “God, Shelby. How much more is Kathy going to face before she’s left alone? God I’m tired, Shelby.” Shelby pulled Terry into him, kissing her softly, then answering, “Honey, life is how it is. We can’t control everything in our daily lives. We can’t control the actions of others. All we can control is how we respond to the stupidity of others. As Jenny said, and told Kathy, she’s still standing, though a bit unsteady at the moment. We’re all hurting because of what happened; us because our daughter and her girlfriend are hurting. But we’re all still standing, while the two who caused this fell flat on their faces. The memory of all this will be with us for the rest of our lives, though it may dim with time. It’s the emotions that will eventually ease to the point where we can function again without letting the events bring us to the point we are right now. Oh, I don’t doubt we’ll shed tears when the memory is revisited, but we will have built up callouses to help us get through the time it does reappear. But we will still be standing, and ready to spit into the eye of the next situation that comes our way.” He then lowered his voice so the girls would hear him say, “Let’s get the girls to bed and I’ll help you shower. Then afterwards I’ll help you relax so you can get a good night’s sleep.”

The location of the front door was guarded by a short wall which stopped at the opening to the living room. For anyone to see the front door, or anyone standing at the front door, the person would have to stand at the opening to the living room. Knowing this, Terry began giving Shelby a passionate kiss, as one hand worked on Shelby’s excited manhood. When Terry paused the kiss, and pulled her head back from Shelby’s face, Shelby saw the school girl look on Terry’s face, the one which always told him Terry was eager for him to be within her. Shelby tried to softly clear his throat, as Terry continued her ministrations, then said, “Ah, sweetheart. With my desire for you at full tilt, and you doing that, it may be difficult for me to walk back into the living room without the girls understanding our pre-planned activity.” Terry’s hand continued its work, as she slowly lowered her head to Shelby’s neck, before telling him, “Tough. Let them notice,” then proceeded to lamprey her lips to Shelby’s neck. Shelby thought the moan which had escaped his lips had only been heard by Terry. But when they both heard the girls giggle, then say as one, “GET A ROOM,” then break down in laughter, Terry and Shelby realized they hadn’t been as quiet as they thought. And they both blushed.

The blush on their faces went from a light pink to a darker red, as they walked back into the living room and heard, “Oh, look Marge. Daddy must have burned his neck with a curling iron. And looky there, Marge,” and Kathy, smirking all the time, pointed to Shelby’s groin. “I think they have plans that don’t include us.” The smile Terry and Shelby saw on Marge’s face told them it wasn’t over yet, as she said, “No, Kathy. That isn’t a curling iron burn. That’s a hickey, and a nice one too. Your mom sure does a good job handing those out.” The darker red on Terry and Shelby’s faces increased even more as Marge finished with, “Oh, yeah, I see what you mean. Some beautiful lady is going to get lucky tonight. And I wager they don’t get much sleep.” Both girls sat on the couch, looking at Terry and Shelby with smirks on their faces. Terry looked at Shelby, and he looked at her, a slight nod was exchanged, and the two moved as one to trap both girls on the couch and began tickling them fiercely. It was one sided at first, but it only took a moment and the tickling was reciprocated. Their antics culminated in a group hug, the laughing doing its job of relieving a lot of tension the four had felt. Terry and Shelby were surprised when the girls broke their hug, stood up, then helped Terry and Shelby off the couch, telling the two, “You two go enjoy yourselves. Make each other happy, you deserve it.” Terry couldn’t help the tears she felt holding in her eyes, as she cupped the chin of both girls and told them, “You do the same.” And again, Shelby found he had something in his eyes.

The house got quiet after both showers ran for about an hour, at least for fifteen minutes. The silence of the house was broken by sounds emanating from both bedrooms, sounds ignored by both couples. But the four did sleep soundly that night, after they let sleep overtake them all

Each bedroom’s wake up call was how the couples ended their previous evening, including the length of their showers. When the girls arrived in the kitchen, dressed for school, they found Terry and Shelby as they always found them, with Shelby sitting at the kitchen table dressed for work and Terry fixing their breakfast. The girls sat down at the kitchen table, after setting their backpacks on the living room floor, and began on the bowls of fruit Terry had placed before them. The tension they all felt yesterday, while not completely gone, had lessened to the point of not weighing on them as it had the previous day. It also wasn’t hard for the four to see how each couple looked at the other, knowing how the intimacy they shared last night and early this morning had drawn each couple closer together. The girls giggled when they saw several ‘curling iron burns’ on Shelby’s neck. All three girls chuckled as they watched Shelby try and pull his shirt collar up to hide the ‘curling iron burns’ from their view. The girls then laughed as Shelby’s shirt collar refused to be drawn up where he wanted it to stay. Shelby just rolled his eyes and shook his head. They would crucify him at the office today.

It got serious after Terry set a breakfast plate in front of Shelby and the girls, then sat down at the kitchen table with her own. She looked at the girls and asked, “How are you two doing this morning? Kathy? Are you going to be okay going to school today? Maybe you need a few more days staying home or doing something else? After what you experienced, I don’t think the school would mind if you took a few days off.” Marge reached across to Kathy’s hand as Kathy told Terry, “No, mom. Jenny was right. I faced being Walter turning into a girl those first few days, as I did everything else, so I need to face today just like that. Running away from what others might say won’t accomplish anything. And if I start running, when will I stop? Running away isn’t me, mom, and you know it. It just took some loving people to make me remember that fact. Besides, if I know Uncle Peter as I do, he’ll have the whole security staff guarding me the entire day.”

If either Terry or Shelby had been wearing suspenders, they could have thumbed them in and out, proclaiming the pride they felt in their daughter at that very moment. Not many her age would have the courage to face so many in such a short time after such an attack. Terry held her tears, this time. And Shelby had dust or something in his eyes. Marge and Kathy could see it coming, as Terry smirked and asked Shelby, “Dear, might you want to skip work for a few days? Those ‘curling iron burns’ might cause you problems at the office today.” Terry smiled, the girls giggled, as Shelby gave Terry his ‘you just wait, woman’ look. The tables turned as Shelby smirked as he told Terry, “No, dear. It will be okay today. Of course I know there will be questions, and teasing. But all I have to tell them is that I married a lamprey woman who does good work. Besides, I feel certain when your work is admired, one of the women will want to make them less conspicuous. We do, after all, have a reputation which must be maintained.” Shelby then stuck his tongue out at Terry, causing them all to laugh. Chit chat followed as they ate their breakfast, with Shelby finishing first and after kissing his girls, left for the office. The girls helped Terry clear the table and put things away before they too left the house and headed to the high school, soon to learn how the school would respond to the attack on Kathy. Kathy had a death grip on Marge’s hand the entire drive to school, it didn’t lessen as they got out of Terry’s car and walked towards the front doors of the school.

Both girls were surprised as the front school doors opened and five boys walked out and formed a corridor for the girls to walk through. They were the five football players who escorted Kathy and Marge to the office that Friday after Kathy was attacked. Bobby stood at the head of the four boy corridor and told the girls, “We’ll be escorting you both to your classes this week. Next week five more players will replace us, and so on until the end of school. Or you two decide you’ll be okay as you were before. This is not up for discussion, we’ve cleared it with Principal Stepel. Besides, all of us have classes in the same wings as you both do, so it won’t be out of our way.” Kathy, more so than Marge, felt tears wet her cheeks, as Bobby took the lead, with two boys beside them and two following. The group stopped when they reached the spot where Peter stood, having waited for Kathy to arrive for the past thirty minutes.

“Hi girls, doing any better today? And before you answer, Terry phoned me and filled me in. So BS won’t be accepted today from either of you. Understand? You need to talk, go see Jenny or come see me. Got it? It was necessary to inform the school staff about last Friday, so neither of you will get gigged if you suddenly need to go talk with someone. Okay?” Peter saw the smirk on Kathy’s face, and knew something smart was coming his way. And he was right, as he watched Kathy turn to Marge and ask, “How should we answer all those questions? In reverse order or how they were asked? Or I could answer one then you could answer one, but I think one might be left over, so we’d have to flip to see who answers that one.” Peter saw by the smirk on Marge’s face there was more to come. “Oh, I don’t know,” Marge began. “If we answer them in reverse order do you think he can remember the first question he asked us? And if we answer them in the order they were asked, can he remember the last question he asked us? What if we start in the middle and work both ways? You can go forward and I’ll go down. How’s that idea sound to you?” By now, the football players were having trouble not laughing because of the girl’s antics. When Peter finally called a halt to the girl’s antice, the football players finally broke down and started laughing, receiving some haunting looks from Peter.

Kathy knew by the look on her Uncle’s face that he was dead serious now, as she told him, “We’re doing better, Un...um, Principal Stepel. Not one hundred percent, but better. Marge and I have an appointment with Jenny after school, and on Wednesday and Friday. I have a feeling we’ll see her for some time, since that attack caused other problems which need ironed out. Problems that were being worked on at the time. And yes, we understand about going to talk to someone if we suddenly have too. Believe me, we DO understand. I was hoping the whole thing could have been kept quiet, since there are those who are going to be snide about what happened. But I do understand you had to do what was needed.”

Kathy didn’t fool her Uncle, he’d seen her facial expressions too often. So when she told him they were doing better, he could see the fear in her eyes she kept from her face. Peter walked up to the girls, put a hand on each of their shoulders and told them, “Girls. Stop trying to pretend you aren’t scared to be here today, I see it in your eyes. After what you both went through, you have a right to be scared. I want you both to know there will be a security person shadowing you both wherever you go today while you’re in school. Along with your escorts. I think you’ll also find how the other students handle those who try to blame you both for what happened, so don’t be surprised how it gets handled. It’s time for certain lessons to be administered. Now, if there’s nothing more, off you go. Try to enjoy your time here today, okay?” Both girls said they’d try, as Peter stepped out of their way and with their escorts, headed for their hall lockers.

Peter had told both girls not to be surprised how those spewing snide remarks would be handled, so they went on their way as a girl standing near a wall yelled at them, “Stupid, cunt bitch. You got what you deserved.” The next thing the group heard was, “HEY! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING? GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME!!” They later learned how their shadow had taken the girl by the arm and frog marched her to the office. She was suspended for the week. She was also one of several girls who thought themselves better than everyone at school. Including the school staff.

A real surprise occurred the minute the group entered the classroom wing that housed the girls’ hall lockers, and their first period science class. A surprise which brought back something Jenny told the girls last night. Students were applauding as the group walked down the hallway. Many of the girls told Marge and Kathy, “Way to go gals. Way to go.” And some girls even shouted, “Thank you, Kathy and Marge. It’s so much better around here now.” The applause even brought those already in class, waiting for school to start, out into the hallway to add their own applause. But of course, there were the overtly made snide remarks, which immediately caused the offender to be frog marched to the office, shouting the whole way. Before the school day had ended, six students had been suspended the entire week, with a standing invitation to bring their parents with them the following Monday for a serious meeting with the Principal. And their future at West high school.

After their escort made sure the girls were safely in their first period science class, they left to go to their own first period classes. It seemed a message had been sent to everyone in their first period class because everyone was already sitting in their seats. And when the girls entered the classroom, they all stood up and began applauding both girls. Jenny had told Kathy and Marge they might be surprised how well liked they both were, and upon seeing everyone standing and clapping, they realized Jenny’s words were true. The scene was repeated each time the girls went into a classroom wing for their next class, and in each of their classes.

But the biggest surprise happened at lunch, as the entire lunch room crowd stood and cheered as the girls entered the lunch room. Kathy and Marge were really touched as the boy who Walter helped off the floor after he stepped on a wet spot on the floor, then gave him his lunch, approached them carrying two lunch trays. “If you ladies would follow me, please.” He led them down an aisle between tables to their usual table, where he sat the trays down then pulled out each chair for Marge and Kathy to sit down in. It seemed like an hour before everyone finally sat down to eat their lunch. And it was at that time, in that moment of silence before it too was broken, when they heard, “Too bad those boys didn’t get to finish what they started.” And as happen previously, they heard, “HEY, GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME. DO YOU KNOW WHO MY PARENTS ARE? MY DAD IS GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS FOR THI…” The boy’s rants were cut off when the lunch room door closed behind him and school security. The boy was another one who received a week’s suspension.

The experiences Marge and Kathy envisioned they’d have that day during school had been turned on their heads by what they actually experienced. Besides the applause when they walked to class, or in their classrooms, girls would often stop them and thank them for what they did to Tony and Patrick. The surprise for both girls were the times a shy boy would thank them, explaining how the two boys had been bullying the boy(s). If Marge and Kathy were surprised by the school’s reactions, Kathy was about to have her very own surprise. A surprise which occurred because of her standing up to the two boys and kicking their butts.

As usual, Kathy was the last girl out of the showers in her last period PE class, there was no need to hurry since school was almost over, and there were no more classes to attend. All ten girls were either completely naked or semi-naked when the door to the girls locker room opened and ten girls walked into the locker room. Nine heads snapped up and looked in the direction of the door when footfalls were heard walking in the locker room. Kathy wasn’t paying attention until she noticed the other nine girls had formed a wall in front of Kathy, blocking her from being seen by whoever had entered the locker room. When the ten girls were in sight, Debbie Marlow, never a timid one, asked, “What the hell do you all want?” Her voice was challenging and loud, indicating they weren’t going to take crap from the new girls, which brought Connie out of her office. Connie stood where she was, watching the new girls and her girls, waiting to find out what would happen before she acted; the new girls might not be a threat and if Connie reacted incorrectly, there might be more problems than wanted. The tension level dropped, somewhat, when they all heard, “Um...we’d like to speak with Kathy. She really did us a favor taking care of those two assholes. She also showed us something else.”

Debbie felt a hand on her shoulder, turned and saw Kathy standing behind her. “It’s okay, Debbie, they aren’t here to cause problems. But thank you for being my big sister in this.” Debbie got a surprise of her own as Kathy kissed her lightly on the cheek, before stepping between Debbie and another girl to stand in front of the other nine girls. As Kathy, and the nine girls in her class, stood looking at the ten girls who just came into the locker room, they all could see how embarrassed each girl appeared. How each girl felt as self-conscious as they looked, and how all ten were about to drop a boat load of tears. The real shock came when the girl who first spoke, did let her tears fall as she said, “We’re glad those two bastards are gone, I only wish we’d had the courage to fight back against them at the time.” Her lips were quivering now as she explained, “Those two pricks forced us to do things to them both. They threatened to do worse if we didn’t do what they said. The ten of us were so scared of what they’d do if we didn’t do what they told us. We were really scared of what our parents would do if they found out what they made us do.”

The question hung in the air until Kathy took it and asked, “How did Tony and Patrick force you to do anything to them? All you had to do was tell a teacher or go to the Principal, and tell them what those two pricks wanted.” The girl was crying now, and shaking her head, as the words stumbled from her mouth. “We...all...have...younger...sisters.” When the girl continued, her words were vicious, filled with hate, and venomous. “Those two BASTARDS threatened to go after our younger sister if we didn’t do what they wanted. We couldn’t let that happen, so we gave in to them.” Even though Kathy was naked, she stepped forward and pulled the girl into a hug, letting her cry on her shoulder. As the girl cried Kathy told her, “You might not believe this, but what you did for your younger sister was very brave of you. You could have thrown your sister to those bastards to save yourselves, but you didn’t. And I think when your parents learn why you did what you did, if they haven’t already, they will think you’re the bravest girl they’d ever seen. At least in your familys.” Nine naked, or semi-naked, girls each took one of the now crying new girls and held her as she cried. Connie watched as her girls comforted the ten girls, knowing what she’d like to do to two pieces of slime if she had the chance. ‘On the other hand,’ she thought to herself, as she watched the twenty girls in front of her. ‘Maybe those two bastards did this school an unexpected favor.’

The ten girls in Connie’s PE class had each stepped forward to comfort one of the ten girls who came into the locker room. Now, though, it looked as though those ten girls were comforting her girls, as Connie saw tears sliding down the face of each of those girls. She’d also watched the reaction when Kathy and Marge had walked into the cafeteria, and how students reacted when the girls, together or individually, walked down the halls to their classrooms. Those two bastards unwittingly had helped bring the students in West high together over a common foe. And at the same time, placed themselves in grave danger if they ever showed their faces at the school again. Connie had no doubt how the students, as a whole, would react if those two ever showed their faces here, at school, or anywhere, again in this City. She also had a feeling she knew what several parents would gladly do to those two.

There were giggles, when one of the girls said, “Oh, crap, I got your dress wet. I’m so sorry.” The giggles stopped when the girl said, “That’s okay, it was worth it. I really needed that hug. We were all so scared how all of you would react to what we had to tell Kathy.” It was Debbie who caused a cheer to go up from the twenty girls, and Connie to cover her ears, when she yelled, “BULLSHIT! WE’RE ALL SISTERS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FUCKING BASTARDS LIKE THOSE TWO SHIT HEADS!” Connie would have a private word with Debbie later. The locker room got quiet as another of the ten girls who came into the locker room said, “We also wanted to tell you, Kathy, because of your courage being here in school today, after what happened last Friday, the ten of us went to Principal Stepel and told him everything we’d been through with those two animals. And why. And…” and here her story faltered, before she continued with, “um...he had to call our parents. So they know everything, and the why of it all. And you were right, they were proud of us standing up for our younger sisters, but sort of upset we didn’t come to them about it.” She started to cry again, and again was pulled into a hug.

The girl was still being hugged, but had calmed down, after several minutes. The other girls had been watching her, some tears leaking from their eyes. What caught everyone off guard was Kathy starting to chuckle, then outright laughing, which gained in intensity until she broke down and began sobbing so hard she made no sound. Debbie immediately grabbed Kathy and held her as she cried. Connie had been standing off to the side, watching the girls interplay, and now knew Kathy was doing more than just crying, not like she’d seen Kathy cry before. She went to the locker room door, poked her head out and told one of the football players guarding the door to go get Marge, it was an emergency. All of the boys escorting the girls knew the location of each class the girls were in, so Bruce, the boy Connie spoke to, ran off to Marge’s history class. He reached the classroom just as the last bell rang, dismissing school for the day. A student came out of that classroom so Bruce didn’t have to open the door and barge into the classroom. He saw Marge getting up from her desk and hollered, “Marge! It’s an emergency! Kathy needs you!” Thankfully for the other students in her class, when they heard ‘Kathy needs you’ they made ‘a hole’ as they watched Marge sprint out of the classroom; Marge would have run over each and every student in her way as she made her way out of the classroom.

tbc
Chapter 27

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 27

The door to the girls locker room was held open by another of the football players as Marge came running towards the locker room. A ‘thanks’ was heard by Marge as she flew past him and towards her love. She heard the reason she’d been called the minute she entered the locker room, Kathy was having another meltdown. She rushed up to Debbie holding Kathy and softly told her, “I’ve got her, thanks,” before telling Kathy, “I’m here, baby girl, I’m here.” Marge pulled Kathy to her as she backed up against the bench in front of Kathy’s locker. Sitting down, she let Kathy crawl into her lap and held her as Kathy broke down even harder, now that Marge was holding her. The other girls found a place to sit, or quickly dressed, since their getting dressed had been interrupted by the ten girls coming into the locker room. Once dressed, they too sat down but in front of their lockers.

When Kathy had calmed down to a whimper, Connie then softly asked Marge, “Should I send for Jenny? I know you two have an appointment with her, but maybe she needs to help Kathy now.” Marge shook her head, telling Connie, “Thank you for asking, Mrs. O’Conner. But I don’t think Kathy is quite finished yet. I think she was about to tell the girls something and was overcome with emotions. This kind of thing happened a few times over the weekend, and usually resulted in Kathy finally being able to say what she wanted without melting down again, once the emotions were out of her system.” Connie watched as Kathy nodded her head in agreement with Marge’s statement.

When Kathy had completely calmed down, she took a deep breath, got off Marge’s lap and sat beside Marge, leaning her head on Marge’s shoulders, with Marge’s arm around Kathy’s waist. No one said a word, as Kathy took another deep breath and said, “I apologize to all of you for the meltdown. What was being said hit me harder than I realized it would. When you talked about your parents finding out what those two bastards made you do, or they’d go after your younger sisters. How about your parents finding out you’re turning into a girl? Or this entire school? Talk about being scared, I was terrified. Your parents would be horrified because of what you were made to do, you were already girls. But a boy transforming into a girl? How were my parents going to react? Can you imagine the fear I had at the time? The double fear? I was becoming a girl, how could I be a girl like the rest of you? All of you have grown up being girls, learning what it means to be a girl, and all the pitfalls. But I was being thrown into the deep end of the gender pool and told to swim as a girl. How? What did I know spit from anything about being a girl? I’d been a boy for the past fourteen years. I knew boy, not girl. Thankfully, my parents were there for me, as was this beautiful young woman holding me. A beautiful young woman I dearly love with all my heart. Another thing many would object to, and have. But the real fear which played on my mind was being accepted by others, and those at this high school. If you all would remember, things didn’t go well when I could no longer hide the fact I was becoming a girl because of that accident. Given the school news drums, I’m sure you all heard about the treatment I received from many in this school. At the time, I handled it like I would have when I was Walter, and got up off the ground and continued on.”

As the other girls listened, and watched, tears fell from Kathy’s eyes as she continued with, “And then Tony and his brother, Patrick, came to our school. Two animals who thought they could take from any girl what they wanted.” The venom Kathy put into those words caused chills to run up the spines of the other girls, none had ever seen Kathy so angry before. They hoped they never had her that angry at them.

Kathy continued by saying, “Those two assholes caused me to wonder why I was transformed into a girl. A person who boys and men only saw as having one function, to get between our legs in order to satisfy their animal desires. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying all men or boys think this way, but those who do, like those two animals, made me want to become Walter again. Something I knew was impossible. I was now a girl, like it or not. And I had to make the most of it by learning how to be a girl. My past fourteen years can’t help me now, can’t help me be the girl I am now. I can tell all of you how to be a boy without any problems. I was learning to be a boy while all of you were learning to be girls. I was getting along okay until last Friday, when I received a hard lesson on why being a girl can be scary.” She got quiet after that, Marge still holding her and Kathy’s head still resting on Marge’s shoulder.

The silence was broken when Debbie cleared her throat, wipped her eyes and told Kathy, “Kathy. Like I said before. We’re all sisters here. We’re all girls, though we sometimes don’t get along. We’re still sisters. And we have to stick together, even welcoming a new sister into our fold.” The others watched as Debbie stood up, walked over to Kathy, kissed her on the cheek, hugged her, and told her, “Welcome sister, I’ll help you any way I can.” Connie had to hide herself for a bit, as she watched girl after girl welcome Kathy into the sisterhood, in order to hide the tears falling from her eyes, as each girl followed Debbie’s lead. Marge and Kathy were the last girls to leave the locker room. With Marge still holding Kathy tightly, the two girls let their escort lead them to their appointment with Jenny, who would know about the locker room from the call she received from Connie. A tearful Connie.

The four football players with the girls watched as the girls went into Jenny’s office, before they left to do other things; School security would watch the girls now, making sure they made it safely to their ride when it arrived.

The minute Jenny saw Marge and Kathy, with Marge supporting a very distraught Kathy, she knew what Connie told her wasn’t as complete as she first thought. “Hi girls,” Jenny said as the two girls came into Jenny’s inner sanctum. Jenny could tell just by looking at both girls that they both needed water to replenish the tears they’d shed. “Here,” and Jenny handed each of the girls a bottle of bottled water, and told them, “drink a good portion of the water, you need it.” Jenny chuckled to herself as Marge drank about a fourth of her bottle of water, while Kathy drained her entire bottle in one drink. Jenny took another bottle of bottled water from her small fridge, handed it to Kathy and told her, “A little slower this time, yes?” A smirk played across Kathy’s lips as she replied, “Yeah, okay. I was thirsty.” Jenny smiled before getting down to business, prying information out of Kathy when Kathy was likely to be too embarrassed to say. Jenny then decided the blunt approach was needed at this moment, and told Marge and Kathy, “Mrs. O’Conner called me and told me about the events in the girls locker room. I’d like to hear the whys and wherefores from you Kathy, like why you had another meltdown that required Mrs. O’Conner to send for Marge.” Jenny sat back and waited until Kathy was ready to explain what happened.

Jenny watched as Kathy played with the security ring at the top of the bottle of water which had been attached to the bottle’s cap before the cap had been removed. Kathy spun it around one way, then the other. She lifted it up, then let it drop. She lifted one side, then the other. All the while not looking at Jenny. Jenny might have to ruffle some feathers as Marge said,” Kathy...,” but she never said any more as Jenny held up her hand. “Marge. I know you’re trying to help Kathy, and that’s admirable, and loving. But I need Kathy to tell me what happened. She needs to talk about the events in that locker room and why she had another meltdown. If she doesn’t talk about it, she’s going to keep having meltdowns and one day you won’t be there to help her. And if that day comes, she might go totally around the bend. And if that happens, her parents and I will have no choice but to commit her to a mental health center until she pulls herself together.” Jenny turned her attention back to Kathy and asked, “Is that what you want, Kathy? To be committed to a mental health center until you get your head straight on your shoulders? Because I will tell you, there won’t be any trying to bluff anyone. Those who work with you will know all the tricks and dodges. You will have to square yourself away or they will keep you for as long as it takes.” As Jenny watched Kathy for any reaction, she tried her hardest not to sigh as she watched Kathy continue to play with the security ring.

Jenny waited another ten minutes for Kathy to say something, anything, but the girl remained silent. Finally, after another five minutes went by, both girls heard Jenny say, “Kathy. I’m not going to force you to say anything you aren’t ready to say. But unless you’re willing to talk with me today, then the three of us are wasting our time here in my office. So, I’ll see both of you after school on Wednesday. And Kathy, you better think hard about what I said about having meltdowns and ending up being committed. Because as a licensed Psychologist I can have you committed over the objection of your parents if I feel you are a danger to yourself. And that’s what will happen if you don’t start talking to me. That means no more school. No more friends, or lover. It means you will go directly to a mental health facility and be there until they know you’re alright. I’ll see you both Wednesday after school.” Jenny and Marge watched as Kathy all but bolted out of Jenny’s office, Marge then hurrying to catch up with her.

When Marge came out of Jenny’s office, she found Kathy pacing back and forth in front of three school security people, they were not letting her leave until Marge was with her. As the three started to escort the two girls to the parking lot, they stopped and turned when they heard, “What the HELL is the matter with you? That woman in there is trying to help you, and all you can do is give her the cold shoulder? You want to be taken out of school and basically locked up? Because the way you’re acting right now that’s EXACTLY what’s going to happen. And to be truthful, I’ll help them get you there. Your mom and dad will have to know about this, if Jenny hasn’t already called them. And if I know your mom, as I do, she’s going to ream you a new one. And you know she isn’t going to beat around the bush when she does. GAWD, you’re so DAMN INFURIATING!” Marge started walking towards the parking lot, only to be held up because Kathy wasn’t moving. Marge walked back to Kathy, grabbed her arm and told her, “Let’s go, your mom is waiting for us. And I’ll be damn if I’m going to spend the night here just because you’re throwing a tantrum. Now COME on.” Kathy let herself be pulled along by Marge, not really caring what Marge did from now on.

When the small group reached the loading zone, Terry could tell something was dreadfully wrong, since Marge was basically pulling Kathy along with her. Marge thanked the security people, then opened the front passenger door and shoved Kathy into the front seat. She sat down hard on the front seat, slamming the door after she got into the car. Terry looked at Kathy then at Marge and asked, “So, which one of you is going to explain what’s going on. Because we’re going to sit here until I hear an explanation.” Terry had seen Marge angry, but never as furious as she was at the moment. Terry was really taken aback when she heard Marge say, “This stupid bitch had another meltdown, this time in the girls locker room. Some girls came in to thank her for giving them the courage to talk with Peter about those two pricks, and one of the girls said something and her highness went to pieces. And instead of talking with Jenny about the whys and wherefores, she acted like a clam and said nothing. Jenny told her if she doesn’t start talking, Jenny could have her committed because she’d be a danger to herself. Take me to my house, Terry. This stupid bitch needs to get her shit together before I’ll spend any more time with her.”

Terry was completely stunned by what Marge just said, and the ferocity of her words. Terry shook herself, then took a hard look at Kathy. Only Kathy wasn’t there, her eyes were dead. The spark she always had was gone. Kathy was in a bad place at the moment, and Terry needed help. She got out of the car and whistled, getting the attention of the two security people who hadn’t gone back into the school. She waved them over to the car, then asked them, “Can you two stay here and watch the girls. I need to get Jenny.” One of the security told Terry that wasn’t necessary, as she took out her hand-held two-way and called Jenny’s office. When Jenny replied over the radio, the security woman explained the situation and they all heard Jenny say, “I’m on my way.” It was only moments later Jenny came running out of the school, out of breath, stopping when she reached Terry’s car. She saw the terrified look on Terry’s face as Terry told her, “Jenny. Kathy’s not here. She’s physically here but emotionally gone. This time is worse than previous times, and I don’t know how to help her. Even Marge wants to go to her house, she wants nothing more to do with Kathy until she gets herself together. What do we do Jenny?” Tears were falling from Terry’s eyes, as she pleaded to Jenny for help. Jenny bent down so she could look into the front seat and see Kathy’s face. ‘Oh, gawd,’ Jenny thought to herself. ‘She’s worse off now than when she was in my office.’ Jenny straightened, looked at Terry, and told her, “Call Shelby. Tell him you’re taking her to the ER, I’ll have phoned them by then. They’ll check her into the psych ward and start doing an evaluation on her. They’ll want you and Shelby to stay out, but let Marge in, since she has a positive influence on Kathy. I’ll go directly there from here. Now go…” The two women were surprised when they heard Marge talking to Shelby, telling him what happened and where they were going. Marge was still in a mood, because she told Terry, “Terry, you can’t stand around here talking. We need to get Kathy to the hospital NOW.”

No one had kept their voices low when speaking. No one had whispered when they spoke. Everything Jenny told Terry could be clearly heard inside Terry’s car. And yet, Kathy remained silent, didn’t react when Jenny told Terry Kathy needed to be checked in at the psych ward. She just sat there, emotionally gone. Staring straight ahead, with that same dead look in her eyes Terry first saw. Kathy had locked herself up emotionally. She had people who loved her, more than overly concerned about her, so wound up they were willing to use what could be considered drastic measures in order to help her. The last thing said before Terry took Kathy to the ER came from Jenny, as she told Terry, “Terry, look at me. I can tell you’re really wound up right now. But you need to calm down. It won’t do anyone any good if, in your state, you get into an accident. We’ll do all we can for Kathy, that I can assure you. What we don’t need is having to put Kathy’s mother in the hospital as well. Things are urgent, but not lights and sirens urgent. Do you understand me?” Jenny watched as Terry started taking deep breaths, attempting to calm herself down. Terry nodded her head, got into her car, and after starting the engine, drove sedately out of the parking lot, heading towards the hospital. She’d have her own meltdown later, in Shelby’s arms.

Terry couldn’t help glancing at Kathy as she drove them to the hospital, Marge was watching Kathy. Marge was also watching as Terry glanced at Kathy at the wrong time and almost ran a red light. The car screeched to a stop, just in time, and Marge told Terry, “You keep driving like that and we’ll all end up IN the hospital. Stop trying to watch Kathy and keep your eyes on the road. I’m watching her, she’s fine, so far, there’s no change. She’s still shut down.” Terry bristled because of how she was spoken to by a fifteen-year-old girl, but the look she saw on Marge’s face made her realize Marge was right. There was nothing Terry could do for her daughter but to get her safely to the hospital. Terry reached across Kathy, took Marge’s hand, and told her, “Thank you Marge.” Marge squeezed Terry’s hand in acknowledgement, and when the light turned green Terry took her hand back and was more careful as she drove them to the hospital.

After parking the car, Marge pulled an unresponsive Kathy out of the car, never letting go of Kathy’s arm. Terry came around to the girls, and taking Kathy’s other arm, the three entered the ER, where they were met by Marsha. Marsha was shocked by the lack of expression on Kathy’s face, or the missing light in Kathy’s eyes. No pleasantries were exchanged, she simply told Terry and Marge, “Come with me.” They’d almost walked out of the ER waiting room when they heard, “TERRY, WAIT!” Terry switched hands on Kathy’s arm as she turned to see who called her name. He got some dirty looks from the hospital staff as he came running into the ER, and shouted Terry’s name, but Shelby didn’t care. All he cared about was his wife and daughter, and the others could be damned. When he reached his girls, Terry threw her one free arm around Shelby’s neck, as he grabbed her in his arms. As he felt Terry’s tears on his shoulder, he asked, “How’s Kathy? Has there been any change?” Marsha walked back and put an arm around Terry, then Shelby, before telling him, “No Shelby. She’s still shut down. Come on, we need to get her upstairs. Jenny will meet us up there.” Shelby looked at Marge and could see the worry and concern on her face and in her eyes. He gently hugged her, kissed her lightly on the cheek, and told her, “It’s going to be alright. It has so far, hasn’t it?” Marge nodded her head as tears started running down her cheeks. “Yeah, so far,” she choked out. But thought to herself, ‘But so far it’s just been Kathy adjusting to being a girl, and not trying to get over what those two animals did to her.’ Shelby had his arm around Terry’s waist, as the three followed Marsha and pulled Kathy along with them.

It was a feeling a father would have for his daughter. It was an expression of wanting a desire known to be wrong. But as they rode up in the elevator, Shelby said in a low voice, “Gawd, if I could have five minutes alone with those two animals, this world would be a better place.” Marge heard it first, then Terry, and finally Marsha. It started deep in Kathy’s throat, a growl that kept increasing in intensity until it was a full blown scream, and Kathy was lashing out at Terry and Marge who were trying to keep her from hurting herself inside the elevator. Marge was finally able to pin her arms at her side, as she’d done several times before, and she started to softly speak to Kathy in an attempt to calm her down. It wasn’t long before the light in Kathy’s eyes returned, and as best she could, with her arms pinned to her sides, she reached around Marge’s waist, pulled herself into her girlfriend and began bawling. She was still bawling as they reached the floor for the psych ward. Jenny met them at the elevator and could hear the crying even before the elevator doors opened. She even knew who was crying, as the elevator doors parted, and she saw Marge holding a bawling Kathy. Kathy crying was a start, but just a start, barely a start, because Kathy would have a long road ahead of her. She had gone through a traumatic event she couldn’t Walter away, as she kept trying to do.

Because Kathy was back, so to speak, Jenny had her room assignment changed from a room in the lockdown portion of the ward, to a private room where she could have visitors. One visitor, in particular, who would be crucial to Kathy’s recovery. One visitor who needed counseling as much as Kathy did.

Jenny told Shelby and Terry to go fill out the necessary paperwork to admit Kathy while she took the girls to Kathy’s room. Two of the nurses almost caused another meltdown as they tried to separate Kathy and Marge so they could take Kathy to her room. Marge kept trying to tell the nurses to stop, as Kathy was beginning to get agitated as they tried to take Kathy out of Marge’s arms. It took Jenny to rip some flesh off both nurses as she told them, “STOP, NOW! KATHY HAS JUST COME OUT FROM LOCKING HERSELF IN HER OWN MIND. THAT GIRL, MARGE, IS THE ONLY ONE SHE TRUSTS AT THE MOMENT. IF YOU TWO CAN’T SEE THE HARM YOU WERE STARTING TO CAUSE, THEN I’M SURE WE CAN FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR BOTH OF YOU. LIKE ON THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE.!” Jenny was pissed, and concerned for Kathy’s welfare. She didn’t need two stupid, rule following, morons to put Kathy back where she’d been for the past few hours.

The head of the psych ward came out of her office when she heard Jenny yelling. After asking for, and getting an explanation, she turned to the two nurses and softly told them, “Ladies, I realize we have rules on this floor for a reason. Most, if not all, are for our patients’ safety. I realize you two were only following the rules we have set up. But sometimes, like this one, it’s necessary to skirt the rules for the patient’s well being. This young lady,” and the head of the psych ward lightly rubbed Kathy’s back, without any adverse reaction from Kathy, “is rather special to all of us. And somewhat of a miracle. The two of you weren’t here several months ago when a boy came into the ER after he was in an accident in the supply room of his science class. It seems some shelves collapsed as he was reaching for something he needed on the top set of shelves. The shelves broke, and he fell into broken glass and a lot of mixed up chemicals, which caused those in the ER to thoroughly wash him down before they could stitch up the major cuts. He was brought back to the ER several weeks later, complaining of chest pains after slamming his chest against a door jamb. Imagine the surprise of those attending him when they discovered he was developing breast buds.”

The look on the two nurses’ faces caused their boss to chuckle, as she continued with, “The surprise on your faces was the same expression of those in the ER. How could a boy be developing breast buds, it was medically impossible, unless the boy was taking something. Which wasn’t the case with this boy. A thorough exam was then performed on the boy, which led to the discovery that his genitals were smaller than they had been when he first came to the ER. Well, to shorten the story, the girl you see before you, Kathy, who Marge is holding, was that boy who was involved in that accident. Somehow, which no one can determine, all of those chemicals he was exposed to caused his DNA to be rewritten and transformed him into a full functioning girl. Who, last Friday, was attacked at her high school by two predatory bastards who planned on raping her.” She chuckled again as she said, “But they bit off more than they could chew. Instead of raping her, she put both of them into this very hospital. The older boy won’t be fathering any children, and the younger one will have future problems with his foot because of the hole she punched through his instep and out the sole of his foot. This girl also gave other girls the courage to come forward and tell what those two monsters did to them. They also had the courage to seek help from us. So you see how special she is to us, and other girls? This young lady had been through one hell of a ride, so far.”

The nurses’ boss, while admonishing them, did so in a way which didn’t cause resentment to grow within either woman. What she did, with love and concern, was to offer an explanation why it’s sometimes necessary to throw the rules out the window. This time, instead of trying to separate Kathy from Marge, both women put their arms around Marge and Kathy and guided them to Kathy’s room. They thought no one noticed as each lady wiped a tear off their cheek. But they were wrong, as the four walked down the hallway to Kathy’s room, Kathy walking side-by-side with Marge, her arms around Marge, meeting on Marge’s right side. Her position changed as they walked into what would be Kathy’s room, she shifted so she was face on with Marge and her arms around Marge, meeting at Marge’s back.

When the four entered the room Kathy would occupy, Marge saw it wasn’t much different than the room Kathy had been in while in the hospital. The only difference were the security screens on the outside of the windows, and the dead bolt, which locked from the outside, on the door. Kathy lifted her head off Marge’s shoulder, looked around the room, sighed, then asked, “Now what?” One of the nurses told her, “Now we get you into a hospital gown.” When Kathy gave her a funny look, she laughed and told Kathy, “No, not the ones which let everyone see all of your back. No, these gowns are like granny gowns, just made of a different material.” Kathy laid her head back on Marge’s shoulder before saying, “Great. Just great. Now I’m going to look like a younger version of my grandmother.”

Both nurses chuckled as they let go of the girls, one getting the bed turned down, and the other going to a chest of drawers and pulling out the granny gown. But Kathy didn’t move, didn’t let go of Marge. The nurse holding the granny gown then said to Kathy, “Okay sweetie, let’s get you undressed and into this gown.” Kathy didn’t move. Marge could see the exasperated looks on the faces of both nurses, and just shook her head in disgust. She then turned her attention to Kathy as she told her, “Listen, you dope. You have to get undressed before they can put that gown on you. So let go of me and let them help you undress.” Kathy didn’t move, but raised her head to look at Marge and ask her, “You called me a dope. Why’d you call me a dope? I’m not a dope, I’ve gotten better grades than you have in almost everything. So how can I be a dope?” Kathy watched as Marge closed her eyes, mumbled under her breath, shook her head before opening her eyes and telling Kathy, “Oh, yes you are a dope. You’re trying to be Walter through this whole thing. You’re trying to laugh it off as Walter did. You’re trying to do it all as Walter did, not wanting any help because Walter didn’t need help. Well, you aren’t Walter anymore, you aren’t that boy who could laugh it off when something happened and continue on his way. You are a girl now, and whether or not you realize it, pushing your emotions down as you did as Walter...DOESN’T WORK ANYMORE! GAWD...you piss me off sometimes with your trying to be someone you’re not anymore. There are times, recently, I’d like to knock you into next week, just to try and bang some sense into that smart brain you have. Which at the moment is rather dumb.”

Marge then reached around to her back, grasped Kathy’s wrists, and pulled them apart. She then pushed Kathy back a couple of steps and told her, “Now, stop being a dope and let these two ladies help you get undressed so they can put that gown on you. GAAA…” And with that, Marge started pacing the perimeter of the room, or as much as she could, all the while mumbling to herself. Some of Marge’s mumblings could be understood as she walked past the two nurses helping Kathy undress, causing both nurses to eye each other and silently acknowledging, ‘it’s getting hot in here.’ One such pass of Marge’s allowed the nurses, and Kathy, to hear, “Oooo, I’m Walter, I can tolerate anything...the stupid bitch. I don’t know why I ever got involved with him, um, her. gaaaa…!” After hearing that, six pairs of eyes followed Marge around the room, catching more snippets of her mumblings as she continued to pace. One of the nurses caught the eye of the other nurse and mouthed, ‘We best hurry and leave. It’s going to explode in here, and soon.’ The other nurse nodded her head, and after getting the gown on Kathy, made a hasty exit of the room. As the nurses walked back down the hall to report to Jenny, and Beverly Staton, the resident psychologist, they saw the two walking towards them. They stopped when they reached the two doctors, and told them, “There’s a fierce storm brewing in that room, and from all accounts, it’s going to get ugly.” Jenny laughed after hearing what one of the nurses said, causing Beverly and the nurses to give her strange looks.

They gave her even stranger looks as Jenny said, “Oh, this is perfect. It’s exactly what they need.” She laughed a little harder upson seeing the faces of the three, explaining when she’d stop laughing, “Look, as a boy, Walter always laughed off any situation he encountered. It would happen, he’d laugh about it, get up off the floor, usually, and go on. He may not have known it then, but he gave a lot of kids the courage to ‘move on’ with their heads held high when they too encountered a situation. But he was thrown a real curve by being transformed into a girl, a situation not even as Walter he could see happening. And up until last Friday, Kathy gave the appearance of dealing rather well adjusting to being a girl. She had accepted there was no going back to being Walter. Or so she said.”

“And then the event of last Friday occurred, causing Kathy to question her desire to continue being Kathy if something like what she experienced is always a possibility. She had a meltdown over the weekend and one today, which shows she’s been trying to handle the transition, and attempted rape, as Walter would have handled it. Laughing it off and tamping down her emotions.”

“Now we come to Marge, who has secretly been in love with Walter since grade school. And who stood up for him, in class, when he could no longer hide his transitioning into a girl. She has been with Kathy almost night and day. When Kathy was in the hospital the first time, Marge was there. When Kathy has had an emotional breakdown, Marge was there. Marge has been Kathy’s rock, and advisor. Kathy has accepted Marge as her rock, they have expressed their love for each other, but she hasn’t been willing to listen when Marge gives her advice. Marge is one smart cookie in the area of psychology, and can see what Kathy needs to do in order to come to terms with everything. And because Kathy ignores Marge’s advice, Marge has become frustrated with Kathy. So frustrated, in fact, I learned she wanted to be dropped off at home and not see Kathy again until Kathy got her head on straight. And then Kathy locked herself in her own mind, and well, Marge is here being Kathy’s rock.” Jenny then looked at the two nurses and told them, “What you two saw start in that room, between the two girls, has needed to happen for some time. Kathy needs to hear how her actions, or lack of them, have affected Marge. And Marge needs to vent, be completely honest with Kathy. They both need mine and Beverly’s help right now, only one of them doesn’t realize it.”

After Jenny finished speaking, the nurses continued on their way, as did Jenny and Beverly. When the nurses had left Kathy’s room, they’d left the door partially open, so it wasn’t hard for Beverly and Jenny to hear what Marge was saying. And Kathy’s responses. They stopped outside the room, out of view from either of the girls in the room.

Kathy hadn’t moved from the spot where the nurses left her. Instead, she was turning to follow Marge as she continued to pace the room. Every now and then Marge’s mumbling was clear to hear, as the one time she said out loud, “Gaaa...how stupid can an intelligent girl be? She’s got all these people who want to help her and she gets all, ‘Walter.’ What a dope. NO, not dope, a STUPID dope. GAAA…!” The confrontation came to a head during a time when Marge started walking right by Kathy. “Who’re you calling a stupid dope? Where do you get off calling me a stupid dope?” Jenny had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud, causing Beverly to give her another funny look. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW IT FEELS TO GO FROM BEING A FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD BOY TO SUDDENLY FINDING YOURSELF A FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL? DO YOU KNOW HOW HELPLESS YOU FEEL WHEN TWO BOYS GRAB YOU AND DRAG YOU INTO A LOCKER ROOM, STRIP YOU DOWN SO THEY CAN RAPE YOU? HAVE YOU? DO YOU? WELL I DO. UNTIL YOU DO, STOP TRYING TO TELL OTHERS WHAT THEY SHOULD DO OR HOW THEY SHOULD FEEL.” Kathy was on a boil that showed in her face, as her eyes tried to burn holes into Marge’s face.

Marge had lit the match, Kathy had thrown fuel on the stick, and Marge was going to continue fanning the flame as she got toe to toe with Kathy and yelled back, “YOU’RE SUCH A STUPID BITCH. I DON’T HAVE TO EXPERIENCE TRANSITIONING FROM A BOY TO A GIRL, OR ALMOST BEING RAPED, TO KNOW YOU ARE PUSHING EVERYONE TRYING TO HELP YOU AWAY SO WALTER CAN HANDLE THING ON HIS OWN. JUST LIKE HE ALWAYS DID. I TOLD YOU BEFORE AND I’LL REMIND YOU--YOU AIN’T WALTER ANYMORE! YOU ARE A GIRL NOW, LIKE IT OR NOT. AND YOU CAN’T CRAM YOUR EMOTIONS INTO THE SAME BOX WALTER DID EVERY TIME SOMETHING HAPPENED TO HIM. IT WILL SCREW UP YOUR, NOW, GIRL MIND, AS IT’S BEEN DOING SINCE FRIDAY. AND DAMN YOU! DON’T YOU EVER TELL ME TO STOP GIVING YOU ADVICE OR TELLING YOU WHAT YOU SHOULD DO. I love you too much to stop doing that.”

Marge had been the one Walter, and now Kathy, had turned to for a shoulder to cry on. This time it was Marge who turned to Kathy for a shoulder to cry on, and she did so in wracking sobs. Kathy held on the Marge for dear life, as Marge held onto her. Like Marge had done for Kathy, Kathy now did for Marge, as she softly told Marge how sorry she was for hurting her. And admitting she had been trying to handle things as she once did. Jenny and Beverly heard crying coming from the room, and stepping closer to the door, saw Marge crying on Kathy’s shoulder. They also saw tears falling from Kathy’s eyes. “Now we go in,” Jenny told Beverly. “They’re ready for the two of us,” Jenny said, as she softly knocked on the door to Kathy’s room, before opening it and walking into the room with Beverly.

“Hi girls,” Jenny said to Marge and Kathy, in a more cheerful voice than either girl was ready for at the moment. “This pretty lady with me is Beverly Staton, the hospital’s resident psychologist. Say hi girls.” Both women had to suppress giggles as Marge waved with her right hand and Kathy her left. But they did respond to Jenny, which in Jenny’s mind, was good enough at the moment.

It was Beverly’s turn when she said, “Nice to meet you girls, especially you Kathy. I’ve heard you had quite a go of it since the accident. And I must say, you’re much prettier than I’ve heard others say.” Kathy slowly turned her head to look at Beverly, while Marge took the time to snicker as she said to Kathy, “I told you so, you dope. Didn’t I tell you how pretty you were? Didn’t I?” Again both women had to suppress giggles as Kathy turned back to look at Marge, and tell her, “Shut up, you goofball.” The girls’ banter was making it hard for Jenny and Beverly to maintain their composure, as they heard Marge say, “Who’s a goofball, you dope? I’ll have you know that I’m the one who’s been pulling your fat out of the fires you’ve been in lately. And that can’t be done if the person is a goofball, you dope!”

To laugh quietly, or not make a sound while laughing, is difficult to do, but Jenny and Beverly were doing just that, as the banter between the girls continued. It went unnoticed until Jenny let out a snort, then two heads slowly turned to look in her direction. “And just what do you find so humorous, Miss Thomas?” Kathy had tried to be as serious as she could, in asking Jenny why she was laughing. But the way she asked, and the expression on both girls’ faces was too much for both psychologists, they broke out laughing. They were laughing so loud it brought the same two nurses to the room to make sure everyone was alright. And when Marge deadpanned to the nurses, “These two children are having trouble controlling themselves at the moment. Everything is alright,” it caused both psychologists to laugh even harder. Both nurses looked up to the ceiling, rolled their eyes, shook their heads, before walking out of the room, closing the door behind them and sliding the slider from ‘open’ to ‘do not disturb.’ It wasn’t long before both girls were laughing at the two psychologists, another good sign, to Jenny at least, Kathy was going to be alright after all.

Once everyone had laughed themselves out, Jenny suggested the girls sit on the bed while Beverly pulled two chairs over to the bed. “I must say,” Jenny began, “when we heard the exchange between you two before we came into the room, I wondered to myself why you’re here, Kathy. And how you responded after what Marge told you in the end, I believe you’re wondering the same thing, Kathy. Because what everything Marge yelled at you is correct. You are Kathy now, and with being Kathy a different set of rules apply. Lone wolf girls seldom fare well on their own. They tend to lock themselves into themselves, pushing everyone away because ‘they can handle things just fine.’ That worked for Walter because boys are expected to pick themselves up and go on as though nothing happened. But the chemistry for girls is much different than boys, and if a girl tries to handle situations like you experienced, Kathy, they lock themselves into themselves as you did after school today, Kathy” As Jenny was speaking, Beverly was watching both girls, trying to see if what Jenny was saying had any meaning to either girl. More importantly, to Kathy.

Kathy had laid her head on Marge’s shoulder as Jenny spoke. As the silence lingered, it was Kathy who broke the silence by asking, “I was Walter for fourteen years, Jenny. I’ve only been Kathy for a few months. How am I supposed to stop acting like Walter and be Kathy? I don’t know how to stop thinking like I am still Walter. My mom and dad always taught me to be self reliant, and I was as Walter, to a point. I’m not used to needing to lean on others when it hits the fan. How do I do that as a reflex? How do I undo fourteen years of not needing to do that very thing?” Marge felt Kathy’s tears wet her top, and put her arm around Kathy’s shoulder and pulled her in closer.

Beverly saw the honest love between the two girls, and felt sure they’d wed sometime in their future. “Those are honest questions, Kathy, and questions we’ll discuss as time goes on,” Beverly told Kathy. “Neither Jenny nor I know the trauma you went through when you discovered you were becoming a girl against your will. I believe you were told this, but many boys would have folded up and made it necessary to commit them to a mental health institution. But because of how you handled events as Walter, you had the knowledge and experience in picking yourself up and moving on. Not many learn that and end up miserable their entire life. While Jenny may not have been involved in a near rape, I have, and know what you went through. Fortunately for me, a rather protective dog I had made it clear to my attacker it didn’t like what he was trying to do. By the way, that guy had to have twenty stitches in the butt after my dog got finished with his explanation.” Jenny and Beverly watched as Kathy and Marge got far away looks, both believing the girls were trying to picture how the dog had bit the guy in the butt. It didn’t take long for both girls to start laughing, as they could picture how the guy reacted to being bitten in the butt. When their laughing slowed, Kathy asked, “You did reward your dog, didn’t you? Maybe something less rare and fatty?” Kathy’s last question started both girls laughing again, thinking about the man’s butt as rare, fatty, meat. Jenny looked at Beverly and gave her a slight nod, telling her they were going to be alright tonight.

When both girls stopped laughing, even the giggles they got picturing the guys fat, meaty butt, Jenny got serious. “Kathy, you scared the woo-hoo out of your mom and Marge when you zoned out after school today. Why’d you zone out? Did someone say or do something which took you back to Friday?” Jenny, knowing Kathy as she did, watched Kathy form her response. Watched as she gathered the correct words she wanted to use; she’d explain all this to Beverly later. When Kathy had it in her head, she said, “No, not back to just Friday, Jenny. But back to the accident and me becoming Kathy. Ten girls came into the girls locker room while we were getting dressed after class. Some of the girls thought they’d come to start something, but all they wanted to do is thank me for giving them the courage to go to Uncle Peter and tell him about those two bastards. It was when they mentioned how scared they were, how they didn’t know what to do, because Tony threatened to go after all of their younger sisters, that I lost it. I started chuckling and then laughing. I told them how scared I was being Kathy. How they’d grown up learning to be girls and how I was thrown into the deep end of the gender pool and told I was Kathy now and forever. Without having grown up being a girl. That’s when I wanted to be Walter again, to be who I knew. To not have to worry about some other asshole wanting to drag me off just to rape me. And I felt what’s the point of being a girl if I have to worry all the time.” Kathy put her head back on Marge’s shoulder, and let the tears fall.

Both Beverly and Jenny were nodding their heads, showing their understanding of what Kathy just said. And knowing she had a point. Girls learn day by day how to be girls. They’re treated as girls, nurtured as girls, even taught a few things boys would run from. Kathy HAD been thrown into being a girl, without all the experiences the years would have given her. And then experiencing the worst nightmare any girl dreads facing, the possibility of being raped. Kathy went from having a pile of bricks on her back, to a ton of bricks on her back because of two boys. Both women knew it wasn’t just a case of helping Kathy cope with her experience last Friday, but of helping her learn to be a girl. Helping her learn what years would have taught her as she aged.

It didn’t take a psychologist to see how tired Kathy and Marge were because of the stress of the last few hours. “Okay, girls, I think we’ve made a good start tonight. For tonight, you’ll both sleep in this room. Your parents have brought clothes for you to wear for school tomorrow. Beverly will be here in the morning to check you out from the psych ward, Kathy. However, tomorrow, after school, you’ll both come here and meet with me and Beverly, and will do so each day after school. We have a lot to talk about, and to teach you, Kathy. You two sleep well.” And with that pronouncement, Beverly and Jenny moved their chairs back where they’d come from before opening the door, moving the slider and walking out of the room. A few minutes later the two nurses came into the room to help Marge get into the same type of gown Kathy was wearing. And to show the girls a menu for their evening meal.

When the two nurses returned to Kathy’s room, carrying a tray for each girl’s evening meal, they found Kathy and Marge still sitting on the bed, leaning against each other, fast asleep. The first nurse said, “I sure hate to wake them, they’ve been through a lot today.” They both sat the trays on the table in the room, as the second nurse replied, “True, but they need to eat something.” Both nurses walked over to the girls, and very softly shook each girl, telling them it was time to eat. It took Kathy and Marge a few moments to remember where they were, and to stretch the sleep out of their bones, before going over to the table to eat what they’d ordered.

Marge paused as she was eating to watch Kathy shoveling her food into her mouth. “Um, Kathy? Why are you eating like this is all the food you’re going to get for the rest of your life? You do realize women don’t eat that way? Or us young girls? Slow down and take your time, we aren’t going anywhere tonight.” Kathy stopped chewing and with a mouth full of food, told Marge, “Imph phngry!” Marge just looked at Kathy, rolled her eyes, shook her head before telling Kathy, “I can’t understand what you just said. Swallow what’s in your mouth and say that again.”

Marge had watched nature programs about rodents, and had seen how fast they chew. At this moment, Marge was watching a replay of one of those programs, as she watched as Kathy chewed as though her life depended on it. Quickly swallowing, Kathy grabbed her drink, down half of it, before telling Marge, “I said I’m hungry. I haven’t had anything since lunch, and I was starving.” Marge snorted before telling Kathy, “Well, at least you can act like a lady as you starve. And eat like a starving lady too. Boys are expected to eat like pigs, whereas you, a young lady, are not. Take smaller bites, chew slowly, and swallow what you have in your mouth before taking another bite. Besides, I am NOT sticking my fingers down your throat to pull out some gross mess blocking your windpipe because you thought we were racing to see who could eat the fastest.”

The look on Kathy’s face said it all, she’d been acting like Walter again, when he was hungry. Sheepishly Kathy said, “Um...sorry. Guess I’ve a lot to unlearn now that I’m Kathy.” Marge could see Kathy’s eyes get wet, and got up out of her chair and went around the table to hug Kathy. “Oh, Kathy. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you by what I said. I should realize there will be times Walter will automatically show up, just because he was around for fourteen years. And I shouldn’t be so matter of factly telling you something I forget you haven’t learned growing up.” She laid her head against Kathy’s and told her, “You and I both really need to get it together.” Kathy reached up and took hold of the arms surrounding her chest, saying, “Yeah. We sure do.” Marge kissed the top of Kathy’s head before going back to her chair to finish her evening meal.

When the nurses returned forty-five minutes later, they found both girls in bed, with Marge spooned against Kathy’s back and her left arm over Kathy. Both never heard one of the trays hit the floor, as it slipped out of one of the nurses hand. The girls were sound asleep.

“Kathy, Marge, it’s time to get up and get ready for school,” a voice belonging to Betty Moore, one of the day nurses said to the girls. She had to laugh when Kathy replied, “Okay, mom. Just a few more minutes.” Betty used both hands to gently shake both girls, telling them, “Come on girls. Kathy needs to be checked out of the ward before you go to school today. And you two need to clean up before getting dressed.” One of Kathy’s eyes opened and looked at the woman speaking to them. “Oh, hi. You’re not my mom.” She then lightly elbowed Marge and said, “Marge, we got a new nurse with us today.” Betty chuckled when Marge answered with, “That’s nice. Tell her to go away. I want to sleep.” Marge had her face against Kathy’s back, so couldn’t see Betty or Betty see Marge’s expression as what Kathy told her sank in. “Oh, yeah, we’re at the hospital aren’t we?” Marge then lifted her head and told Betty, “Um...hi.” She then sat her chin on Kathy’s side and asked, “Guess we need to shower before getting dressed, huh?” Betty nodded her head and said, “Yeah, you should. I’d be a kindness to the other students.” Kathy had closed her one eye, but both popped open at what she heard Betty say. “Heey...are you trying to tell us we stink?” Betty laughed out loud before responding with, “Well, I wouldn’t say you stink. But both of you are rather aromatic this morning. Now come on, showers, bathroom routine, get dressed and I’ll have your breakfast here when you’re through.” Marge’s hand had drifted a bit south of where she had her chin on Kathy’s side, and as Betty was leaving the room, she heard, “Not now Marge, I have a headache.” The girls could hear Betty laughing as she walked down the hallway. Marge then kissed Kathy on the cheek before telling her, “Come on, get up. I have to pee buckets. And no funny business in the shower. You’ve got a headache, remember?”

tbc
Chapter 28

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 28

By the time Beverly entered Kathy’s room, both girls were almost finished eating their breakfasts. She pulled out the one chair left around the table, sat down and asked, “So, how are you girls feeling this morning?” Kathy was the first to swallow what she’d been chewing before she replied, “I feel rather foolish because of how I acted yesterday. Rested, but foolish.” Beverly then looked at Marge and heard, “Yeah, me too. I said a lot of things I didn’t mean, and I’m afraid I hurt Kathy.”

Beverly saw moisture form in both girls’ eyes, and to diffuse what seemed to be coming, said, “Girls. Kathy. You have no reason to feel foolish. You have been through a lot in the past few months. A lot that you’ve tried to take care of by yourself. And yesterday it all came crashing down around you and you froze up. Anyone would under those circumstances. Your reaction is quite normal when you hear something that triggers that type of reaction. So, chin up, move on. And it’s something we’ll be talking about in the days to come.”

“Marge. I’ve not watched the two of you as long as Jenny has, but I can tell you both are deeply in love with each other. What you did yesterday, what you said yesterday, is only done when someone really loves another person. You could have told Kathy to stick it, and left. But you didn’t. You told Kathy off. You expressed your love and concern for her by telling her off. Never feel foolish for being in love with someone or wanting to help them anyway you can. Girls, I’ve counseled many people your age. But I’ve never seen two who love each other more than you two love each other. I’ve seen those who say they’re in love, but when it hit the fan, they bailed. I’ve spoken with Jenny, and she tells me you two always seek out the other when there’s trouble. That right there says something for the both of you. And that’s something else we’ll be talking about in the days to come. But right now, you need to finish your meals, grab you bags and come so we can get Kathy checked out of here. Don’t forget. Both of you are to come here after school for the rest of this week. Okay?”

Beverly watched both girls nod their heads, before finishing their breakfasts. They went to the bathroom to brush their teeth, before grabbing their things and packing them in their cases. Cases in hand, they followed Beverly down the hall, where she signed the required papers releasing Kathy from the psych ward.

Terry and Dorothy came walking down the hallway as Beverly had just handed the papers back to the nurse at the reception desk. The girls hugged their moms, before arms went around waists and the four went down and out to the parking lot, where Terry’s car was parked. Jenny had conferenced Terry and Dorothy in a phone call and told them about last night. So instead of getting the story told again, the mothers asked more general questions. Such as, ‘how’re you doing this morning,’ and ‘did you sleep well,’ to name a few questions that were asked. The girls replied with, ‘better than yesterday,’ and ‘good,’ and ‘we found out we have a lot to talk about.’ It was quiet in the car for a few minutes before Dorothy said, “Girls, Terry and I, and Shelby and Tom, are also going to be seeing Jenny and Beverly. And before you ask, no, it’s not because we have a ton of bricks on our backs. We’re going to be meeting with Jenny and Beverly because the four of us want to know what’s going on and how to help all of us. I know you two can’t see it, but when the two of you are hurting, we hurt because we don’t know how to help the two of you.” Terry cut in with, “Kathy, your dad and I have been trying our best to help you since you transformed. But I guess we haven’t done a very good job. That’s another reason we’re going to meet with Jenny and Beverly.”

Two arms circled around Terry and Dorothy from behind. Terry had both hands on the steering wheel, but reached up with one hand and held onto Kathy’s arms; Dorothy was able to use both of her hands. What they heard next caused both women to clear their throats several times before they could speak again. “Mom, Dorothy, we couldn’t have two better moms looking out for us. I don’t think Marge or I would have made it this far if it hadn’t been for you two and our dads. You four aren’t the only ones who have a lot to talk about, and to unlearn.”

Terry had to wipe her eyes so she could see clearly to drive. Dorothy was using one hand to wipe her eyes, while holding Marge’s arms with the other. They all would be alright, in time.

The high school jungle drums had spread the word about Kathy the day before, and both girls were shocked to see a large group of students waiting just outside the doors to the school. “Um, what’s going on, mom?” Kathy asked the question as she spied not only the football players, but the ten girls who came into the locker room to thank Kathy in that large group. When Terry stopped her car at the loading zone, she turned to Kathy and told her, “Given that your protection detail is in that group, I’d say your supporters have gathered to make sure you two girls are alright after what happened yesterday after school. I’d say you two have made quite the impression on those kids.” Unnoticed by the girls, Terry spotted Peter off to the side of the doors, looking out one of the huge windows. She finger waved to him, and he replied in kind. She then gave him the ‘okay’ sign, and saw him nod his head in understanding. She also saw him wipe his eyes.

“Well,” Marge began as she gathered up her backpack, which she left in Terry’s car, “guess we’d better go and face the music. I’ve a feeling we’re not going to walk straight into school without a lot of hugs.” And she was right. Terry and Dorothy sat and watched, after receiving kisses on their cheeks, as the girls walked towards the doors to the school. As they got closer to the doors the large group surrounded them and the hugs started. Terry and Dorothy also watched as several of the students in the group wipped their eyes, then followed Marge and Kathy into the school. Terry laid her head on the steering wheel and let her tears fall. Dorothy scooted over and embraced Terry, wetting the back of Terry’s blouse with her own tears.

Peter had spoken with the football players before the huge group had assembled, so when he told the group, “Okay everyone, it’s almost time for classes to start, so you should get to your classes,” they already knew to stay with the girls. The boys stood off to the side as Peter walked up to Kathy and Marge and asked, “Are you two okay? You had a lot of people worried about you.” Kathy found something interesting on the floor before she looked up at Peter and told him, “Yeah, Un...um, Principal Stepel. We’re okay today. We’re meeting with Jenny and the resident psychologist of the hospital all this week after school. We have a lot to talk about, I have a lot to talk about. And a lot to unlearn.” Marge could hear Kathy’s voice start to crack, and took her girlfriend’s hand for support. “Seems I’ve been doing Walter’s routine of handling things on his own, which was made perfectly clear to me by a very foul mouth little girl.” Peter saw the smirk on Kathy’s mouth, and knew something was coming from the girls. And he was right, as Marge asked, “Who you calling a foul mouth little girl? Especially ‘little?’ I’m six inches taller than you are, and I recall you churning out some rather colorful words these past few days. So if anyone is a foul mouthed little girl, it’s you.” Kathy looked at Marge incredulously and replied, “Who was it ranting in my room last night? You looked like some pent up tiger trying to find a way to escape. And some of the words you used would not be considered words a ‘lady’ would use.” Marge sniffed her nose, held her head up and said, “Well, I’m not a lady. So I can use whatever language that gets your attention when necessary.” The expressions on the girls’ faces as they bantered were priceless to Peter, which made him cover his mouth with his hand in an attempt to keep from laughing out loud. And it didn’t escape his notice of the handful of snickers coming from the football players, as they watched the girls’ antics. Trying to be serious, and almost failing, Peter told the girls, “Okay, you two. That’s quite enough. Both of you need to get to your first period class.” After the girls replied with, “Yes, sir,” Peter watched as their protection detail formed up and the small group walked down the hallway towards the girls’ science class. He wiped his eyes again, knowing the banter between the two girls was a good sign, before going back to his office.

As more well-wishers materialized as the group headed to the girls’ science class, so it was the entire school day. Neither girl realized how many of the students cared about them, or how many they’d helped by standing up to Tony and Patrick.

Peter had notified all of their teachers about Kathy’s meltdown the day before, so the teachers gave the girls until the next day to turn in missed homework. At the beginning of Kathy’s algebra class, resentment raised its ugly head when the girl who thought herself better than anyone in school asked, after hearing Kathy had an extra day to turn in missed homework, “Ah, Mr. Miller. I think it only fair if everyone in the class is allowed an extra day to turn in that night’s homework. Don’t you?” Charles Miller always found it easy to like the students in his classes, but Charlene made it impossible for anyone to like her with her self-serving superior attitude. And it was time she was taken down a peg. So he told her, “Why that’s an excellent idea, Charlene.” Charles saw the smug look on the girl’s face, until he finished what he was about to say. “Just as soon as two boys grab you, take you somewhere with the intent to rape you.” Charlene’s smug expression changed to one of indigent contempt, that anyone should speak to her in that way. It didn’t help when the entire class, but one, snickered at her expense. Charlene was so incensed that she got up out of her chair and started for the classroom door. She’d only made it two steps before she heard Charles tell her, with a growl in his voice, “Sit down, Charlene. And keep your mouth shut unless you have questions about the material we’re going to cover.”

Charles watched as Charlene turned and stared at him, her face so far past red it almost looked black. Charles had met her parents at a parent/teacher meeting and fully understood where she got her self-serving superior attitude. She was an exact copy of her parents, only younger. All three reminded him of characters in Victorian novels he’d read, where those with money thought anyone without money was hardly worth even acknowledging they existed. And Charlene’s parents had money, more than they could possibly spend in ten lifetimes. Charles actually felt sorry for the girl, for her life was going to be nothing more than the need to buy friends to have around her. She’d never know the value of true friendship.

A few more trials cropped up during the day, which were handled much the same way as Charles had handled the Charlene problem. And it didn’t take long for word to spread, and for those with something horrible to say finding it better to keep their mouths shut.

By the time school let out for the day, Marge and Kathy were worn out from all the concern shown by many in the school. From the hugs they received and the appreciative encouragement the two girls had inspired. They were ready to get away from school. They needed to get away and quickly, before both let being overwhelmed cloud their judgements and they said something which shouldn’t have been said. When their escort had picked up both girls, Kathy told them, “Guys. Marge and I need to get out of school now. We need to go directly to the parking lot. It’s been a really trying day.” Bobby had seen what the girls had endured throughout the day, and understood Kathy’s reason for wanting to get away from school. The six boys had intense looks on their faces, as they escorted Marge and Kathy to the parking lot. Upon seeing the look on the boys’ faces, no one got in their way. No one tried to stop them in order to speak with Marge or Kathy. Even Peter recognized the need to wait to find out how the girls were doing after today. Someone even opened the school doors to allow the group to exit the school without stopping.

A concerned look formed on Terry’s face as she watched the purposeful moving group head towards her car. She saw the determined look on the boys’ faces and a weary look on the faces of the girls. She told Dorothy, “Something happened,” which got a reply of, “I don’t think so. I think they’ve been overwhelmed by all the support they’ve been shown today.” The football players got hugs from both girls, before the two girls got into the backseat and basically collapsed against each other. Terry’s concern continued to exist as she asked, “What happened girls? Do I need to speak with Peter about something.” Dorothy laid a gentle hand on Terry’s arm and softly told her, “Give them a minute, Terry. Something happened, alright, but not what your mind is telling you.”

Silence seemed to stretch for hours, until Kathy said, “Yes, Dorothy. You’re right. Mom’s mind is on overload right now and it’s not what she thinks. You saw what we encountered this morning?” When both women nodded their heads, Kathy continued with, “Well, multiply that by the entire school.” “I got hugged so many times I’m not sure someone didn’t cop a feel,” Marge put in. “We got hugs, words of concern, even some girls telling us how they appreciated our strength in standing up to those pricks.” Terry gave Kathy ‘the’ look after she said ‘pricks,’ but Kathy didn’t care. The two were tired and needed to get away from school. “Um, Terry, if you don’t mind, can we just go. Kathy and I have to get away from here for a little while. I don’t think I can stand any more support like we got it today.” Marge put her head back on Kathy’s shoulder after speaking to Terry. When Dorothy looked at Terry with a ‘I told you so’ look, Terry stuck out her tongue and blew Dorothy a raspberry. The antics by their moms made the girls laugh, something that actually felt good to them after their day.

After arriving at the hospital the four entered the hospital through the main entrance, where they were met by Beverly, who saw something in the girls’ faces. Something they’d talk about shortly. After hugging all four ladies, she told them, “If you ladies will come with me, we’ll go upstairs. Jenny will be joining us shortly.” As they rode the elevator up to the psych ward floor, Beverly tried to get the girls to talk about their day. But all she received for her questions were non-committal answers. As she watched the girls’ body language, she came to the conclusion that both girls were tired after their day at school. But not why they were tired. Granted sitting in a classroom can be boring, but not boring enough to make the girls as tired as they now looked. When they reached the psych ward floor, Beverly explained to Terry and Dorothy that she and Jenny would like to meet with just the girls for the first few sessions, before having Terry and Dorothy join their session. She led them to the reception desk, where Terry and Dorothy were given paperwork to fill out. Beverly turned when she heard the elevator ding, and when the doors opened, saw that Jenny had finally arrived. Beverly then led the girls and Jenny to a small conference room, where after the three had entered the room, slid the cover until ‘do not disturb’ was showing. She then closed and locked the door from the inside. When she turned around she saw both Marge and Kathy had taken seats, and had put their heads down on the table in the room. She wondered how much they’d accomplish if the girls were this tired, but they’d try anyway.

Beverly didn’t ASK the girls, but sat bottles of bottled water in front of each girl she’d taken from a small fridge in the corner of the room. “Girls, take a good drink from those bottles in front of you. It’ll help.” Both girls looked at Beverly before sitting up, breaking the seals at the neck of the bottles, and actually draining the contents. Beverly looked at both girls and asked, “I’m going to guess you didn’t drink much today, right?” Marge and Kathy shook their heads before asking if they may have more. Beverly chuckled, shook her head, before going to the fridge and taking out two more bottles of water. After handing the bottles to each girl, she and Jenny watched as both girls drank about a fourth of the new bottles. After drinking a pint and a fourth of another bottle, the girls looked a bit better but still tired. Beverly decided to press on anyway.

“You two look as though you haven’t slept for a week. I’d like to know why that happened today?” Beverly watched as a silent discussion occurred between the girls before Marge said, “We got hug and concern overloaded today. A big group of students were waiting for us when we got to school, and they ALL hugged us. Then as we went to our classes, it was concern this and concern that, more hugs, and more girls telling us how they appreciated our standing up to those two, um, boys. I had a couple of girls in two of my classes, and Kathy had a girl in her algebra class, who thought they’d get cute about Kathy and I being allowed to turn in our homework tomorrow, but the teachers shut them down in a very brisk manner. Gads, I could sleep for a week after today.” When Marge finished talking she laid her head down on the table. Kathy lifted her head and told Beverly, “The girl Marge talked about in my algebra class was Charlene Chapman.” When Kathy saw recognition on Jenny and Beverly’s faces, she said, “Ah, you know who I’m talking about then. She’s a royal pain. Thinks she’s better than anyone in school, and lets everyone know it. Mr. Miller shot her down when she suggested it’d only be fair if everyone could turn their homework in late. He told her that was a good idea, provided two boys dragged her off with the intent to rape her. Oh, she got blistering mad being talked to like that. She tried to leave the room, but he told her to sit down and keep her mouth shut unless she had questions about the material he was going to cover. Knowing her, and her parents, Uncle Peter is going to get an earful at some point. Is today going to be repeated tomorrow? ‘Cause if it is, I think I’m going to stay home.” Kathy also put her head back down on the table, as Beverly looked at Jenny and asked their silent question.

Jenny had been keeping an eye on the girls throughout the day, so already knew how Charles handled Charlene. She also knew Charles had already talked to Peter, and Peter was not happy at the moment with the Chapman girl. “Kathy. I don’t think you have to worry about Peter getting chewed out by Charlene’s parents. She’s been a boil on the school’s butt long enough, and he’s going to explain that very thing to the Chapmans if they call or show up at school. Maybe what he’s going to tell them will help Charlene down the road.” Kathy had lifted her head off the table and was looking at Jenny while she spoke. She shook her head and said, “Iiii don’t know, Jenny. She’s too stupid to see how much of a problem she’s caused at school because of her attitude. But she gets it from her parents, so I wouldn’t put much hope in what Uncle Peter would tell them.”

Beverly changed the subject by saying, “Okay, we now know why you two look like last week’s leftovers, so how about we talk about meltdowns.” Marge groaned and asked, “Do we have to, right now? I’m really pittled out.” Beverly kept the chuckled in her throat from escaping, as she said, “Yes, Marge, we have to. Kathy has had two meltdowns in as many days. We need to find out why your girlfriend keeps going into a catatonic state, unless you prefer her to be in a catatonic state once in a while?” No one could see the smirk on Marge’s face as she said, “She’s always in a catatonic state. She’s just too doopy to realize it.” Marge hadn’t raised her head as she spoke, so her voice was muffled. But Kathy heard every word and slowly lifted her head and said, “There you go again, calling me doopy. Girl, I’m not the doopy one here, you are.” Jenny and Beverly had their hands over their mouths, stifling laughter that wanted to fill the room because of the girls’ antics. It really got hard to do as they watched Marge raise her head off the table, look at Kathy and tell her, “Oh yeah. You’re so doopy you didn’t even know I was in love with you since grade school. Even though I tried several times to be blunt, you were too blind to see it. And you’ve been doopy because you keep pushing everyone away who wants to help you through this situation that jumped up and engulfed you. You keep trying to Walter your way through it. You dope!”

What Marge just told Kathy caused the laughter wanting to escape from Jenny and Beverly to die as quickly as it had formed. Both women saw tears in the eyes of both girls, and Jenny asked, “Is that what you’re doing, Kathy? Pushing people away who want to help you? By trying to do what Walter did in a situation?” Kathy’s voice broke as she told Jenny, “I didn’t know it’s what I was doing. It’s just something I’ve always done. I don’t know how to NOT do it. I don’t know any other way to handle situations.” Marge reached across the small table and took Kathy’s hand, telling her, “Please. Don’t push us away. Don’t push me away. I can’t stop wanting to help you, and I can’t afford to lose you either.”

Beverly took over as she told Kathy, “Kathy. We briefly talked about you trying to do things now as you did when you were Walter. How there were differences between what is expected from boys and girls. You remember I said boys are expected to pick themselves up and move on? Well, as crazy as it sounds, girls are expected to fall apart in similar situations. For some stupid reason, society has told girls for years how to react in given situations. When something occurs like what has happened to you, girls are supposed to get upset, get all emotional, cry and fold up into a ball. But some girls tell society to stick it, and handle the experiences like you’ve been handling it. They get back up, spit in its eye, and move on. Only to have a meltdown sometime later on. Or become so insufferable that no one can stand to be around them. There’s a fine balance between meltdowns and spitting in the eye of an experience, a balance which allows the person to grieve but also continue on. And that’s what Jenny and I are going to try and help you learn. That it’s okay to be upset. That it’s okay to cry, to be emotional. But that you don’t have to dwell on the situation which caused all of those feelings to erupt, and let it run your life. Right now, you’re still trying to adjust to being a girl. Your mind is still coming to terms with you being Kathy for now and forever. And just when you were starting to accept you’re going to be Kathy, Friday occurs, and you start questioning the worth of being Kathy.”

When Beverly had started talking, Kathy’s head was still on the table, but she’d shifted her head so her chin was resting on the top of her hands. Marge had done the same thing. Jenny and Beverly watched the girls’ facial expressions, watched as both girls shifted through everything Beverly had told them. Both girls gave a slight nod, whether to what Beverly said or just to each other. Whichever, it didn’t matter, they were responding.

Kathy lifted her head, and continued up until she was again sitting up. “That’s all well and good, Beverly,” Kathy said, then took a deep breath, “but how do you not dwell on something? How do I handle all these emotions I’m feeling? Emotions I never had as Walter? I can accept I’ll be Kathy until time decides my time is over, that I’m now a girl, a fully functioning girl. But if I now have to keep looking over my shoulder everytime I go out, what’s the point of being a girl? What’s the point of MY being a girl? The doctors could have washed all those chemicals off me and used medication to neutralize what was absorbed by my body, or entered through all the cuts, but why was I transformed into a girl? And having to learn to be a girl on the run? I just don’t understand why?” When Marge saw the tears start to leave Kathy’s eyes, she got up and went to the chair next to Kathy, sat down and pulled her girlfriend into her. Both girls then looked at Beverly and Jenny expectantly. Looking to the two women for answers to Kathy’s questions.

They saw a look in Jenny’s eyes, and after a few moments heard her say, “To answer you last question first, Kathy, Walter would never have been grabbed by two boys whose intent was to rape him. And since this would never have happened, they’d never have seen him stand up and move on. I think you two need to know a little more about Tony and Patrick, and maybe why you were transformed into a girl.”

Jenny let both girls absorb what she just said before continuing with, “You were not the first girl they molested, Kathy. Both boys were expelled from several other schools because they’d been caught molesting many of the girls in those schools. And like the girls in our school who finally came forward, Tony would always make threats to those girls if they ever said anything to anyone.” She chuckled before saying, “In fact, they met up with a girl who did what you did in standing up to them. While she didn’t cause Tony to have surgery or Patrick to have extensive work done on his foot, she did put them into the hospital. They didn’t know she’d been studying martial arts since she was five. She broke Tony’s nose before dislocating one of his knees. Patrick had to wear a full cast on his right arm because she broke the three major bones in that arm. And she was so angry, if someone hadn’t stopped her, she was ready to do more than she had done. According to the teacher who’d intervened, it looked like she was getting ready to actually kill both boys. It’s also been discovered that it’s been their grandmother who’s been putting ideas into Tony’s head. It was learned, from Patrick, she would tell him to take whatever he wanted. If he wanted girls, to take them and do what he most wanted to do to them. After all the scars, welts, and bruises were seen on Patrick’s body, he was asked how he got them. Seems he never wanted to get involved with anything Tony wanted to do. Seems if he spoke up and told his grandmother or Tony what they were talking about was wrong, either his grandmother would severely beat him or Tony would beat him up until he was unconscious. Because of how Patrick was treated, and forced to do, he’s in quite the mental state at the moment. And likely to get counseling instead of detention and maybe later, jail time. Grandma is really in a bind because she was actually the facilitator in Tony’s crimes against the girls. She may be facing some serious jail time, and this time, she won’t be able to buy her way out of trouble.”

Jenny paused again to give Kathy, and Marge, time to think about all she’d said. As she was about to continue, both girls opened their bottles of water and took hefty drinks. Jenny was uncertain how Kathy was going to take what she said next, but she went ahead with, “Kathy, I don’t know what your religious beliefs are, but it could be you were chosen because you had the whereforall to endure these types of situations. Because you’d learned how to accept what happened, get up and move on. I realize it doesn’t seem fair you were just dumped into the girl pool, but it could have been because Marge would be there to help you through the quicksand until you found solid ground. And I could be talking through my hat, and it all just happened as the result of that freak accident. But think about this. Because you stood up to those two boys, ten girls came out and had the courage to tell what they did to them. Word got back to the other schools and more girls had the courage to speak out. Had you been Walter, none of this would have ever happened and those two, um, pricks, would have continued to molest girls until one of them, or the girl’s father, killed them both. Because of what you did, you saved countless other girls from similar fates. Can you imagine what they’d be like as adult men? You actually saved future women the same fate. And there’s something else that has happened since Kathy appeared. Care to guess what that is, Kathy?”

Jenny paused, took a drink from her own water bottle, and watched both girls shift through their memories to come up with an answer to Jenny’s question. It was Marge who replied with, “Well, when Kathy first came out, kids at school were nasty to her. Many of the girls thought it was Walter under the dresses she wore. She was confronted by several girls who threatened her, and parents who wanted her kicked out of school. She had to do several ‘show and tells’ before people finally understood it wasn’t Walter under the dresses. After that, things became a bit calmer, kids were more accepting of her. Oh, there were still a few morons who wouldn’t believe what they saw, but the majority accept Kathy for who she is now. And like Walter had done, we both still help other students when they ask for help with their homework.”

“Um, that’s essentially correct, Marge. But it goes much deeper than that.” Jenny told Marge this as she thought to herself what a wonderful psychologist Marge would make. “What Kathy did, during the transformation, was to force those kids to examine themselves. They knew Walter, many had been in school with him since grade school, so they knew his character. But during the transformation they had to examine what they believed about a boy becoming a girl, and not a transgender boy either. They had to examine their beliefs because Walter was becoming an actual girl, which to some was an abomination. Walter’s change was not his choice, he had no control in it happening. It was happening whether he liked it or not. I know how many kids reacted to him when he first came out as Kathy, and they weren’t kind to him. I heard some of the names they gave him, even called him, but they were still forced to examine their beliefs when they learned it wasn’t Walter who made the choice to transition. And how were they forced to examine their beliefs? Simple. By how Kathy handled the transformation.”

Jenny stopped and took another drink from her water bottle, then continued with, “Because of how Walter was treated by many of those kids when Kathy first appeared, he had the right to tell all of them to go to hell. But he didn’t. When those three boys grabbed you and your mom beat the hell out of them, you had the right to tell the whole school to go to hell and leave school. But you didn’t, Kathy. Instead, you kept going. You explained what was happening, held your head up and kept going. Just like you’d done as Walter. And the kids started realizing what you were going through wasn’t your fault, or your choice. They also saw how you returned kindness for some very nasty comments. Kathy, throughout everything you’ve gone through, even the event of last Friday, you continued being the person you are deep inside. And the kids saw this too. You actually created calm waters within a sea of hormones.”

Beverly and Jenny watched as both girls mulled over everything Jenny just said. They both saw the question form on Kathy’s face before she asked, “Yeah, I guess I can see all that Jenny, though I didn’t set out to do any of it. But, if as you say, I created calm waters, how do I don’t do that here and here?” Kathy had pointed to the area of her heart then her head, and silently looked at Jenny and Beverly. Jenny and Beverly could hear each other think, ‘gads, what a question,’ before Beverly spoke. “Kathy. You have asked a question humans have been asking for ages. Some turn to religion. Some turn to other forms of beliefs. Some turn to drugs, mostly to numb those constant turbid feelings. I’m not going to say any but the drugs are bad, because if they find peace in those beliefs, then so be it. What you’re feeling right now, Kathy, are the memories from everything you’ve been through up to this point. They are not the actual events anymore. To find release from those memories, you have to accept they are memories, did happen and can’t be undone. When you understand playing could of, should of, and would of, won’t change what happened, you go a long way to overcoming the control your memories have on you at the moment. I’m not saying it won’t hurt when those memories surface, but they won’t control your life.”

Jenny then spoke up and told Kathy, “And when those memories do surface, let your emotions out. Cry if you have to. Turn to Marge, or someone you trust, in order to get through the moment. Acknowledge they’re just memories, and realize they have happened and can’t be changed. Let the moment pass, before going on with other things. I know it all sounds easy, but it takes work on your part, Kathy. You have to ‘want’ to not let your memories rule your life. You have to learn to rule your memories. The more you take charge of your memories, the easier it will be to let them pass and go on with what you’re doing. Right now, Kathy, the memories you have are open wounds, fresh wounds, that haven’t had a chance to heal. And it’s easy for someone to accidentally pour salt into those wounds by what they say or do. It will take time for those wounds to crust over, to become less sensitive than they are right now. So you have to be patient and allow that to happen.”

Again, Beverly and Jenny watched as both girls mulled over what Jenny and Beverly told them, before they saw the question again form on Kathy’s face. “Well, I understand everything you’re saying,” and Kathy stopped speaking. “But,” Beverly added. “Yeah, but how do I learn to let my feelings out without ending up in la-la land? Or not act like ‘me Tarzan, you Jane’ when something else happens? And if the days ahead are like these past days, entering la-la land is a distinct possibility. As in trying to handle something on my own.”

“Kathy,” Beverly began, “believe it or not, you’ve taken the first steps in helping yourself through all of this. You’ve recognized the possibility of the very things you don’t want happening. And that’s the hardest part. Why did you respond with kindness, most of the time, when you started transforming? Because that’s who you are, and you wanted to. I understand as Walter you ran into a lot of uncontrollable situations, and you will in your future. Everyone does, but not everyone handles them as well as you do. But there are those times when we can see a situation coming, and can decide how we’ll respond. Likewise in deciding not to handle the situation by yourself. Or tamping your emotions down and believing everything will be okay. You have to decide to let your emotions out, air them out so you’ll feel better afterwards. How have you felt these past few days after you’ve had a good cry and calmed down afterwards? You can’t tell me you haven’t felt better, because Jenny and I have seen that you do feel better.”

“And there’s something else, Kathy, something which really affects girls during this time in their lives. When you became a full fledged girl, you were entering puberty, just like you were as Walter. It’s a time when the body is producing hormones which help develop the body for its adult stage of life. Most boys get taller, more muscular, heavier, their voice changes, and their facial features even out. Their bodies are being prepared to attract a mate when she is met. With girls, a lot changes which never occurs in boys. There’s breast development, their figures become more pronounced, and their bodies start waiting to be impregnated. And when pregnancy doesn’t take place, the girl has her period. Plus, Kathy, and this is what really bothers many girls, besides having a period. Their hormones run from hot to cold while their bodies are becoming adjusted to the hormones. If you find yourself crying because someone dropped a tissue, blame it on your body not fully adjusted to your hormones. And if you and Marge have a row, like you had yesterday before Jenny and I walked into your room, blame it on the hormones you both are adjusting too. This time in a boy or girl’s life drives some parents crazy, and causes some to be more strict. And it’s because the kids don’t know how to handle the fluctuating hormones. They let the hormones do their thinking for them. And like teens before them, they get upset when restrictions are put on them because their parents, like parents before them, have been there, done that, and know what can happen if hormones control their child’s actions. It’s not because the parents are trying to be cruel. It’s because the parents love their children and don’t want to see them make mistakes because they can’t think straight most of the time. Now understand, you two. I’m not saying there aren’t those who handle the adjustment well, or whose bodies have become adjusted to the hormones being produced. But generally, teens of your age are often a mess until the hormone levels level out, and the body becomes adjusted to that level.” Jenny had to control herself at times when Beverly was speaking, especially when she mentioned a girl having her period. Given the expressions on the girl’s faces, it’s a wonder Beverly could keep speaking.

Jenny looked at her watch and said, “Girls, we’ve covered a lot of ground for our first session, but it’s time for you two to head home. We’ll see you both again tomorrow, same Bat time, same Bat channel.” Beverly and Jenny chuckled as they watched both girls screw up their faces, look at each other, then look at Jenny and said together, “Huh?” Jenny shook her head, then said, “You know, Batman and Robin. The TV show? The show ended with ‘same bat time, same bat channel, in telling viewers to watch next week.” Both girls gave Jenny a blank stare, before Jenny asked, “You’ve never seen the TV show of Batman and Robin?” Both girls slowly shook their heads. “Hm,” Beverly mused, “maybe we need to fix that. But enough for now, you girls git.” What surprised the women next was Marge and Kathy coming around the table and hugging both women, before leaving the room. For the next forty-five minutes, Jenny and Beverly discussed the progress they’d made with the girls for their first session. They both agreed, though, Batman and Robin was going to take up thirty minutes of one session.

tbc
Chapter 29

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 29

Kathy and Marge left the small conference room, not in so much of a daze, but more in a state of mentally examining everything Jenny and Beverly told them. But to Terry and Dorothy, who’d been sitting in the waiting room, it looked like the girls had been run through the mill. “Girls, are you two alright?” Terry asked, concern written on her face. What Terry and Dorothy weren’t expecting to hear was, “Same bat time, same bat channel,” from Kathy. The two girls could only stare at the moms, with blank looks, when they heard, “Oh, that. It’s from the Batman and Robin TV show,” from Dorothy. And, “It’s how the show ended that week, reminding viewers to tune in next week for another exciting episode,” from Terry. Marge and Kathy then looked at each other, before turning back to face their moms and Marge saying, “Gads...you four ladies are old.”

Terry and Dorothy then caught sight of Jenny and Beverly standing in the doorway of the conference watching the scene before them. Both women had smiles on their lips as they listened to what was being said. The moms caught on what Jenny and Beverly had done, so Dorothy sniffed, and in a snooty voice said, “No, girls. We are not old. We are mature women.” It didn’t take the girls long to realize their moms were looking at something behind them, and turned to see Jenny and Beverly standing there with the same expressions as Dorothy and Terry had put on their faces when Dorothy spoke. Both girls looked at each other, rolled their eyes, shook their heads, before Kathy said, “Girlfriend, I think we’ve been had by these MATURE women.” The resulting laughter brought several nurses down the hall to make sure nothing was wrong. The laughter only increased when Marge told Kathy, “Girlfriend, we have a lot to learn.” Hugs were exchanged before the girls and their moms went to the elevator, punched the down button, and waited for the ride down to the ground floor of the hospital. What Jenny and Beverly witnessed just then was a sure sign to them that the girls were going to be alright in the end. If not sooner.

When they all were in the privacy of Terry’s car, Terry started asking questions about their session. She had to be more specific when Kathy first replied with, “Well, we sure have a lot to think about.” Dorothy spoke up and told Kathy, “Dear, you’re always going to have a lot to think about throughout your life. What your mom would like to know is what all of you talked about.” Terry tried to put on her serious face when Kathy told her, “Mom, it’s not like we took notes or anything,” but failed, and laughed. “Sweetheart, I know that. I’d like to know if you learned why you keep zoning out. Why you go into la-la land at times. That’s what concerns me the most.”

Terry was still looking at Kathy, watching her form her words in her mind, before Kathy said, “Well, Jenny and Beverly did say a lot of things concerning that problem. And it comes down to things being an open sore not yet healed. My becoming Kathy against my will is still fresh in my mind. And still fresher, is what happened last Friday. Jenny said both events are like open sores that need time to heal, or scab over. That both are memories which I have yet learned to control and not let run my life.” Both women were nodding their heads because of what Kathy was saying, and continued nodding when Kathy continued with, “And because I stood up to those pricks, I showed other girls how to have courage to come forward. Some of those girls are in the other schools those two attended. We were also told that I actually saved other girls in our school from the same fate me and other girls experienced. Something I’d never even considered, that Jenny brought up, was by exposing the boys we actually saved women when those two became adult men.”

“Jenny told us more about Tony and Patrick, and their grandmother. It seems the only one of the three who knew what Tony was doing was wrong, was Patrick. But if he spoke up and said something, either to Tony or his grandmother, both or one of them would beat the tar out of him. Tony’d beat him until he was unconscious. They found a lot of scars, welts, and bruises on him, and when he explained how he got them, they then learned everything grandma’s been telling Tony. Jenny hoped Patrick would get the counseling he needed, because of his mental state at the moment.” Kathy had stopped talking, and both Terry and Dorothy saw she was again forming her words. “We were also told, or I was told really, if another situation comes up that rubs my open sores, not to hold my emotions in, not to bury them like I’ve been doing. Recognize it for what it is, grieve, and move on. Don’t dwell on it, accept it happened, realize it’s a memory and can’t be changed, and move on. Because if I dwell on it, la-la land here I come.” The two women were again nodding their heads, and as Kathy spoke, Marge took her right hand in her left, Terry reached for Kathy’s left hand and held it. And Dorothy was holding Marge’s right hand. Kathy was in a loving sisterhood circle as she spoke.

“Was there anything else,” Terry asked, as she continued holding Kathy’s hand. Kathy rolled her eyes, looked up, shook her head, then said, “GAWD, yeah, there was more! Beverly explained what might be my big problem right now,” and Marge chuckled, then inserted, “That you’re doopy?” Kathy slowly turned her head until she was looking at Marge, then told her forcefully, “NOOO...HORMONES! Hormones are affecting me more now, as Kathy, than they would have as Walter. Beverly said I might start crying if someone dropped a tissue, and that’s been true so far. She also talked about girls having periods, because their bodies realize they’re not pregnant. Gawd, I wish I was Walter again when that was happening. I may wish that every time it occurs. How do you all handle it month after month? Gawd, I wish I was still Walter.”

Terry could see Kathy getting emotional, tears sliding down her cheeks were the indicator. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You don’t have to say any more until you’re ready. As to how women handle a period month after month? I guess because we know one day we’ll have life growing inside of us. That we’ll be bringing another life into this world. Girls, men help start that life, but women carry that life for nine months. And it’s a feeling unlike anything you’ll ever experience, though not always a pleasant experience. You may have morning sickness because your body is once again playing with your hormones. You may have crazy food cravings. Of course as the baby grows, you’ll gain weight, and sometimes a lot of weight. Oh, and let’s not forget the more time you spend on the toilet peeing, because the baby is pushing against your bladder. And when you sit down, you may need a tow truck to help you stand again.” Terry got somber as she continued with, “Some pregnancies, unfortunately, risk the life of the mother. And sadly, some women never get to see their babies because they miscarry early in the pregnancy. Even though a woman may experience these things, it’s why there’s often a stronger bond between a child and their mother than the child and their father. And it’s also the reason moms know when their child has done something they were told not to do.” Marge and Kathy got sheepish looks on their faces, until Terry and Dorothy burst out laughing. When their laughter died to chuckles, Dorothy told the girls, “Don’t worry, girls. What you’ve done is not on the major infraction list. You two are part of the next generation of teens who give their parents gray hairs.” Then Terry broke up their discussion with, “Lets go get something to eat. You girls choose.”

While Terry drove, and while they ate, Marge and Kathy regaled their moms with more of what Jenny and Beverly told them. And Terry and Dorothy did their motherly best to answer the girls’ questions. Even the question about how it feels to make love to a man. When that question was asked, it was lucky neither Terry or Dorothy had anything in their mouths at the restaurant or they would have spit it all over the girls. And fortunately they were sitting at a table away from other diners. When both women got over the initial shock of the question, both told of their experiences with the girls’ fathers, then pinky swore the girls to silence. Both girls giggled when they heard Dorothy whisper to Terry, “Gawd...with all this talk about sex, I need to show Tom my love for him in his favorite way. Last time I showed him my love, we didn’t get to sleep until three in the morning.” They giggled again as Terry squirmed a bit and replied with, “We should change the subject, my panties are getting wet. Wonder how big a smile I can put on Shelby’s face tonight?” This time the women double pinky swore the girls to silence, then all four laughed, causing the other diners to look at them.

Their meal finished, Dorothy insisted she pay the check, for everything Terry and Kathy had done for her and Marge. Terry then drove to the Markman home, where she and Dorothy hugged then kissed each other on the cheek. Kathy then hugged Dorothy, kissed her on the cheek, then thanked her for being there and helping all she could. Kathy watched as Dorothy then whispered something to Terry, but heard her mom say, “Sure, it’s not a problem. Have fun.” Kathy was about to follow Marge into the house when Terry held her back. When Kathy gave her a questioning look, Terry softly told her, “Dorothy is going to help Tom get his motor running, and we don’t need to get in her way.” Kathy smiled, then they both giggled. Terry was surprised when Kathy said, “I hope they have fun.” Terry playfully swatted Kathy on the arm before they both broke out laughing. Shelby and Marge were both going to get lucky this night.

They watched as Marge kissed her mom at the door before coming back to Terry’s car. Like they always did, both girls sat in the front seat, with Marge in the middle. As Terry drove them home, she kept glancing at Marge and Kathy, noticing where both girls had one of their hands. She squirmed again, thinking about how lucky Shelby was going to get tonight. And she had a feeling so would Marge.

When the girls came down to breakfast the next morning, the elephant in the room came with them. It didn’t take Terry or Shelby but a moment to see how more relaxed the girls were and the glow they seemed to emanate. Of course, it didn’t take the girls but a moment to see how more relaxed Terry and Shelby were. Or the glow surrounding Terry. As Shelby and Terry watched, the girls seemed to be having a silent argument, first one nodded her head toward the parents, then the other would nod her head. After looking at Terry, and they both rolled their eyes, Shelby told the girls, “Yes, girls. Terry and I enjoyed each other last night making love. And Terry desperately needed me, Kathy. Because she was so worried about you.” Kathy’s hormones kicked in, causing tears to flow, and her to get up from her chair and almost run around the table to her mom. She threw her arms around Terry, and with a broken voice, told her, “I’m sorry mom. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

Mother and daughter hugged like the world was going to end, before Terry told Kathy, “Sweetheart, I know you didn’t. You were thrown into situations out of your control, and for that you don’t need to apologize. You are my child, and always will be, so whether boy or girl, I’m going to worry when you’re hurt or hurting.” Terry kissed Kathy on the cheek, before telling her to finish her breakfast. Marge hugged Kathy just as she sat back in her chair, letting her go once Kathy told her she was alright now. Terry looked at Shelby and they both snickered before Terry asked, “So, did you girls sleep well this morning? You both seemed awfully relaxed when you came into the kitchen this morning. And I don’t know, Shelby. But don’t they look like they’re glowing this morning?” Even though both girls tried to study their breakfasts as they ate, their cheeks took on a lovely pink shade. Again, Terry and Shelby watched as another silent argument took place between the girls. Finally, with a bit more emphasis from Kathy, Marge lifted her head and told the parents, “Yes, we slept well after we got to sleep sometime this morning. And Yes, we made love and helped each other relax.” She then looked into the face watching her and added, “And I needed Kathy so much last night. I’ve been so worried about her since this whole thing started.” As the parents watched, the girls kissed a soft, sweet kiss, before turning back to the food. Shelby didn’t experience the hormones a woman did, but he always seemed to have something in his eyes at moments like what he’d just witnessed. Terry, on the other hand, openly let her tears fall, knowing her daughter was in good hands with Marge, her girlfriend.

Shelby tried to speak, but found it necessary to clear his throat. When the three ladies looked in direction, they saw how moist his eyes were and that he was wiping them with the back of both hands. Marge looked at Kathy, who looked at Marge, and they both looked at Terry, and almost as one, the three got up from their chairs and went over to Shelby, putting their arms around him. It was Kathy who caused his dam to break as she told him, “It’s okay, daddy. It’s just us here. And we all love you very much.”

Like many men, Shelby seldom cried openly. But Kathy had said the right words which caused him to start crying openly, while his ladies hugged him. When he cried himself out, he said, “Gads, I don’t know why I’m crying.” He reached to the table and took the napkin and used it to wipe his eyes. While wiping his eyes, Terry told him, “Yes you do, honey, but have trouble admitting it. You’re as worried about everything that’s happened as I am. And like our son used to do, and Kathy was trying to do, you continued on with your head held high. Your emotional tank finally reached the top and it could no longer hold any more of the emotions you tried to tamp down. Society has told men they’re weak if they cry. Society has told men only females cry. How many men do you know, who openly cry, that are still thought of as men? And how many men do you know, who never cry, that are angry almost all of the time? Shelby, there are women who are never seen crying, and they’re real bitches. And there are women who openly cry and are the sweetest women you could meet--until you piss them off. My point, Shelby. Our emotions, the ones which bring about tears, are a pressure relief valve. They allow us to release our anger, the built up tension, our frustrations, and a host of other feelings, so we can feel better and go on with our lives. Never feel embarrassed to cry, my love. In every way that counts to me, you’re one hell of a man.” Marge passed out the napkins.

When everyone had dried their eyes, the girls had to go back up stairs to fix their makeup and brush their teeth. Shelby gave Terry a kiss that did more than curl her toes, then told her, “I want you tonight.” Shelby almost came right there as one of Terry’s hands found his excited member and gave it a nice send off.

When the girls came back down to the kitchen, they found Terry at the kitchen sink wiping her face with a wet cloth. The girls walked over to her, put their arms around her, as Kathy told her mom, “Ya know, mom. It’s nice to have two parents who aren’t afraid to show their love for each other in front of their child. Too bad their child can’t watch when they really show their love.” Terry let out a laughing, “Ha,” before looking at both girls with a laughing smile on her face. “Girls, just between you and me. Shelby can make me scream when he’s in me. He makes me want him all that much more. And girls, he makes me whole, he makes me feel complete.” She then got a tender look on her face as she told the girls, “And I hope you two are helping the other feel complete. Just looking at you two, people can see you two belong together.” Terry used the wet cloth to blot the tears which threatened to fall from the girls’ eyes. “You two cry and you’ll have to fix your makeup again. Come on, we’d better get you both to school.” With one last big hug, Terry picked up her purse while the girls picked up their backpacks. If it had been night instead of day, others would have seen the glow coming from inside of the car that passed them on the road.

Yesterday’s group gathering didn’t happen when they reached the high school. Instead, only the ten girls who spoke with Kathy in the locker room were waiting at the door to the school. And unlike the crowd who wanted to hug Kathy and Marge, the girls were content to only hold out their hands in support. The same girl who’d been the spokesperson was again, as she said, “We heard what happened the other day, and wondered if you were alright.” Somehow, Marge instinctively knew what Kathy was going to say. So she elbowed Kathy in the ribs before Kathy had a chance to open her mouth. Kathy chuckled before saying, “I was going to say that I’m alright, before my girlfriend reminded me I can’t keep saying that when it isn’t always true. Right now, we’re both doing okay, not perfect, but better than the other day. I’ve been learning I can’t do things like I did as Walter. I can’t keep cramming my emotions into a mental bucket, because when that bucket reaches the top, damaging things can happen to my mind. I do thank you all for being concerned about us.” While the ten girls only offered their hands to Marge and Kathy, the girls offered hugs to all ten girls. Shaking hands wouldn’t do.

Once the ten girls found out Marge and Kathy were okay, they were in a much better mood as they walked into the school in front of Marge and Kathy. Even Marge and Kathy were in a great mood after the encounter. As the girls walked into the school they spotted their escorts, and weren’t paying attention when someone shouted, “THERE SHE IS!” Their attention shifted, though, when Kathy was suddenly jerked away from Marge. “Yeah, that’s the bitch who got me in trouble yesterday,” an angry Charlene Chapman said. When Kathy looked at who was painfully gripping her arm, she instantly recognized Gerald Chapman, Charlene’s father. “So, this is the bitch who thinks herself mightier than everyone else. Thinks she’s better than my daughter. Thinks the rules don’t apply to her, does she? Well, let’s see what the Principal has to say.”

Gerald Chapman stood about five feet ten inches, and when he turned to drag Kathy to the office with him, he ran straight into the chest of a boy who stood six feet one inch. That boy was Bobby. “Get your ass out of my way, boy before I move it for you.” Bobby just smiled, leaned down, and asked Gerald, “You and what army, asshole? Now, just so you don’t get that monkey suit you’re wearing all dirty, let go of Kathy and you can continue on your way to the office. Because if you don’t let go of her arm…” Bobby was never able to finish the sentence because he heard, “I got this, Bobby.” All but Gerald recognized the voice of Robert Walker, head of school security. Bobby hadn’t taken his eyes off Gerald as he said, “Sure thing, Mr. Walker.” On a parting word, Bobby told Gerald, “Your ass is in big shit now, asshole.” Bobby stepped aside, and the man who took his place blocked the light from the overhead fixture that had been shining on Gerald’s face. Gerald almost pissed himself, as he looked up into the face of the man who stood a foot taller than he did, whose eyes told Gerald he’d made a huge mistake by grabbing Kathy’s arm, whose eyes told Gerald there’d be no wiggle room getting out of this one.

“So, asshole, are you going to let go of Kathy’s arm or do I have to send you to the hospital as I help you let go of her arm? No one comes into this school and handles any of my students, including asshole Gerald Chapman." Charlene had been standing close so she could hear everything being said. Her already known stupidity took over as she actually tried to punch Robert. It was easy for him to catch her fist with his right hand, and close his fingers on her fist, while pushing her arm down. Charlene screamed as Robert’s vise-like grip forced her fingernails into the palm of her hand, and the downward pressure he was exerting forced her down to the ground, where he held her. He never took his eyes off Gerald while he handled Charlene, and asked the little man again, “Well, asshole, what’s it going to be? You going to let go of Kathy’s arm or do I help you?” Robert smiled as he watched sweat start beading on Gerald’s forehead; It was a smile every student knew meant real trouble was coming.

Gerald Chapman had gotten where he was today with intimidation and bluff, and he was not about to give in yet. “Listen you neanderthal, this bitch got my daughter in trouble and she’s coming with me to the office. This bitch has gotten away with too much at this school and it’s time to put an end to it.” Gerald saw it happen, but didn’t understand why it happened, as everyone but Kathy and Charlene took several large steps back away from Robert. Robert leaned down until he was eye level with Gerald, and only a few millimeters from his nose, and told the man, “You call Kathy a bitch one more time, and you’ll end up in the hospital with every appendage in casts. That’s after they pull your head out of your ass.” As the students of the school knew, Robert had very pretty blue eyes. Until he was angry, as he was now. Gerald was now looking into the strangest colored eyes he’d ever seen. Eyes that told him his very existence was in jeopardy.

It was now demonstrated where Charlene got her stupidity, as Gerald told Robert, “You neanderthals always think you can intimidate anyone you want. Well, you can’t intimidate me, prick.” The smile on Robert’s face was back, and his teeth showed, as he calmly reached up with his left hand and gripped Gerald’s upper right arm so tightly Gerald’s face contorted with pain. It wasn’t long before there was no feeling left in Gerald’s arm, Robert had compressed the nerve in the arm, and Kathy felt Gerald’s fingers go limp. She pulled herself free and immediately six football players formed a wall in front of her, blocking any attempts from Gerald to grab her again. When Robert knew Kathy was free of Gerald’s grasp, he released Gerald’s right arm, which allowed feeling to return in that arm. Still looking Gerald in the eyes, he abruptly lifted Charlene off the ground so her feet were dangling in the air, and told Gerald, “Now asshole, you and your brat can go to the office.” Robert let go of Charlene so quickly she didn’t have time to arrange her feet before she fell from his grasp. When she hit the ground, her feet went out from under her and she ended up in a pile on the ground. Robert had straightened up and stood aside, allowing Gerald unfettered passage to the office. What happened next actually shocked everyone, even Robert, as Gerald started walking towards the office without helping his daughter to her feet. Without stopping, Gerald yelled, “CHARLENE. GET YOU ASS OFF THE GROUND AND COME ON!” He never looked back, never stopped, he kept on walking as an embarrassed Charlene got up off the ground, wiped the tears off her face, and slowly followed her father to the office.

It was a day for strange happenings, but this one wasn’t totally unexpected. As those watching the exchange between Robert and Mr. Chapman looked on, Kathy took off at a run towards Charlene, calling out the girl’s name as she ran. Kathy reached Charlene just as the girl turned upon hearing her name. Charlene was caught by surprise as Kathy threw her arms around the girl and pulled her into a hug, telling her, “It’s going to be okay.” No one had ever hugged Charlene without wanting something in return. But she was being hugged by Kathy Williams, the girl who gave of herself to others and never asked for anything in return. This alone got to Charlene and she started crying, leaning on Kathy for support as she cried. And as she cried, Kathy kept telling her with a soft voice, “It’s going to be okay, Charlene.” In that moment of offering herself to the girl the whole school hated, Kathy filled a void Charlene had had her whole life. She no longer felt alone. And she was never alone again, though she had a lot of fences to mend along the way.

A set of double doors guarded the entrance to the school offices, with nice large window on either side of the double doors. Gerald didn’t see them, but Peter was looking out one window and Charles Miller the other. Both men saw everything that had occurred before Gerald started his march to the office, and both men were not about to let a trumped-up piece of shit get away with what he’d done. Peter turned his head and nodded to Margot, who picked up her phone and made the phone call.

When Gerald reached the double doors, he threw them both open, turned and again yelled, “CHARLENE, GET YOU FAT ASS UP HERE NOW. GOD, WHAT A STUPID COW.” Peter and Charles were looking at Gerald, who was half through and half out of the doorway. And when Gerald yelled, “WHAT THE FUCK,” both men looked back where Kathy was still holding Charlene. What they saw caused both men to laugh, as Charlene had raised both of her arms and presented Gerald with two birds for his viewing. Gerald then made the mistake of yelling, “BY GOD I’LL TEACH HER TO FLIP ME THE GAWD DAMN BIRD,” before he started briskly walking back toward his daughter. Unfortunately, Robert met him before he got anywhere near his daughter, took the angry man forcefully by the arm and told him, “I think your meeting is the other way, asshole.” Robert’s vise-like grip on the man’s arm showed on Gerald’s face, as Robert all but dragged him to the office.

Robert brought Gerald to a stop just inside the double doors, so Peter could have a word with him. As Robert held the man so he was on his tiptoes, Peter said, “Ah, Mr. Chapman. Nice to see you. Let’s go into my office.” Peter’s greeting may have sounded pleasant to Gerald, but Peter’s face said something altogether different. Margot led Robert pushing Gerald along down the short hallway to Peter’s office, where she opened the door then stood out of the way as Robert pushed the man into the office and down into a chair. She waited until Peter and Charles had entered the office before stepping out of the office and closing the door behind her.

Peter walked around his desk and sat down in the desk chair, Charles stood at Peter’s left. Both men could see the fury in Gerald’s face, and as Gerald was about to yell at them, Peter told him, with a growl in his voice, “Forget it, Gerald. You don’t speak until I tell you to speak. This is my domain, not yours. We’ll follow my rules during this meeting.” Peter knew Gerald was a slow learner, he saw it when the man tried to challenge Robert. And he expected the same now, and wasn’t disappointed. All Gerald was able to yell, before being cut off by Robert’s grip to the back of his neck, was, “YOU LISTEN TO…” And Gerald gaged as Robert’s large hand suddenly grabbed the back of the man’s neck and squeezed. Robert then bent down close to Gerald’s right ear and said, “You were told to keep your mouth shut. You were told you’d be told when you could speak.” And still bent over near Gerald’s ear, Robert lifted the man until he was no longer sitting in his chair. “Do you now think you understand what you’ve been told? Or do I have to explain it in further detail?” Robert let the man down so he was again sitting in the chair. He took his hand off Gerald’s neck, and the now frightened man said in a low voice, “Yeah, I understand.”

Peter had known Gerald Chapman for several years, and knew he didn’t like to be addressed in the familural. But he wanted to keep the man angry, that way Gerald would continue digging his own grave. A grave Peter would gladly fill. “Gerald, after watching how you just treated your daughter, I think this school has gotten the wrong picture about her. I think she’s been forced to act like she has under your orders. And I think because of those two birds she flipped you, she’s not going to take orders from you any more. I also know you committed a crime the minute you grabbed Kathy Williams’ arm and started pulling her along with you. That’s assault, and attempted kidnapping. Your pecker is in a heap of trouble, Gerald.”

Peter let the man stew before going on. “I suspect you initially came here to ream someone’s butt because Charlene got herself in trouble yesterday in class because of what she said. Am I right?” Robert bent down and looked at the frightened man in the face, and watched as Gerald nodded his head. “Ah, I thought so. And I’ll bet because of how you treat Charlene, she blamed it on Kathy because she knew what you’d do to her if she told you the truth. Am I right, Gerald?” Robert hadn’t moved, and was still looking at Gerald. Again, afraid to speak, Gerald simply nodded his head. Peter smiled then said, “I thought it was something like that.” Just then there was a knock on Peter’s office door. It opened, Margot stuck her head in, and said, “They’re here.” Peter’s smile got even bigger as he told her, “Please show them in, Margot.” Robert stepped back behind Gerald, out of the way, as the door fully opened and Margot stepped out of the way, Detective Barbara Stevens and Officer Jo Dunnley walked into the office. Gerald’s pants suddenly became wet.

The odor from Gerald’s pants had become apparent, but was ignored, as Barbara shook hands with Peter, Robert, and was introduced to Charles. No one noticed the door closing as Margot quietly left the office. “So, Peter, got yourself another problem, do you? And let me guess, it’s Mr. Chapman here, right? What’d he do this time?” When Robert saw the two police women enter the office, he caught Peter’s eye and pointing to himself, he then showed a thumb of him leaving the office. When Peter mouthed, ‘go get the girls,’ Robert nodded and left the office.

“Well, Barbara, it seems ol’ Gerald here has been mentally abusing his daughter. It seems she is so afraid of him she’ll lie to keep him from tormenting her. She lied that Kathy Williams had caused his daughter to get her in trouble in class yesterday. He came into school today, with a full head of steam, made his daughter point out Kathy, then grabbed Kathy by the arm and began dragging her towards the office. Where he was stopped by the football players I’ve had escorting Kathy and her girlfriend around school for their safety. And he almost got his head handed to him by one of those boys. But Robert stepped in and tactfully persuaded Gerald to release Kathy’s arm, using his own brand of tact.” Barbara and Jo chuckled after Peter told of Robert using his own brand of tact with Gerald. Both women had known Robert for years, and knew his background. Around kids, Robert was as gentle as a lamb, but he didn’t tolerate BS from anyone.

“So, we’re talking about possible child abuse, assault on a student at this high school, and attempted kidnapping. Is that about it?” Peter was nodding his head when Charles said, “Detective Stevens, I can’t speak about the child abuse, but the other two are correct. Peter and I were witnesses from the time Kathy was grabbed to the time she was released. We also witnessed how he was treating his daughter after Kathy was released.” Then Peter threw in the final straw when he said, “And everything was captured on tape.”

Barbara then turned her attention to Gerald and told him, “Mr. Chapman, I’m arresting you on possible child abuse, assault on a student at this high school, and attempted kidnapping. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right…” And Barbara continued advising Gerald of his Constitutional rights, before Jo told Gerald to stand up, and she handcuffed his hands behind his back. Before Barbara and Jo took Gerald out of Peter’s office, Barbara asked Peter for a copy of the tape and for him and Charles to come down after school to give their formal statements. Barbara said her goodbyes to Peter and Charles, before she and Jo took Gerald off the school’s hands. After the women had left, Charles told Peter, “I’ve a feeling Mr. Chapman’s life is about to take a big nosedive. After seeing Kathy helping Charlene, I’ve a feeling her life is about to improve.” Peter nodded his head before replying with, “I believe you’re right, Charles. On both counts. And I’m going to do all I can to help Charlene get her life together.”

After Robert left Peter’s office, he left the school offices and walked back where the football players were guarding Kathy, Marge, and Charlene. When he reached the small group he told the football players, “Gentlemen, you did a good job helping these three girls this morning. Your parents should be proud of you. But now it’s my turn so all of you should get to your classes. I’m not sure when your help will be needed again today, as you’ve been doing, but all of you will be notified when that time comes.” Robert watched as the boys told the three girls bye, and told Charlene to keep her head up, before they left for their classes.

Robert then looked at the three girls, and saw the panicked look in Charlene’s eyes, and the tears forming; Her grip on Kathy and Marge’s hands tightened.. “Whoa, sweetheart,” he told Charlene, “what’s with that look? You’re not in trouble, but your father is in big trouble.” The stress was too much for her, and she burst out crying. Marge and Kathy immediately pulled her into a hug, holding the girl as she cried wracking sobs. It took her some time to calm down, and to hear Robert tell the three, “Girls, let’s get Charlene to the office, I think Principal Stepel may want to talk with her after a while.” When Kathy asked Charlene if she was okay to walk, and received a nod from Charlene, with Marge on one side and Kathy on the other, the three followed Robert to the school offices. He held the door open and could only shake his head, as the two girls helped guide Charlene into the offices.

Knowing a woman needed to be with the three, he took the girls to Tina’s office, knocking on her closed office door. Hearing, “Come in,” he opened the door, explained the situation and received a hearty, “Of course they can come into my office. You too for that matter.” Robert and Tina had clicked as friends when Tina had started as Vice Principal at the school. They even shared memories they were trying to cope with, and were closer than just friends. He smiled at Tina, opened the door wider and let the girls go in first before following them and closing the door behind them. He then watched as she picked up the phone, dialed a number, then said, “Hi, Peter. Robert brought all three girls to my office, if you need to speak with them. Okay, bye.”

After the police women took Chapman out of Peter’s office, he got up from his chair and went to the window, muttering as he stood there looking outside. “That damn son-of-a-bitch. His mother tried to tell him his cocky attitude was going to get him in trouble one day, and now it has.” He turned around, sat back in his chair, pulled up the student files on his computer, and dialed a number.

“Hello? This is Principal Stepel at West High School. May I please speak with Mrs. Chapman. Thank you, I’ll wait.”

“Peter, it’s good to hear from you,” Toni Chapman said into the phone. “How have you been?”

“Um, I’ve been fine, Toni, but that’s not why I’m calling. It’s about Gerald. He’s been arrested. He came to the school because of something Charlene told him, lied to him about, grabbed one of the girl students here and was trying to drag her to the school offices. Charlene is okay, she’s with two of our best girls, and our head of security in the Vice Principal’s office. I’ve heard some things, Toni, and I need you to be straight with me.”

“Oh gawd! So he went and did it. Charlene told me the truth about yesterday, Peter, but was afraid what that prick would do to her if she told him the truth. I tried to stop him, Peter, and got his usual backhand across my face. And let me guess, Charlene has mentioned about the abuse she’s been subjected to also? Or are you guessing based on something you witnessed?”

“No, Toni, I haven’t spoken to Charlene yet. It’s a guess based on how I saw Gerald treat Charlene here at the school. The police will likely get in touch with you about this very thing. Listen, I can’t in good conscience let her go home, not after what I witnessed this morning. Is there somewhere she can go, family close by she can stay, or live with?”

Peter heard Toni laugh over the phone, before she told him, “Funny you should ask that question, Peter. That bastard’s backhand this morning was the last straw, he’s hit me for the last time. I’ve been to a divorce attorney and had divorce papers drawn up, citing spousal abuse as the reason for the divorse. Tell me where they took that bastard and I’ll have them served there. That should shake up that asshole. As to where we’re going to live? I’ve been in contact with his mother, of all people, and she invited Charlene and I to move in with her. So that base is covered. And before you ask your next question, yes, I’m financially set. Since we had a joint bank account, I cleaned it out.”

This time Toni heard Peter chuckle before he said, “Damn, Toni. You were always one devil of a woman. Gerald won’t know what hit him. Okay, I’ll have security keep an eye on Charlene the rest of the day, though I think two girls may do that on their own. I’d like you to come pick her up after school, I’ll have her in my office. Toni, is there anything you’d like me to do for you and Charlene?”

Toni laughed in Peter’s ear, then told him, “You bet your ass, Peter. Always have been and always will be a devil of a woman. Thank you for looking out for Charlene. I know you all think she’s been a pain in your butts, but threats were made if she didn’t act that way at school. Yeah, Peter, I’ll be there to pick her up, we’re going to my mother-in-law’s home tonight. I’ve been packing everything we’re taking, plus a few personal bits. And I’ll be bringing her to school from now on, just to be safe. Thanks for the offer, Peter, we’re good right now. But I’ll keep your offer in mind if I need something.”

They said their goodbyes, then Peter and Charles left Peter’s office. Peter told Charles he’d drive them to the police station after school, as Charles started heading to his first period algebra class. Peter knocked on Tina’s office door, and opened the door when Tina said, “Come in.” He stood in the doorway, looking at the five in the office. He could see Charlene’s eyes were red, so figured she’d been crying. And as he expected, Marge and Kathy were holding the girl, trying to comfort her the best they could. “This office is a bit small for a conversation. Let’s all go to one of the conference rooms. You too Tina, please.” He stepped out of the doorway to let all five leave Tina’s office, before turning to Margot and asking her to come with them to take dictation. With Tina leading, then the three girls, then Robert, followed by Peter and Margot, Tina opened the door to one of the medium size conference rooms which would be perfect for the group. She led everyone into the room, going directly to the small fridge against the far wall. She counted heads, then took out a bottle of water for everyone.

After everyone was seated, Peter waited as Charlene drank deeply from the bottle of water Tina had given her. “Charlene, I want you to understand you are not in trouble, though Robert may want to speak with you after we’re through here. I think I understand why you tried to punch him, so I’m not going to do anything about that. What I want to know, and so will the police, is how has your dad been treating you and your mom. It’s really important. And did you know your mom has filed for divorce? And that you’ll be living with your father’s mom?”

With tears falling from her eyes, she closed her eyes and said, “Oh gawd, I’m so glad she finally did it. She’d been telling me she was going to do it each time he hit her. Guess she’d had enough after this morning. And no, I didn’t know anything about living with grandma.” She then went on to tell them about everything that had been happening at her home, including the threats Gerald had made to her. Robert clenched his fists when he heard Gerald had threaten Charlene with rape by some of his ‘friends’ if she didn’t do everything he told her. Charlene was still talking, after about an hour had passed, with Margot flipping page after page and rapidly writing in shorthand. Because of all Charlene had told them, Robert, Peter, Tina, and Margot all had their own opinions about what should happen to Gerald. And none of it would be pleasant for Gerald.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of second period, Peter said, “I think that’s enough for now, Charlene. You three girls go ahead to your third period classes. Oh, and Charlene. Your mom is picking you up after school, you’re going to your grandmother’s tonight.” After the three girls left the conference room, the adults discussed their thoughts on Gerald’s future, none were pleasant. Peter asked Margot to type up her notes on school stationery, make a copy for him, Tina, Robert and one for the safe. He said the original would go to the police. Gerald’s ass was toast.

tbc
Chapter 30

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 30

As Margot and Peter walk back towards his office, Peter asks her to notify the girls’ teachers to let them know about the incident with Charlene’s father. Peter also had a feeling what Kathy and Marge were going to do, and asked her to notify Kathy and Marge’s teachers and explain the girls would be helping Charlene Chapman for a few minutes in each of her classes. He wasn’t a hundred percent sure, but he had a feeling Charlene would need their support for what she might be going to do. As it turned out, based on what he saw during his meeting with her in the conference room, he was right.

Charles Miller watched as Charlene came into his algebra class, followed by Marge and Kathy. He had received the notice from Margot, so wasn’t too surprised to see Marge. After the second bell rang, and he took roll, he saw Charlene had raised her hand, something unusual for the girl who always spoke without waiting to be recognized. “Yes, Charlene?” He could see the fear etched on the girl’s face, and her trembling lips, before she said, “Mr. Miller. I’d like to say something to the class, if I may.” Marge was standing next to Charlene, her left hand on the girl’s right shoulder. Kathy regularly sat to the girl’s left, and had reached out to take Charlene’s left hand. As he examined the scene before him, both Marge and Kathy were nodding their heads, while Charlene looked like she was about to cry.

The young girl he now saw was not the cocky girl he saw on a regular basis. The girl who always looked down her nose at everyone. Something had happened to that girl, and there was only one way to discover what she had experienced. “Of course, Charlene. Won’t you come up to the front of the class, please?” Charles had expected only Charlene to come to the front of the class, but wasn’t really surprised when both Marge and Kathy came with her. When the three reached the front of the class, it wasn’t hard for anyone not to see the once overly bold girl actually shaking. Marge and Kathy had their arms around Charlene’s waist, offering words of encouragement to the scared girl. The whole class watched as Charlene took several deep breaths before she started speaking.

“I need to apologize to everyone in this class for the way I had been acting. I had been threatened by my father to have some of his ‘friends’ rape me if I didn’t do everything he ordered me to do. And he’d ordered me to act like I was better than everyone, above everyone, or…” She stopped speaking as the tears fell and she hung her head and cried. One of her classmates, sitting in the back of the room, was heard to say, “Damn, what a bastard.” All Charles said was, “Language, Tommy, language.” Tommy’s reply was, “Sorry sir, but it isn’t right what her dad threatened to do.” Charles simply said, “No, Tommy, it isn’t.”

When Charlene could go on she told the class, “I was scared what my father would do if he learned the truth about why I got in trouble yesterday, so I lied. I blamed it all on Kathy, and I was wrong to do that. Because of my lie, my father came storming to the school this morning, made me point out Kathy, and he grabbed her arm and was trying to pull her with him as he went to the office.” She turned to face Kathy, tears still falling from her eyes, and said, “Oh, Kathy. I’m so sorry for all this. I was so scared he was going to have me raped if I didn’t do what he said.” Kathy pulled Charlene to her and replied, “Charlene, I know exactly how you felt. I faced that very thing a few days ago. Only then it wasn’t a threat.” Charlene turned back to the class and continued with, “My mom tried to talk him out of coming to the school, but he slapped her and told her to mind her own business. It wasn’t the first time he’d hit her, but it was going to be the last. My mom is going to serve my dad with divorce papers and we’ll be living with my grandmother. Maybe I shouldn’t have told all of you this much, but I felt you were owed the truth about me.”

The classroom was silent for several minutes, Charlene sniffing her nose the only sound heard. “Charlene Chapman, that took guts to stand up there and say what you did. You’re one hel...ah, heck of a girl.” Tommy then stood up and started clapping, and it wasn’t long before the entire class followed. Charlene had feared if she told the truth, because of how she acted in the past, the entire class would scorn her, tell her she had it coming for the way she acted. What she didn’t expect was the applause and the smiling faces. Kathy and Charlene then returned to their seats, and Marge left for her class.

When the applause ended, while Charles looked at Charlene, he told the class, “None of your parents has the right to threaten you with anything as drastic as Charlene faced. If they threaten you with anything drastic, like locking you in a room, tying you up, or like the threat Charlene faced, even though you’re scared, tell someone. I can guarantee something will be done, and you will be kept safe. And if a certain Principal hears about it, you best hope your parents, or parent, has a one way ticket to some place far far away.” Charles chuckled after he said, “Now, let’s talk algebra,” and the entire class groaned.

When the bell rang to end third period, Charles noticed several things. One of his students in the front row had already got up and opened the door to leave, only to find it necessary to walk around Marge as she stepped into the room. Standing outside his room, he saw the football players, standing across the hall against the lockers. He also saw Tommy rush up to Charlene, and caught a bit of their conversation amongst the noise of the students leaving. “Um, Charlene. Do you mind if I walk with you to our next class?” Tommy was the first boy to ever show an interest in her, and she wasn’t sure how to respond. “Um...sure...I guess..if...you’re...sure.” Charlene was used to hearing derogatory remarks aimed at her, and cringed before hearing, “Yeah, I’m sure. Charlene. And here, this is my phone number, just in case you need someone to talk to.” Charlene and Kathy watch Tommy’s expression change, not as harsh as Charlene’s had been before she stood up before the class, but in that range. “I’d, um...um...I’d like to explain some things to you.” Their short meeting was interrupted when Charles told them, “You four need to get to your next classes. Right?” Charles watched as the four left the classroom, with Marge going first, followed by Kathy, and Charlene walking next to Tommy. He chuckled to himself as he watched Charlene reach over and take Tommy’s hand in hers. He didn’t know where the feeling came from, but he felt those two had a lot to talk about. And would in the coming days.

Fourth period is when half the school went to class, and half went to lunch. When fifth period arrived, the reverse happened. The football escorts, Marge, Kathy, Charlene, and Tommy were in class during this time, the last time Kathy and Charlene were in the same classes. As Charlene did during the first part of her algebra class, she received permission to speak during the beginning of her fourth period class. And Kathy and Marge were standing with her. Her reception was cold to start with, but the mention of the threatened rape, attitudes drastically changed. It wasn’t a boy who spoke up first this time, but a girl, and she was blunt about what should happen to Charlene’s father. And like Tommy, their teacher understood the emotions flowing in the class and simply cautioned the girl.

Robert was standing with Peter at the start of the fifth period lunch. Both wanted to be there to make sure Charlene was alright. Both were surprised when Charlene walked in ahead of Marge and Kathy, holding Tommy’s hand. “Seems she has had a secret admirer,” Robert told Peter. Robert just nodded his head when Peter told him, “For Tommy’s sake, he best treat her right.” As they watched, Charlene began a discussion with Marge and Kathy, one which seemed to get heated before the three girls hugged and Charlene and Tommy, followed by Marge, Kathy, and the football players, walked to the microphone kept in the cafeteria in case announcements needed to be given only to the students in the cafeteria.

With Kathy standing on one side, Tommy next to Charlene, Marge next to Tommy, and the six football players standing behind all four, Charlene reached up to the microphone and slid the on switch and said, “May I have everyone’s attention, please. May I have everyone’s attention.” The droning of conversation upon conversation, and laughter upon laughter stopped, as all eyes turned to see who called for their attention. When the cafeteria was quiet Charlene said, “My name is Charlene Chapman.” She didn’t get another word out before hearing, “Yeah, we know who you are bitch.” Robert saw who called Charlene a bitch and was about to go and remove the boy from the room. But Peter put a restraining hand on the man’s arm and told him, “Wait, Robert. Let’s see how this plays out.”

Charlene squeezed Tommy’s hand hard, as she felt him start to move, nodded her head and said, “Yeah, I was a bitch wasn’t I? And I don’t blame any of you for thinking that, because that’s how I was ordered to behave by my father.” There had been a low key rumbling when Charlene started talking, but even that stopped when she told why she acted as she did. “I need to apologize to all of you for my past behavior, because if I hadn’t done what my father ordered, he threatened to have some of his ‘friends’ rape me. I think every girl in here can understand how scared I was at the thought of being repeatedly raped, so I did what he ordered me to do. He even physically assaulted my mother, when she stepped in to try and stop him from coming to school this morning. I learned she’s going to divorce him and we’ll be living with my grandmother. I wanted all of you to hear the truth from me, not from some rumors. If you’re still mad at me because of my past behavior, then all I can offer all of you is, I’m sorry.”

Every eye shifted to a boy who stood by himself, the boy who called Charlene a bitch. “Um, Charlene, I owe you an apology for what I called you. It took a lot of courage to stand up there and tell us your truth. I’m sorry you had to go through something like that.” Peter turned to Robert and smiled, causing Robert to roll his eyes. He bent down and whispered in Peter’s ear, “Don’t get cocky, Peter. You could have guessed wrong.”

The applause started with a scattering of girls, who stood up and began clapping. Girl after girl stood until every student, and teacher, were standing and clapping.

Because of orders from her father, and his threat hanging over her head, Charlene had been a royal bitch since the beginning of school. But under the acting was a moral character which was kept in check by way of his threat. When her father was arrested, and her mom told her about the divorce, and where they’d be living, that moral character had been released to do the right thing. And it started with her algebra class. She had no illusions that everyone would accept the reason for her actions, she even felt sure there’d be more than a few who would outright scorn her. What she wasn’t ready for was the overwhelming recognition for her courage to stand up and admit she’d been wrong, and why. Even now, as the entire cafeteria was clapping, her tears flowed freely, as her emotions were overwhelmed by what she was witnessing. Tommy reached up and shut off the microphone, before leading Charlene and the rest of their group to the lunch line.

Peter and Robert left the cafeteria after seeing Charlene was better than alright. Robert started his walk around the school and Peter returned to his office, to call Toni.

The afternoon matched that of the morning, with Marge and Kathy standing up with Charlene as she apologized for her past behavior and why it occurred. The reaction of the girls in her classes was immediate, they were the first to stand and start clapping. The boys, who wouldn’t understand the fear girls had of being raped, did admire her courage to stand up in front of the whole class and explain herself. By the end of the school day, every student in West High had heard why Charlene had been such a bitch, and more than a few had their own ideas of what punishment her father should face. And more than one was cautioned about language.

When Toni and Gerald’s mom pulled up to the loading zone, they were surprised to see such a large group standing with Charlene. And Charlene holding the hand of a boy. Peter, Robert, Marge, Kathy, the football players, Tommy, and a host of other students were there with Charlene, to make sure she was safe. Gerald’s mom stayed in the car, but Toni couldn’t get out of her car fast enough to embrace her daughter. “Oh, sweetheart, are you alright? Your Principal called and told me everything. He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Charlene smiled, shook her head and told her mom, “No, mom, he didn’t hurt me. But he grabbed Kathy, here,” and she pointed to Kathy. “And even after what daddy did to her, and after my being such a bitch...yes mom I know, language,..she still came and hugged me, letting me cry on her shoulder. And I had to do the right thing, mom, and apologize to those in my classes and those at lunch for how I’d been acting, Marge and Kathy stood with me while I spoke. And mom, I told all of them about daddy’s threat.” Toni looked into her daughter’s eyes, and saw a strength she’d lacked with her father’s threat hanging over her head. She wasn’t positive, but she felt it would be the last time any man threatened her. Toni saw Charlene blushing before she said, “Um, mom. This is Tommy. He’s been secretly chasing me since the beginning of school. I don’t know why, after everything I’ve done.” Toni shook Tommy’s hand, watched as he shrugged his shoulders, then said, “Because I could tell it wasn’t the real you. There were little signs that said so.” Toni then thanked Robert and Peter for all they’d done for Charlene today, before watching Tommy give her daughter a kiss, as she opened the rear passenger door for her daughter. As she walked around the car to get in by the driver’s door, she told Peter, “I’ll be in tomorrow morning to give the school our change of address.” Everyone standing there waved as Toni drove off to their new home, and her thoughts of finally having a peaceful life for a change.

Robert and Peter were the last two watching Toni drive off. As they watched the car drive out of sight, Robert said, “First the right shoe dropped. Today the left one dropped. Do you think both will ever drop at the same time?” Peter thought for a minute, then told Robert, “Robert, if the right shoe dropping caused that much trouble, and the left shoe dropping caused this much trouble, think about the trouble both shoes dropping would cause. No, thank you, my friend. Let’s stick to one shoe at a time.” Robert chuckled before both men went back to their work. Peter and Charles still had to go down to the police station to give their statements, so Peter returned to his office to quickly finish some work which needed to be completed by the end of the school day. And Robert calmly strolled in and out of the buildings, checking for this and that, and any lovers who decided to take the opportunity to express their love to each other.

Robert’s both shoes event was about to occur because Peter had neglected to call Terry and tell her about the morning’s events, and let her know Kathy was all right. So, when a few minutes later, after Toni drove out of the high school parking lot, Terry pulled into the loading zone, and Kathy and Marge got into her car and Kathy said, “Wow, what a day, sure hope that doesn’t happen again any time soon.” As Terry was pulling away from the curb she asked Kathy what she was talking about, and when Kathy finished telling her story, Terry slammed on the brakes, put the transmission in park, left the engine running, and stormed into the school and to Peter’s office.

Margot all but put on her flack jacket when she saw Terry coming, the look on Terry’s face said it all. “WHERE IS THAT BROTHER OF MINE,” she yelled at Margot, not realizing her voice carried into Peter’s office. Margot used her right thumb to indicate his office, just as the door to Peter’s office opened and he yelled, “TERRY! GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!” Margot tried not to smirk, at least not let Terry and Peter see her smirk, as she watched Terry storm down the short hall and the door to Peter’s office slam shut. She knew if she got caught, she’d get some of what was about to happen in that office, but she didn’t care. She had to hear what the two bulls were about to say. Silently creeping to the door to Peter’s office, she stood so her silhouette wouldn’t be seen against the frosted glass in the door.

Brother and sister eyed each other, she was pissed because her daughter had been in danger and her brother failed to tell her. He was pissed because his bull headed sister had come into the school office acting like she was out in the middle of nowhere yelling her lungs out. Terry then got toe to toe with Peter and growled, “How dare you not call me after what happened this morning. What were you thinking, that I wouldn’t find out? That I wouldn’t be upset if I heard it from Kathy and Marge? Were you even thinking, or just being the jerk you have a tendency to be? WELL?”

Pointing to the three chairs in front of his desk, Peter growled back, “You will sit your ass in one of those three chairs. You will then listen to what I have to say with your ears, not your mouth. GOT IT, sister dear?” Peter often acquiesced to Terry, but she saw something in his face that told her today was not one of those times. She backed away from Peter, turned and sat down in the chair to the left of Peter’s desk, and watched as Peter walked around his desk and sat down in his desk chair. Her brother was more often than not, very laid back, handling things with a mild manner. But she could see he was anything but mild mannered right now, as she watched him try and get his emotions under control before he spoke.

When Peter had calmed down, he looked at Terry and said, “Terry, I didn’t call you and tell you about what happened this morning because I knew you’d come charging up to the school and want to get into Gerald’s face. May even rearrange it a bit. I knew if you did that, or something worse, you’d compromise the entire case against him, and make matters worse. Kathy hadn’t been hurt, she might have a bruise on her arm where Gerald grabbed her, but that was it. Did she tell you Gerald’s daughter, Charlene, flipped him off after he walked off, not helping her to her feet when she tried to punch Robert? Did she tell you it was her who helped Charlene by going up to the girl and hugging her, letting her cry on her shoulder. Did Kathy tell you why Charlene had been acting like a bitch since the beginning of school? Did she tell you that that asshole, Gerald, threatened to have some of his ‘friends’ rape Charlene if she didn’t do as he ordered? Well, did Kathy tell you all of that? Did she also tell you that she and Marge had stood up with Charlene as she told her classes, and the whole cafeteria, why she’d been acting like a bitch? Or did she just give you the highlights? Had you have heard the WHOLE story, you wouldn’t be in here right now, you would be praising your daughter, and her girlfriend, for what they did for another student. But nooo...not you. You act first and listen after you’ve beat the hell out of the person who’s hurt your baby. Sister dear, have you talked with Jenny about this propensity of yours to act before listening? Spouting off before you have all the facts? One of these days, dear sister, you’re going to act before you get all the facts, and it’s going to be you who needs the lawyer to get you out of jail.”

In a small voice, Peter heard, “Um, no, I didn’t know about most of what you said. I’m sorry.” She then dropped her head.

In a calmer voice Peter replied with, “I thought so, or you wouldn’t have come storming in here as you did.” Terry’s hands were in her lap, and Peter watched as she played with her fingers. In a soft voice he said, “Sis, I love you more than I can express in words. You’ve helped me through some very trying times in the past, especially when mom and dad died. I don’t feel closer to anyone more than I do to you. But I can’t have you rushing up to the school every time something happens that involves Kathy. You’re like a mother bear protecting her cub, except when you act that way it causes more problems. Problems we’ve had plenty of this school year. I’m not totally ignorant why you act as you have. Walter is now a girl, a girl who hasn’t grown up being told everything other girls are told. She doesn’t know all the pitfalls a girl can run into, or of all the bastards out there who’d only want to get between her legs. Whether she wanted it to happen or not. And maybe you feel a bit guilty because all of this happened to Walter, that you weren’t there to protect him, and now Kathy. Terry, you need to discuss this with Jenny, ask her for help. Because if you can’t get your impulse to rush up to the school every time Kathy is involved in a situation, I’ll have to ban you from the high school. You’ll leave me no other choice.”

He got up from his chair, took the two steps to the window and looked outside. He chuckled, turned to Terry,then told her, “I think you have a problem of your own right now,” and he nodded towards the window and outside. Terry got up out of her chair, walked to the window and looked out. The girls were still sitting in her car, only Kathy was dangling the car keys out the window and pointing to herself. The message was clear, she wanted to drive. Kathy may have seen Terry shake her head, or she may have not wanted to see her mom shake her head. No matter, she kept dangling the keys and pointing to herself.

As they stood watching Kathy’s antics, Terry put her arm around Peter’s waist, leaned her head on his shoulder and told him, “You’re right, Peter. I do blame myself for not being able to protect Walter or Kathy when all this started. And you’re right, Kathy is a very ignorant girl right now. She hasn’t had the years of teachings that help a girl learn how to be cautious. And if you try and ban me from this high school, little brother, I’ll kick your ass so far up your body you’ll be eating and shitting out of the same orifice.” Peter only smiled at this comment.

This banter between the two siblings began shortly after their parents were killed in a traffic accident. A semi truck was approaching a red light at a controlled intersection. The driver down-shifted and stepped on the brake pedal for the air brakes. Only nothing happened, the brakes didn’t engage. He down-shifted again and continued stepping on the brake pedal. Because the load the truck was carrying gave the truck so much interia, the driver knew the truck wouldn’t be able to stop using the gears alone. The traffic light for the Stepel’s traffic turned green, so they proceeded into the intersection, just as the semi barreled into the intersection and drove right over the top of their car, killing the couple instantly. It was discovered during the investigation that the truck’s brakes had been tampered with, the linkage from the brake pedal had been cut just enough for the brakes to work several times before the cut caused the linkage to completely fail. Further investigation found security tapes showing when the sabotage was done, who did it, and by a rival trucking company. With insurance payments, and lawsuits, Peter and Terry lacked for nothing for the rest of their lives. Except their parents.

“If you remember, sister dear, the last time you tried to give me one orifice I put your head in the toilet. Despite all your best efforts. Gawd, did we make a mess that day. I thought grandma was going to kill both of us. I miss that lady.” Peter felt Terry shaking, and looking down at her face, saw tears falling from her eyes. “Yeah, we sure did. And I miss her too.”

Peter then raised his voice and said, “The storm is over, Margot. You can return to your desk. There was no blood shed.” Terry turned her head to look towards the door when she heard, “Damn,” coming from outside the door. She turned back to Peter with a question written on her face. Peter shrugged his shoulders and said, “She’s a bit protective of me. She would have come in here and tried to kick your ass if you’d gotten physical. Though I don’t think she would have stood a chance.” He kissed Terry on the forehead then said, “You better get out there and explain to your daughter how old she needs to be before she’s allowed to learn how to drive. And put more gray hairs on your head.” The two turned to face each other and pulled each other into a tight hug, telling each other, “I love you.”

Peter had put the idea of Kathy learning to drive into Terry’s mind so she wouldn’t see what he believed Kathy was trying to do. And while he couldn’t understand what was being said, the exchange between mother and daughter was clear. And it was only when Kathy gave him a thumbs up that his belief proved true. Kathy was drawing attention to another subject pertaining to her in order to help calm her mother down. And it had worked. Kathy would make one hell of a psychologist some day, Peter thought to himself, as he went out to thank Margot for her consideration of his health. He also considered having a word with Jenny, and the two exploring that possibility with Kathy.

Things at school seemed to have calmed down, the students having talked themselves dry about the previous events. But that didn’t stop them from finding something else of interest, like who was going with who, why this person was wearing ‘this’ or ‘that,’ what fashions were in style, which were now lame, and the list went on and on. Peter kept the football players escorting Marge and Kathy one more day before thanking them for their help and dismissing them to their regular routines. He would, though, have Robert’s team keep an eye on the girls, eyes that, this time, wouldn’t be drawn off even if an emergency occurred.

Because of the previous events, Peter started making it part of his school routine to walk around the school during class changes, and when classes were in session. The students knew Peter was no pushover, and would administer punishment when warranted. But because of the previous events, they also discovered how much he cared for them, so they would say hi to him as he walked the halls during class change. Walking the halls after classes started gave Peter a chance to listen as he walked by the classrooms. And he liked what he heard, the energetic voices of the teachers, the energetic voices, and sometimes silliness, of the students, and the calmness he felt rather than heard. It also gave him time to speak with Jenny, and work through some problems he was still having because of his wife’s death. Namely, was he doing the right thing by marrying Tina? Was he betraying Pamela’s memory? Was he trying to take the place of Tina’s husband?

Jenny had been sitting behind her desk as Peter fired questions at her, almost as wound up as Terry had been when Walter had been taken to the hospital after the accident. She got up out of the desk chair, walked around the desk, and sat down next to Peter, taking his hands in hers. “Peter, STOP! You have been talking non-stop since you came into my office, now, stop. Listen to me for a few moments. Okay?”

The suddenness of Jenny’s voice when she told him to stop the first time, actually shocked Peter into silence. When Jenny saw she had his attention she said, “Peter, you’ve been a widower for what, five years? You haven’t dated in all that time. You haven’t met anyone you wanted to follow around like a puppy following its mother. You’ve closed yourself off to any possibility of finding another love in your life. And you really haven’t dealt with the death of your wife, either, have you? Like your nephew, you put it into a box and now with your impending marriage, the box opened and you’re full of doubts. Now you’re considering what Pamela would think of you getting married again. Now you’re wondering if you’d be replacing Tina’s husband or if she is using you to replace the love she once had in her life. They may seem like valid questions, to you Peter, but in a way they’re you trying to find excuses not to do what you need to do in order to again be happy. Peter, there is a flow in this world that begins with conception. Then development, birth, life, and as hard as we don’t want it, death. None of us can escape that path. It was Pamela’s time to die, why, that can’t be answered. It was also time for Tina’s husband to die, again why can’t be answered. But the two of you have a chance to make the other happy by being in this life together, until you too follow life’s path on this planet. Or you can continue using the deaths of your spouses as the reason to remain unhappy. Neither of them can answer your questions on this Peter, but I strongly feel they’d want you both to be happy.”

She watched Peter chew on what she just told him, and she was not allowed to tell him Tina had asked Beverly basically the same questions. Or that Beverly told Tina basically the same as she told Peter. Privately, though, both women wanted to shake some sense into these two lonely people, they both could see they were perfect for each other. And as Beverly told Tina, Jenny told Peter, “Peter, I suggest you and Tina go out to dinner somewhere cozy, where you two can share your concerns with each other. Given you’re asking me these type questions, I can make an educated guess Tina has asked them as well. But as your friend, don’t let her get away. I see how she looks at you, how her eyes light up when you’re around. Peter, she’s been alone just as you have. She was devoted to her husband, and like you, has never dated since his death. And something else, my friend, your eyes light up just as bright when you’re around her. So as your friend, get your butt out of here, make dinner reservations and take your woman out and talk with her. Share your concerns with her. Share your worries with her, I think you’ll find hers are the same.” Jenny watched as Peter just sat there, mulling over what she just told him. So she put a bit of muscle in her voice and said, “DIDN’T I JUST TELL YOU TO GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF HERE AND GO GET YOUR WOMAN?” Peter cracked a smile and replied, “Yes, mother.” Jenny stood up as Peter did, and got the shock of her life as Peter kissed her on the cheek then said, “Thanks, sis,” and walked out of her office. She would have to meet with Beverly and talk more about these two people, and find out if Tina said anything shocking to her.

Peter was virtually bouncing when he came into the school offices. Margot watched as he walked toward her, a light in his eyes that had been missing when he’d gone to walk the halls. “So, Peter, was Jenny finally able to get through that thick skull of yours? Did she convince you to do what a lot of people have been trying to get you two to do for some time? If I wouldn’t have gotten fired, I’d have kicked some sense into your mushy brain weeks ago. But I don’t have a Ph.D. after my name so you would have just fired me instead of listening to me.” Peter just smiled at her, kissed her on the cheek, then said, “Guess we’ll never know now, will we.” He just reached the door to his office, when Margot said, “The number for the restaurant is lying on your desk. It’s cozy, and both of you like the type of food served. Plus, I get a free meal if I send them some business.” Peter chuckled, shook his head, then opened his office door and went into his office, closing the door behind him. Peter found the phone number for the restaurant, but something more on the note Margot left him. “Tina needs you as much as you need her. Her memories, like yours, are still raw with the emotions you both have held for the loves you both have lost. Be gentle with her, Peter, and she will help you fill the need you’ve had for far too long. And you her. Margot” It wasn’t long before Peter’s tears started spotting the note lying on his desk. The answers he looked for from Jenny were answered by the note Margot left him on his desk. He picked up the phone and made two calls, one only after he spoke with the woman he was going to marry.

tbc
Chapter 31

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 31

Doris Palmer had always been vocal in their first period science class, but Kathy had noticed over the past few days how quiet she’d become. When Kathy tried to speak with her before class, during class, or after class, Doris curtly told Kathy it wasn’t any of her business. It wasn’t until Kathy saw her sitting in the bleachers at the ball field as her class was playing softball, that Kathy finally found out why Doris looked upset and dejected.

When Connie finally told the girls it was time to head in to shower and get dressed to go home, Kathy told Connie she’d be in after speaking with Doris. She was about to object to Kathy being alone with Doris, when she spotted two figures watching from a distance. She also noticed that one of those figures was a rather huge man. She watched as Kathy made her way around the chain link fence, climbed the bleachers and sat down next to Doris. Kathy stared at Connie until she got the message and followed the rest of her class into the girls locker room. Connie stared at the two figures on her way in, but one just motioned that everything was okay.

Kathy sat quietly next to Doris, trying to figure out the best approach to get Doris to talk to her. Doris had been curt with her when Kathy tried to speak with her. Maybe she should be curt to Doris. Maybe a personal approach would get her to open up, and that’s what Kathy did as she told Doris, “I’m worried about you, Doris. I can see something is bothering you but you refuse to let me try and help you. I shared something very personal with you and a few other girls in the supply room, and believe me when I say, I was scared. I was afraid of what all of you would say, or do. Please, won’t you let me try and help you? I know some people who might also like to help if you’d let them.”

Neither girl noticed when Robert and Bobbie moved so they could watch the two girls better. Nor did the girls notice the two were now close enough to hear everything the girls were saying.

Kathy remained quiet and watched Doris’ face. She saw the anguish form on the girl’s face before her whole body started shaking. Kathy put her arm around Doris and pulled her into a hug, just as Doris burst out crying. “Oh gawd, Kathy. Help me, please,” she choked out before grabbing Kathy and starting to bawl.

Bobbie had to grab Robert’s left arm with both hands to hold him back. Then she whispered, “Wait, damn you! Wait!”

When Doirs’ bawling slowed to a whimper, then to a low moan, she was still clutching Kathy when she said, “It’s my brother, Kathy. He found my diary a few days ago and has threatened to show it to my parents if I...he comes into my room each night, Kathy. I’ve done some stupid things, Kathy, and I’m afraid what they’ll say if they see what I’ve written. I didn’t know what to do but to give in to him. He takes me when our parents go out to dinner or to a meeting, then comes in when I go to bed. I...I don’t know what to do Kathy. I’m so ashamed of myself. I can’t go on like this, Kathy.”

This time, Bobbie had to get in front of the big man and threaten to kick him in his jewels if he didn’t let Kathy try and help Doris. He gave Bobbie a dirty look, but he also covered his jewels in case Bobbie was sincere about her threat.

Kathy was back in the boys locker room, with Patrick holding her and Tony standing in front of her, his jeans and underwear around his ankles, and his erection evident. ‘Not this time,’ Kathy muttered, before asking Doris, “Doris. Do you trust me? I mean, really trust me? Trust me enough to come with me and tell this to someone who can put an end to your being raped by your brother? Because that’s what he’s doing to you, Doris. Pure, abusive, rape. What do you say, Doris?” Kathy couldn’t see Doris’ face because she planted herself into Kathy’s chest as she clung to Kathy. But she could feel Doris nod her head, and told the girl, “Come, on, let’s go.” Kathy helped Doris stand, then held her hand as they both climbed down the bleachers to the ground. Kathy put her arm around Doris as she led her back towards the school, and to Jenny’s office. Kathy turned her head to look at Robert and Bobbie and told them, “Thanks, guys. But you both need to learn how to whisper softer. We’re going to Jenny’s office. You might want to call Uncle Peter.” Doris had her head on Kathy’s shoulder as they started walking, but raised her head to look at Kathy when she heard the word ‘uncle.’ “Principal Stepel is your Uncle?” Doris asked Kathy. Kathy chuckled, nodded her head, then held up her pinky finger and said, “Pinky swear you didn’t hear that. Okay? Please?” From a tear stained face a beautiful smile grew, as Doris held up her hand, took Kathy’s pinky with her own, and said, “Pinky swear, girlfriend.”

Peter was standing outside of Jenny’s office as the two girls came walking toward him. He started to say something, but Kathy shook her head, telling him, ‘Not right now.’ Kathy opened the door to Jenny’s office, let Doris go in first, and feeling Peter right behind her, turned and put a hand in his chest, stopping him in his tracks. “Not yet, Uncle Peter. Don’t screw this up by being like my mom.” Robert and Bobbie had been following the girls, and it was Bobbie who put a hand on Peter’s shoulder and told him, “She’s right, Peter. Let Jenny get things going legally.” She then stepped around Peter and followed Kathy into Jenny’s office, closing, and locking, the door after her.

Robert watched as Peter paced back and forth in front of Jenny’s office door, before telling him, “Peter, wearing out the soles of your shoes won’t make what has to happen go any faster. Think maybe I need to give you my right to chill you out, or can you do that on your own?” Peter stopped mid-stride and looked at the big man. Robert had just suggested that he hit him with his right hand, to help him chill out. Peter looked at the man’s massive hand, then his forearm, then his upper arm, and thought better of having Robert help him calm down. He looked at Robert and told him, “Uh, no, thank you, Robert. Being put into the hospital right now isn’t going to do anyone any good, is it?” And Robert only smiled in response.

Robert’s ploy had worked, and the big man watched as Peter pulled out his cell phone and dial a number. “Detective Stevens, please. This is Principal Stepel at West High School. Thank you. I think we have another case for you, Detective. Insest. Brother. Forced. She’s in talking to our school psychologist right now. Kathy Williams and one of our female security people are with her. Seems her brother found her diary and threatened to show it to their parents. Seems the girl has written some things she did and the brother is using the threat to get his way with her every night and when the parents go out for the evening. Yeah, okay, I’ll have that information for you when you arrive.” Peter hung up then dialed another number, telling Margot to get Doris Palmer’s file out and make a copy of her personal information. Peter almost had to shout at her to get her ass in gear when she started asking questions. But a hand on his shoulder by Robert, calmed him down and he told her he’d explain later.

Peter had walked back to the school office to get the copies he was going to give to Barbara. As Barbara and Jo came through the front doors of the school, Peter was standing there waiting on them. “He’s a copy of Doris’ personal information. Her home address, her parent’s names, and their telephone number. And if you’ll come with me I’ll take you both to Jenny’s office.” The three were quiet as they walked to Jenny’s office. Peter knocked on the door and said, “Bobbie, open the door please.” There was a click before the door opened, and Peter told her, “Bobbie, this is Detective Stevens and Officer Dunnley.” Bobbie opened the door wider to allow Barbara and Jo into the office, then closed the door and locked it again.

Peter was again standing with Robert, waiting for whatever they were doing in Jenny’s office to conclude. Robert was facing the direction of the main corridor and when he saw the two people turn the corner coming their way, he told Peter, “Um, Peter. Incoming. And the rockets are at full throttle.” Peter never turned around, closed his eyes, grimaced, and asked, “It’s Terry, isn’t it Robert?” Robert chuckled and replied, “Oh you’re good, Peter. Yep, it’s Terry, and Marge, and she’s got fire in her eyes.”

Terry’s gatling gun questions started even before she reached Peter and Robert. “Where is Kathy, Peter? Is she hurt? Did someone get to her again? Is she in Jenny’s office? WHY THE HELL DIDN’T YOU CALL ME, LITTLE BROTHER?”

Peter watched as Robert flexed his massive right hand, the message very clear, stay calm. Peter turned to face Terry, smiled, and let her reach him before telling her, “Jenny’s office. No. No. Helping another girl. Because it’s none of your business, this time.” Because Peter didn’t parrot Terry’s questions, his responses threw her for a moment, until she realized three people were looking at her, waiting for her to calm down. Before Terry could start up again, Marge calmly asked, “Is Kathy alright, Peter? Mrs. O’Conner said she was talking with Doris Palmer when their class ended. Is that what’s going on, Peter, she’s in Jenny’s office with Doris?”

Peter was about to answer Marge’s questions, when Terry got right into his face and was about to give him what for, when Robert laid a hand on her left shoulder and gently squeezed. The pain Terry felt registered in her face, as her right hand came up to grip Robert’s right wrist. “Terry, maybe you should listen for a few minutes before you start talking again.” Robert then gently moved Terry a few steps away from Peter, then took his hand off her shoulder. As she was rubbing her left shoulder, Peter told her, “Terry, nothing has happened to Kathy. Not everything happens to Kathy. The Doris girl Marge mentioned has some problems at home, and Kathy brought her to Jenny so things could be straightened out. And Terry, this time, it’s none of your business.”

Still rubbing her left shoulder, and while looking at Robert, Terry asked, “So, why are the police here, Peter?” Peter sighed, shook his head, then said, “It’s none of your business, Terry. Any question you ask about anything connected with what’s occurring in Jenny’s office is none of your business. Do you understand me, Terry. None. Of. Your. Business.”

Terry’s head slowly turned from looking at Robert to focus on Peter. “Don’t you DARE ever tell me it’s none of my business when my daughter is involved.” And she moved again until she was within inches of Peter’s face. “How DARE you tell me it’s none of my business. Little brother…” but she never finished what she was about to say, because Robert grabbed her by the upper arm, spun her around and told her, “Let’s go wait up in the office. Shall we?” Robert’s comment was his usual way of giving an order, an order Terry was fighting against, as she tried to pry the massive fingers off her arm. And even though Terry fought not to go with Robert, Robert simply pulled Terry along like she weighed nothing. As Marge and Peter watched Robert pull Terry along with him, Marge said, “Oh, Peter, she’s going to have your guts for garters. You know that, right?” Peter chuckled at Marge’s use of the saying, then told her, “Yeah, Marge, I know. But I’m still not allowed to tell her anything, no matter how mad she gets. This time it really is none of her business.” Marge then told Peter she better go stay with Terry, and help calm her down. Peter agreed and watched until Marge turned the corner into the main corridor. Peter pulled out his cell phone, dialed a number, leaned against the wall, then said, “Hi sweetheart. I could sure use a friendly voice right now. I really want to be with you right now.”

As Peter was waiting for the meeting in Jenny’s office to conclude, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw Margo with a man and woman walking behind her, coming toward him. They stopped in front of Peter and Margot told him, “Peter, this is Mr. and Mrs. Palmer. Detective Stevens called them.” Peter knocked on Jenny’s office door and said, “Bobbie, the Palmers are here.” Bobbie unlocked the door before opening it to let the Palmers into the office, closing the door and locking it once more.

About thirty minutes later the door to Jenny’s office opened and Bobbie walked out, followed by Mr. Palmer, Doris, and Mrs. Palmer. Kathy followed behind Mrs. Palmer. To Peter, Mr. Palmer looked as though he wanted to punch his fist through a plate of steel. The expression on Mrs. Palmer’s face was a mixture of helping her husband with that steel plate and unhappiness. Doris, of course, looked upset, but also relieved. And Kathy looked as though she wanted to kick someone’s something. Peter noticed Bobbie had put her arm around Kathy, not so much to comfort her but to hold her back. The Palmers had been walking away, with Doris in the middle, their arms around her and her arms around each one of her parents. The Palmers stopped when Doris stopped, turned and ran back to Kathy, hugging her and telling her, “Thank you, girlfriend.” With a big smile on her face, Kathy replied, “You’re welcome, girlfriend. Any time.” Doris walked back to her parents and they continued on before turning the corner to the main corridor.

Last to leave Jenny’s office was Barbara and Jo, followed by Jenny. All three could see the questioning look on Peter’s face, so Barbara told him, “I can’t give you all of the details, Peter, but it’s a matter of forcible incest by the brother. We’re going over to the Palmers right now, and I’m afraid their son will be coming with us. What happens after that I haven’t a clue. It depends on several things that I’m not going to go into. As I said, Peter, ‘I’ can’t tell you any more,” and she looked at Jenny as she said it.” Peter looked at Jenny, who nodded towards her office, and Peter followed her back to her official office, after Jenny closed and locked the door.

Peter sat down on the couch, and Jenny sat in one of the facing chairs, before she told Peter, “Peter, I can’t tell you everything Doris told me, you understand. So I’ll give you the gist of her problem. Seems her brother found her diary, and because of some things she’d written in it, threatened to show it to their parents unless Doris gave herself to him at night. And any time their parents were out of the house. And, um…” Her voice trailed off for a moment before she said, “And when Kathy saw her, she was contemplating sucicide. She was too scared to go to her parents because of what she’d written in her diary, and too embarrassed to go to anyone here at school. If Kathy hadn’t taken it upon herself to get her to me, you would have read about Doris Palmer in the obituaries. Peter, this goes no further than between those in this room and you. All you can tell anyone, even Terry, who I heard quite clearly, is that Doris has some problems at home. We have to step back and let the police handle this one. And Doris will be meeting with me, and likely she’ll want Kathy with her.”

Peter nodded his head at the last part of what Jenny told him. Then he said, more to himself than Jenny, “Yeah, getting the message through to Terry might not be easy. She hasn’t taken ‘none of your business’ very well. Gads, poor Kathy. Terry is going to rip her a new one when Kathy tells her the same thing. Or tells her she can’t tell her. Maybe you should be with me when I face Terry, she seems to respect your opinion better than mine.” Jenny nodded her head, and together they got up out of their seats, left Jenny’s office and walked to the school offices.

After the Palmers had turned the corner into the main corridor, Bobbie had taken Kathy to the girls locker room so she could get dressed in her school clothes. Once Kathy was dressed, Bobbie walked with her towards the main corridor, where they met Jenny and Peter. Jenny and Peter could see by the expression on Kathy’s face, that they didn’t have to ask the question. So Peter just asked, “You ready?” Kathy chuckled, then replied, “About as much as I was ready for the hospital after the accident. But it’s got to be done.” Bobbie and Kathy followed Jenny and Peter as the four walked the rest of the way to the school offices. Once inside, it wasn’t difficult to know where Robert had taken Terry because she was yelling her head off. The four followed the shouting and found Robert had taken Terry to one of the smaller conference rooms. Bobbie stepped in front of Jenny and Peter, opened the conference door and walked into the room before the other three. She wasn’t shy when she told Terry, “TERRY! EVERYONE OUT HERE CAN HEAR YOUR SCREAMING. SO SHUT YOUR MOUTH RIGHT THIS MINUTE!” The shock of how Bobbie spoke to Terry had the desired effect, Terry stopped shouting.

Just after Terry stopped shouting, Jenny, Peter, and Kathy walked into the room, Kathy closed the door after her. Robert had again grabbed Terry’s arm and forced her to sit in a chair, and Bobbie was staring daggers at her to keep her quiet.

Jenny spoke first by asking, “You haven’t been taking that medication I prescribed, have you?” When Terry sheepishly shook her head, Jenny said, “I thought so. It shows. You’re going to hate me for this, but I don’t care. Peter is going to take the girls home, and you’re coming with me to the hospital to spend a few nights in the psych ward. We’re going to find out why you’re so wound up, and refusing to take the medication I prescribed.” Jenny held up her hand to stop Terry from speaking. “This is not negotiable, Terry, you’re going. Even if I have to have Robert carry you to my car, hold you down and carry you into the hospital. You’re going!”

Marge spoke up just then, and told Terry, “Terry. I tried to tell you what was going to happen if you didn’t calm down. Because that’s what you’d already been told. Don’t blame Jenny, Peter, Kathy, Robert, Bobbie, or me. This is all on you.” Terry tried to give Marge a nasty look, but Marge didn’t flinch under Terry’s stare. She simply told Terry, “That’s not going to work this time, Terry. You know I’m right in what I said.”

Peter took his turn by saying, “Terry. I told you before but I’ll tell you again, this particular situation is none of your business. It’s a matter for the Palmers to work out. Kathy’s only involvement was to save the life of Doris, because the girl was thinking of taking her own life to put an end to her problem at home. I also told you not everything happens to Kathy, other people have problems that Kathy is sometimes in the right place to offer help. And I hate to say this...no I don’t hate to say it, Jenny is right. You need some time by yourself talking to someone in order to find out why you keep being so wound up. And the hospital is the perfect place to go. And if you try to fight this, I’ll find a judge who knows you and ask to have you committed. And believe me, sister dear, you’ve made yourself known because of what happened to Walter. And I’ll have no trouble finding someone to sign the papers.”

After Jenny, Marge, and Peter spoke, everyone could see the fire in Terry’s eyes, and the angry look on her face. She started to get up from her chair, but Robert put his hand on her shoulder, gently squeezed and pushed her back down into the chair. He then bent over and told her, “Stay seated, Terry. And listen. You’ve said enough for today.” He kept his hand on her shoulder.

Kathy walked around the table to her mom, put her arm around Terry and told her, “Mom, I know you would have hounded me for answers but I couldn’t have told you more than what you’ve already been told. It wasn’t for me to tell, plus, anything said in Jenny’s office is privileged. And you would have gotten angry with me because I wouldn’t tell you anything. And knowing you, as I do, you probably would have grounded me for no reason other than I wouldn’t answer your questions. Mom, I dearly love you, but you need to get yourself under control. Even daddy can see that.” Terry pulled Kathy into a hug and cried into her chest. Robert took his hand off Terry’s shoulder, then motioned to Bobbie for them to wait outside the room.

**--~~--**

The ride in the Palmer car from the school to their house was deathly silent. Doris sat in the front seat between her mom and dad. Both parents had an arm around her, though her dad often had to use both hands on the steering wheel. When they reached their house, Dale reached up and pressed a button on the remote for the garage door, waiting until the door was fully open before driving into the garage. He hit the same button again, causing the garage door to close, before getting out of the car. He waited for his wife and Doris, taking their hands in his as the three walked into the house.

Tad Palmer, Doris’ brother, was in the living room watching TV, and was so engrossed in the program that he didn’t hear the garage door open or close. His attention was averted when his father walked over to the TV and shut it off, standing in front of it with a look Tad had seen a few times over the years. Tad realized something was up when his mom walked to the front door, opened it, and let two women into the house, one a uniformed police woman. He then looked over to Doris, who was standing out of his reach, but was also staring at him with a look of triumph written on her face. Tad swallowed hard.

“Hi everyone, so what’s up,” Tad said, trying to sound matter-of-factly. No one said a thing, they just kept staring at him. In a voice Tad had never heard Dale use, Dale told his son, “Doris had told us everything, Tad. It won’t do you any good to try and pretend nothing is wrong. This woman there is Detective Stevens, the other woman is Officer Dunnley. They heard everything, Tad.”

Tad had pulled the same innocent game on his parents several times before, and got himself out of trouble. Because the police were in the house, he felt it was his best chance of getting out of it this time too. “Doris told you everything about what, dad? You know she’s always making up stories about this or that, so you can’t always believe what she says.”

It was Joyce who told her son, “That innocent ploy isn’t going to work this time, Tad. You’re in it up to your neck this time.” Tad tried to look exasperated as he said, “Mom, I don’t have the slightest clue what you and dad are talking about. Maybe if you told me what this is all about and why two police women are here, it might help.”

There was a coldness in Doris’ voice that sent a chill up Tad’s spine. “It’s no good, Tad, they know about my diary, and how you found it and had threatened to show it to mom and dad if I didn’t let you screw me every night and when mom and dad were out of the house.”

Tad put on his best ‘I’m innocent’ look and said, “Doris, I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I haven’t been in your room for ever. I think you must have been dreaming or writing one of your stories.” Tad didn’t like the smile that formed on Doris’ face, as he watched her walk out of the living room towards the bedrooms. She returned a moment later with a plastic bag, held it up and asked her brother, “So, brother dear, if these officers took what’s in this bag to their lab, they won’t find your sperm and my fluids on them? And my blood as you forced yourself into me?”

Still trying to wiggle his way out of this mess, Tad said, “I don’t know where you got those, Doris, but they aren’t mine. I think you’re trying to get back at me for that prank I pulled on you last year.” Doris handed the plastic bag to Detective Stevens.

Dale spoke again as he told Tad, “Tad, take your mother and Officer Dunnley to your bedroom and give Officer Dunnley the diary you took from Doris’ bedroom.”

But Tad wasn’t finished trying to play the innocent one at this moment. “But dad, I don’t have Doris’ diary. I never took it, or anything, from Doris’ bedroom. I don’t understand why she’s accusing me.”

Dale got a real ugly look on his face, as he slowly walked towards his son. He bent down until he was inches away from Tad’s face, and said, “Tad, either you go with your mother and Officer Dunnley, or Officer Dunnley will go with me and I’ll tear your bedroom apart and find that diary. And gawd knows whatever else you’re hiding in there.”

Tad pulled all the stops out now, as many stops as he’d acquired. “Dad, I’m telling you, I don’t have Doris’ diary. And I’m not hiding anything in my bedroom.”

Dale straightened, nodded his head, then said to Jo, “Officer Dunnley, would you please come with me to Tad’s bedroom.” Dale started walking out of the living room with Jo behind him. Tad stood up and yelled, “YOU CAN’T GO INTO MY BEDROOM, IT’S PRIVATE.” Dale stopped, turned to face Tad and told him, “The only private bedroom in this house is your mother’s and mine. The other bedrooms are open for inspection any time we like. Now sit down and keep your mouth shut.” Dale again turned and started walking down the hallway to the bedrooms.

Tad took one step to follow his father and the Officer, when his shirt collar was grabbed from behind and he found himself again sitting on the couch. Joyce bent down and snarled, “Your father told you to sit down and keep your mouth shut.”

About fifteen minutes later, Dale and Officer Dunnley came back into the living room, Dale carrying the diary and Jo carrying a duffle bag. “Well, look here, Joyce, look what we found in Tad’s bedroom. And look what else we found in this duffle bag.” Jo sat the bag on the floor, unzipped it and pulled the sides down, revealing bag after bag of various colored pills. And a lot of money lying at the bottom of the bag.

Barbara had constantly watched Tad throughout this whole time, and was amazed that he was able to keep his cool. Even when confronted with the lie he’d been telling. “Where’d you find the diary, Mr. Palmer? And the duffle bag?” Jo had taken everything out of the duffle bag and laid the contents separately across the floor. In all, there were thirty bags of pills and twenty-five hundred dollars in mostly twenties and tens. Jo had picked up one of the bags and examined its contents. Then she said, “Barbara, there’s a little of everything in this one bag. And it looks like the same in the others.”

After Jo had finished speaking, Dale said, “The diary was under the mattress and the duffle bag was hidden in the back of the closet. We found some other things under that bag, which we left along, but it might be best if you see them for yourself.” Dale took Barbara back to Tad’s bedroom, and when she came back she told Jo to repack the duffle bag, told Tad to stand up, he was under arrest, and then told everyone to get out of the house. It wasn’t long before scierns could be heard and the bomb squad arrived at the Palmer house. Two people got out of the truck, put on protective gear, took a heavy looking container off the truck and carried it into the house. Another police car arrived, a K9 unit, and when the two in protective gear came out of the house, declaring it safe, the Officer with the dog went into the house. She came out a few minutes later saying, “There’s no more explosives, but you better come and see this, Detective.”

The Officer with the dog led Barbara into the house and back to Tad’s bedroom. The Officer had her dog ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ as she showed Barbara what Rexy had found hidden in the clothes closet. Behind a concealed panel Barbara saw what must be one hundred of the same bags they found in the duffle bag. And at the bottom was even more money. Barbara pulled out her phone, dialed another number, and within minutes, two more police cars arrived. The Officers came into the house, Barbara directed them to the closet, and let them carry out their jobs. These four Officers were from the drug unit.

Barbara went back outside, walked up to Tad, being held by the arm by Jo, and told him, “Tad, you are under arrest for rape of a minor, possession of illegal substances for intent to sell, and possession of explosives.” She then went on to read him his Miranda rights, making sure everything was done by the book. She had a feeling what they found in Tad’s room would clear several cases the drug unit had been working on. And a couple the ATF had in their possession.

It wasn’t long before the Officers with the drug unit came out of the house, carrying a large plastic bag with the bags of pills they were shown in the closet. They were also carrying a plastic bag which contained all of the money also found with the bags of pills. When it was all finally counted, it’d total just shy of fifty thousand dollars in tens and twenties.

The K9 Officer was again asked to have Rexy make one more sweep of the house. The Officer came out a few minutes later and told Barbara the house was clear. Jo then opened the back door of their car and placed Tad inside the car, pulling the seat belt across him and latching it before closing the back door. Barbara went back into the house with the Palmers, while Jo stayed at their car, and Barbara went over the procedures for booking Tad and his need to make a first appearance in Court for a bail hearing. Dale looked at Joyce, who shook her head, before Dale told Barbara, “He won’t be bailed out, Detective. He’s too much of a flight risk. He’ll stay in jail until his Court date. We’ll get him a lawyer, but it’s time he receives what he’s due. I know you think we’re being too harsh, but this crap has been going on for far too long.”

Barbara chuckled, then told Dale and Joyce, “Mr. and Mrs. Palmer, with what we found in his bedroom I seriously doubt if he’ll be granted bail. The Courts are cracking down on those found with explosives in their possession. And those five pipe bombs are going to cost him a lot of years in prison.” Barbara said goodbye to the Palmers and left the house. Dale got on the phone and called their lawyer, who recommended a good criminal lawyer, one who was fair but knew when it was best for their client to take a plea instead of going to trial. Dale hung up then dialed the number their lawyer had given him. When the call was answered, he told who he was, who recommended that firm, and asked to speak with the lawyer recommended to him. After explaining the circumstances to that lawyer, that lawyer told Dale with everything the police found, the best chance Dale’s son had was to plead guilty and hope he got out of prison in just a few years. Because if they went to trial, Dale’s son could be old and gray by the time he was released from prison. Dale gave that lawyer all the information Barbara gave him, then said he’d bring the retainer by in the morning.

After Dale finished the phone call, he, Joyce, and Doris collapsed onto the couch in stunned silence. None of them could believe what Tad had been doing or how bad it had gotten. It was Doris who verbalized what Dale and Joyse were thinking, by saying, “Gads, what a fucking mess.” For once, Doris got away with cussing in front of her parents. “Yeah,” Joyce replied, “what a big fucking mess.” Despite the severity of the situation, Doris looked at her dad, who looked at her, then the two looked at Joyce, and burst out laughing. This had been the first time anyone had heard Joyce cuss. She was always the one correcting anyone’s language, and here she’d drop the ‘F’ bomb in front of her daughter and husband. She turned to face Doris and Dale, who were both still laughing, and asked, “What’s so damn funny?” This only caused the two to laugh harder, until tears rolled down their cheeks. And kept rolling as their laughter turned into crying, with Joyce joining them.

The lawyer that had been recommended to Dale spoke with Tad, and laid out the possible sentences the boy was facing if he pled guilty or went to trial. Tad was still trying to pull off his innocent act, until the lawyer told him to cut out the bullshit, the police found his fingerprints on everything they found. And he was going to prison, how long was the question. When the DA came into the mix, Tad was given a choice. Ten years for the pipe bombs and five years for the drugs. Or face a jury trial and face a possible twenty years for the pipe bombs and ten years for the drugs. Tad wisely chose the former, even though there was no chance of parole. He’d be in his early thirties when he was released.

tbc
Chapter 32

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 32

As everyone left the conference room, Kathy continued holding onto her mom, Terry doing the same with Kathy, as they started walking down the hallway to the office doors. Peter pulled out his cell phone and dialed Shelby’s number, telling him what was happening when Shelby answered his phone. “I’m not surprised, Peter,” Shelby told him, “Kathy and I have been gently telling her she needed to open up during our meeting with Jenny and Beverly, but she kept telling us she was fine.” Then he chuckled, “I guess now we know where Walter got his ‘up and at ‘em’ attitude after encountering a situation. I’ll let everyone here know I’m leaving and meet everyone at the hospital.”

Margot watched as a distraught Terry, holding onto a very concerned Kathy, walked by her desk, Kathy acknowledging Margot as they passed. The two were followed by Jenny, who was followed by Bobbie and Robert. Peter stopped at Margot’s desk and told her, “Margot, I’m going to the hospital with Terry and Kathy. Terry popped her cork one too many times, and Jenny’s putting her in the hospital for a few days, hopefully so Jenny and the hospital psychologist can learn why she gets so wound up lately. So, if you would, make sure everything is locked up before you leave. Or kick out those hanging around.” He smiled when he said the last part, he knew some of the kids would come and talk with her, Tina, or one of the others in the office. They all acted as unofficial counselors.

Kathy helped guide Terry to Jenny’s car, Peter and Marge would take his own car to the hospital; they’d figure out something with Terry’s car later. Jenny opened the back door of her car, waiting until Terry and Kathy were inside before closing the door, then going around to the driver’s side and getting into the driver’s side of the car. As Jenny backed out of the parking space, she saw Terry had her head on Kathy’s shoulder, and the two were holding each other. Terry didn’t see the tears slowly sliding down Kathy’s cheeks, or her trembling lips. No one said a word all the way to the hospital, or when they’d arrived. Jenny parked her car, Peter pulling in beside her. After the five got out of the cars, and started walking to the hospital entrance, it took Terry only a moment to see Shelby standing in front of the hospital entrance. She let go of Kathy and almost ran to Shelby, embracing him as the rock he’d become for her all the years they’d been married. Kathy watched her parents show a love for each other she’d seen her entire life. She caught up with them, put her arm around her mom again, and the three followed Jenny into the hospital and to the floor for the psych ward. Marge and Kathy had to wait in the waiting room, as Shelby filled out the necessary paperwork, while Jenny took Terry to the room which would be her’s for as long as Jenny deemed necessary. Terry remembered the two nurses who’d been with Kathy, and chuckled when they handed her the same type gown to put on. Terry went into the bathroom, changed into the gown, then gave her clothing to the nurses. Terry’s clothing was neatly folded before being put into a plastic bag, which left with the nurses as they left Terry with Jenny.

Jenny led Terry over to the bed, had her sit down on the bed, then told her, “The usual suspects will be visiting you this evening. Vampires, a quack who’ll be giving you a complete physical, and I mean a COMPLETE physical, you’ll get your usual last meal before you’re put before the firing squad, and you’ll be allowed to say goodbye to your husband and child before the prison closes its gates for the evening. Any questions?” Terry laughed before telling Jenny, “You wait and see if I invite you to my wedding. You’d probably want to examine everyone there.” Jenny banterted back, “Good, I wouldn’t come anyway. You already have one excellent husband, you don’t need another one. Plus, you have an adorable daughter.” Then Jenny got serious, telling Terry, “We’re going to take blood samples to check all of your body’s chemical and enzyme levels. Marsha will be coming up to give you a complete physical, it’s been a while for you, hasn’t it.” Terry nodded before Jenny continued. “Your evening meal will be smuggled into the hospital, the last thing I want is for you trying to escape after you taste the hospital food. After Shelby gets all the paperwork sorted out, I’ll bring him and the girls back and you can have them for a while. Then I’d like you, me, and Beverly to chat a little bit this evening before you go to sleep. And you will go to sleep because you’ll be given something to help you go to sleep. Terry, whether you see it or not, you have a lot of people worried about you. You have five who love the hell out of you.” Terry gave Jenny a quizzical look before Jenny said, “Tina.” Jenny then told Terry she’d be right back and left Terry in her room with her thoughts. Thoughts which were running around in her head like six-year-olds at a birthday party. Thoughts which had a core but couldn’t be seen at the moment. Thoughts which needed prioritized and shifted through. Thoughts which Terry needed to come to grips with. It wasn’t long before Beverly came into Terry’s room, followed by Shelby, Marge, and Kathy. It was hard to do, but the three managed to all hug Terry at the same time. Jenny brought over the box of tissues sitting on the chest of drawers in the room.

A short time later Peter came into Terry’s room, guided there by one of the nurses. Terry happened to look up and spotted Peter standing near the door, tears falling from his eyes, his lips trembling, and his hands crossed together at his stomach. He looked much like he did when he heard their parents had been killed in that car accident. Terry told her group, “Please, let me get up. It’s important.” The three moved back as Terry stood and walked over to Peter, who she took into a hug and let him cry on her shoulder. It’s the same thing he did that day too.

When Peter could speak, he told Terry, “I hate to see you in here, but you’ve kept things bottled up for too long. You kept our parents’ deaths there, you kept how you found me that day there, and you’ve been keeping Walter into Kathy there. You need to tell them everything, EVERYTHING, you understand? And believe me when I say I saw how you having to become my parent affected you during that time. That’s when you started packing everything away in your private box, and passed that ability on to Walter. It’s what almost caused us to lose Kathy, because she didn’t know how to share. Tell them everything, please?”

Another set of arms encircled Terry and Peter, each receiving a kiss on the cheek. “We’re going to get through this, you two. I love both of you very much.” Terry and Peter looked at the new person with them and saw it was Tina, who had a sad look in her eyes but a smile on her face. “Both of you have stories to tell, stories you’ve kept to yourselves for far too long.” She then looked directly at Peter and said, “And Terry isn’t the only one who’s buried his feelings in his own private vault. I think it’d do you good to visit a certain lady while you’re at school. Wouldn’t you agree it’s time all of you stopped storing all of your memories in your vaults? Treasured ones, sure. But not the ones that threaten to rule your lives if they escape confinement. And because of recent events, some of those memories you’ve locked away have escaped, and are at this moment causing all of you loads of grief. My sweet ones, these two women,” and she nodded her head towards Beverly and Jenny, “are two of the most trusted in the profession in this area. They won’t condemn you for anything you tell them. They won’t make you feel terrible about yourself because of what you tell them. They are compassionate and will walk you through a process that will help you feel better about yourselves in the end. I know, I’ve had to use their services several times in the last few years.”

Tina let go of Terry and Peter and said, “And now, if you’ll give me a minute,” and she walked back out into the hall before returning with several bags, “it’s dinner time.” And she held up the bags for everyone to see.

A nurse came into Terry’s room after a cheer emanated from the room. She took one look at the various items sitting on the table, snorted, turned, and left the room. No one heard her say, as she walked back down the hall, “Lucky stiffs.”

Once everyone had finished eating, Beverly broke the news that it was time the family group left so she, Jenny, and Marsha, who had just come into the room, could get down to business with Terry. Beverly walked Peter and Shelby out of the room, stopping in the hall with them, telling both, “We’ll keep in touch. Not much is going to happen the rest of the evening, it will start in earnest tomorrow. Now both of you understand something. Neither Jenny or I will be able to get into details with either of you. If Terry wants to tell you anything that will be her decision. Don’t press her for information, give her time and space. She’s not a China Doll, but she’s awfully close to it right now. As it stands right now, she’ll be with us for a couple of days, I think it will take that long for her to get past her built-in defenses. It’s something similar we experienced with Kathy. I’ll let you both know something tomorrow evening, okay?” Both men nodded their heads, hugged her, thanked her, turned and followed the girls down the hallway. Neither man had to ask the other the questions about Terry they both were thinking about, they knew the answers.

One question both men didn’t know the answer to was how the girls would get to school and back home. As if that thought had been projected around open space, Shelby’s cell phone rang, it was Dorothy, Marge’s mom.

“Hello, Dorothy. How are you doing?” He wasn’t prepared for Dorothy’s response, but grateful anyway.

“I’ll come straight to the point, Shelby. The girls will stay with Tom and me while Terry gets her head screwed back on. I know what time you normally leave for the office, and that’s way too early for the girls to be at school. OUTSIDE, by themselves. I’ll take no arguments from you or your brother-in-law, it’s a done deal, so says Kathy and Marge!”

All Shelby could say was, “Um, Dorothy, could you hold on for a moment?” When she told him she could, he looked to where Marge and Kathy were standing, smiles on both of their faces.

Kathy saw the look of displeasure on her father’s face, and told him, “Yes, daddy, Marge and I talked it over. With you worrying about mom, and us needing to get to school so we could walk safely into school, Marge called her mom and asked if she would watch after us while you concentrated on being there for mom.”

Peter finally caught on to what the call was about, and softly told Shelby, “Damn, Shelby, she’s more concerned about you and Terry than herself. That’s a heck of a daughter you got there.” Shelby cleared his throat and replied, “Yesh, she is. She even surprises me sometimes.”

Shelby put his phone to his ear again, and told Dorothy, “Uh, Dorothy, seems like I’ve been out voted by you ladies. And I want to thank you for doing this for us. Terry would have my head on a pike in the front yard if I left those two alone at school before it opened. I’ll take Kathy home to get some things then bring them by. Okay?”

Dorothy was nodding her head at the other end of the phone, but told Shelby, “That will be fine, Shelby. And you’re to come over for dinner until they spring Terry. Shelby, in all honesty, you and Terry have done so much for Marge this is the least Tom and I could do for you two. Right now you need to be concentrating on your wife, and let us deal with the girls. After all, I suspect we’ll become in-laws one day.” Dorothy said her goodbyes, then cut the connection.

Shelby walked over where the girls were standing, pulled them both into a hug, telling them, “If you two don’t beat all.” Both Marge and Kathy felt drops of water hit their blouses.

Before Peter and Shelby drove their separate ways, it was arranged for Shelby to meet Peter at the high school, after dropping the girls off with Dorothy, so Peter could drive Terry’s car home. Shelby would then take Peter back to the high school so he could pick up his car to drive home. What should have taken about an hour to complete, took a bit over two hours, as both men sat in the high school parking lot and talked, Peter telling Shelby his story after his parents were killed.

Meanwhile, back in Terry’s psych ward room, Beverly walked over to the door, slid the marker mounted on the door from ‘open’ to ‘do not disturb’ then shut the door. Then it was Marsha’s turn as she told Terry, “Okay, lady, strip.” Terry gave Marsha ‘the look’ but was told, “Sorry, Terry, that look doesn’t work on me. I looked through what medical records anyone has on you and it’s been quite some time since you had a complete physical. So, Strip. Or the three of us will help you reveal your outer beauty.” Jenny and Beverly had no trouble seeing how frosty Terry reacted by being told to do something she didn’t want to do, and maybe another reason why she becomes easily upset. It would be something they’d explore with Terry tomorrow.

Marsha had spoken to Beverly before either had come to visit Terry, agreeing not to use kid gloves with Terry. Both had seen Terry when she was upset, and knew a clam could be opened easier than Terry when she was upset. “Come on, girl. Strip. It’s only us women in this room, and you are going to get a physical with or without your cooperation.” She then walked over to Terry, who was pouting like a five-year-old child who couldn’t have a cookie instead of broccoli, sat down on the bed next to her, and told her, “Terry, I’m not going to pretend I know how you’re feeling at this moment. I’m not going to pretend I know how you feel every time something happens and Kathy’s involved, maybe one day I will. But I can see how wound up you are and it isn’t healthy. Before these two headhunters,” and she pointed to Beverly and Jenny, “have a crack at you, they need to know there’s nothing physically wrong under the hood. And that’s where I come in.” Marsha got off the bed, took Terry’s hand, pulled her off the bed and told her, “So, strip, Terry.” Terry gave Marsha a weak smile, nodded, then pulled the gown up over her head, then pulled down and stepped out of her panties. It was Beverly who said, “Hub-ba hub-ba,” followed by Jenny’s “No wonder Shelby walks around with a smile on his face. And a hard on in his pants. Girlfriend, you look spectacular.” Terry seldom undressed in front of other women because the circumstances never arose, so she blushed at the compliments paid to her before saying, “Too bad you ladies won’t get the opportunity to see what I get stuck with.” Jenny, Beverly, and Marsha all looked at each other for a minute, before getting the double entendre Terry had just made. The three slowly turned to look at Terry, who had that innocent school girl look on her face, before all four burst out laughing.

When Marsha could finally speak, she told Terry, “Gads, woman, you’re terrible.” She chuckled before having Terry sit back on the bed and began her cursory exam of Terry. Once Terry’s ears, eyes, nose, and throat were examined, Marsha then palpated under Terry’s jaw, checking to see if there were any swollen glands or other abnormalities. She then listened to Terry’s heart, her lungs, even thumbing Terry’s back, listening for any unusual sounds. Masha then palpated Terry’s breasts, checking for any unusual lumps or overly sensitive areas. She tested Terry’s reflexes, inspected her hands and feet, then she surprised Terry by going to the foot of the bed and lifting up two stirrups which had rested down near the legs of the bed. Marsha looked at Terry and told her, “You’ve been here before and know the drill, so assume the position.” Terry stuck her tongue out at Marsha before lying down at the foot of the bed and putting her feet into the stirrups.

Beverly and Jenny chuckled when they heard, “DAMN, that thing is cold,” coming from Terry. They nearly lost it completely when Terry asked, “Do you doctors keep that thing cold on purpose, or just to test other reflexes.” And Marsha replied with, “No, we keep it cold so you won’t get aroused while we play with you.” While the two psychologists held it together, Terry lost it completely, and started laughing a deep throaty laugh, which ended with Terry crying. Marsha took Terry’s legs out of the stirrups, went around and sat on the bed next to Terry, picking her up and cradling her as she cried. “It’s okay, Terry. It’s going to be okay,” she told Terry as she held her. Beverly and Jenny watched the smirk form on Marsha’s lips, then heard her say, “Terry, everything looks good, you’re a healthy woman. Your pelvic exam looks good, so you can continue to be stuck on Shelby.” It took a moment for Terry, still crying, to stop crying, look at Marsha through tear laden eyes, and seeing the innocent look on her face, tell her in a choked up voice, “Oh gawd. Now who’s terrible?” Marsha had been just holding Terry as she cried. Now both women were holding each other, a bond forming that would last for years to come. Then Marsha told Terry, “Come on, let’s get you dressed then get your face washed.”

Marsha helped Terry get off the bed, handed Terry’s panties to her, then her gown. She then went into the bathroom with Terry and stayed with her in case Terry needed any help. While the two women were in the bathroom, Jenny told Beverly in a low voice, “I think it’s fair to say those two will be close friends for some time to come. Something that girl needs. She’s so like Kathy, all balled up inside.” Beverly nodded her head and replied, “But I don’t think she’ll be as quick to open up as Kathy was during her stay. She’s hiding something, something that’s really affected her up to this point in her life.” Jenny just nodded.

After Terry and Marsha came out of the bathroom, Beverly opened the door, slid the slide to show ‘open’ on the plate, then the four women sat and chatted. It wasn’t long before they heard a knock on the door, turned to look, and saw a tech standing there in the doorway. “Um, doctor Taylor. I’m here to get the blood samples you wanted,” the young woman said. Marsha looked at her watch and saw it was two and a half hours after Terry ate, so would be a good time to get the samples. “Okay, Sandra. Here’s the victim, do your worst,” and Marsha had pointed to Terry. Terry had slowly turned her head so she was looking at Marsha when she said, “You’re loving this, aren’t you. Just remember, I’ll know where you live.” Marsha laughed, nodded her head, then said, “Oh, girlfriend, you know I am.” Sandra came over where Terry was sitting, set her carrying case down, took out an elastic band and wrapped it around Terry’s upper arm, just above her elbow. She took an alcohol swab and swabbed the area just below Terry’s elbow on the inside of her forearm, then, “OUCH, damn that hurt,” Terry cried, as Sandra inserted the needle into the vein in Terry’s arm. Sandra filled one tube, switched to another and filled that one, before removing the needle from Terry’s arm. She then taped a gauze pad over the puncture, removing the elastic band and telling Terry to leave it on for about an hour, before picking up her equipment and leaving the room.

By now, it was around nine-thirty in the evening, and time, Marsha thought, for Terry to get some much needed sleep. It wasn’t long before a nurse came into the room, right at nine-thirty, and proceeded to get a glass of water from the bathroom, before giving a pill to Terry. Terry held the pill in her hand, a dubious look on her face as she looked at Marsha. All Marsha said was, “It’ll help you sleep. Even I can see how tired you are right this minute, and I don’t want you tossing and turning, worrying about something instead of sleeping. So be a big girl and take the pill.” Once again Terry stuck her tongue out at Marsha, before popping the pill in her mouth, swallowing it before drinking the glass of water to wash the pill down. The nurse helped Terry get into bed, asked if she needed anything, seeing a smirk form on Terry’s lips, and hearing Marsha say, “Don’t say it,” before she left the room. It was Beverly who then told Terry, “Breakfast is at eight, then we get to work on your problem. Keep in mind, Terry, it’s all up to you how long to visit us here. So being completely open with Jenny and myself will be in your favor.”

Jenny and Beverly left the room, while Marsha sat with Terry until the sedative started taking effect. They chatted about the girls, their relationship, Terry’s concerns for their future, and Shelby. Marsha had a feeling Terry never heard her name mentioned, because it wasn’t long before Terry’s eyelids started drooping. Marsha leaned down, kissed Terry on the forehead, and wished her a good night’s sleep. Terry never noticed when Marsha left the room, or when the lights were turned off, or when the door was partially closed. Terry didn’t remember anything until a nurse was gently shaking her, telling her it was time for breakfast. Terry told the nurse, holding the tray of food, that breakfast could wait for a few moments, as Terry got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. It was a strange place for Terry to make a realization, but she realized how rested she felt. And as she thought, in those first moments of waking, she hadn’t had one single nightmare or dream. Terry was still chewing on that particular thought, as she came out of the bathroom. The nurse had sat the tray of food on the small table in the room, and Terry, still mulling over the dreamless night, sat down and mechanically ate her breakfast. This was something she’d have to ask Beverly and Jenny about. It was nine in the morning when Beverly and Jenny came into Terry’s room, Jenny moving the slider until ‘Do Not Disturb’ was displayed. The work on Terry’s mind had begun.

Terry sat on the bed with her legs hanging over the edge, and Beverly and Jenny pulled two of the six chairs in the room over to her bed. Jenny started off by asking, “Do you have any questions before Beverly and I start peeling your brain apart?” They watched Terry as she formed her words, then heard, “I don’t remember dreaming or having any nightmares. Why? Was it because of the sedative I was given?”

“Yes it was,” Beverly said. “You see Terry, we wanted you fresh this morning, not bothered by any dreams or nightmares, something we’ll talk about, so I had you given a sedative which shut down your thinking process. Most people, when they sleep, are constantly thinking about this or that, which can precipitate dreams or nightmares. And because they don’t have a sound sleep, they’re draggy the next morning. You mentioned nightmares. What are they about? Do you have them often? Is there a pattern to them?”

Both women watched as Terry scooted back from the edge of the bed, then brought her legs up until they were tucked into her chest. They both also saw the look of despair on Terry’s face, the look of helplessness. Terry then wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, but remained silent. Jenny had an idea what Terry’s nightmares were about, and decided it was time Terry got it out into the open. “Terry, Peter told me about the accident and what almost happened to him, but I don’t think Beverly has heard the entire story. I think it’s time you told it from your perspective. I think it’s time you face the demon which has been haunting you since the death of your parents.” Jenny stopped talking and watched Terry go through a series of emotions, again wiping her eyes with the back of her hands.

Both women had discussed how to approach Terry, how to get her to open up. How to get Terry to finally release everything she’d been pushing down all these years. And because Terry was a strong willed woman, they both felt the direct approach was best. There’d be no kid gloves, no beating around the bush. They were going to confront Terry and force her to face what she’d been afraid to face since the death of their parents. Her emotions.

It seemed an eternity before Terry began to speak. And when she did, her voice was broken with emotions as she spoke. “I...um...don’t remember where mom and dad were going, but according to the police report, they were at a controlled intersection and had stopped for a red light. When the light turned green dad started the car into the intersection. Coming from their left was a semi truck hauling a heavy load, and coming to the red light for his lane. According to the driver’s report, he downshifted and stepped on the brakes, only to realize the air brakes hadn’t engaged. He downshifted again and kept pumping the brake pedal, but couldn’t get the air brakes to work. The load he was hauling gave the truck so much interia that it was impossible to stop the truck without brakes. He downshifted a third time, still pumping the brakes, but shot into the intersection. Mom and dad were right in the truck’s path in the intersection, and the truck drove right over the top of the car, killing them instantly. When the investigators inspected the brakes on that semi, they found the linkage from the brake pedal had been sawed almost all the way through. They figured the brakes would have worked for a time until that linkage finally broke where it had been sawed.”

Terry paused to clear her throat, take a drink of water, and wipe her eyes again, before going on with, “They then went to the company the driver drove for and started going through the company’s security footage, and found the video which showed someone tampering with that truck. They then had the date and time, and unknown to the man sabotaging the truck, they also got a good, clear, picture of his face. Once they identified him, and learned where he worked, they paid him a visit at his home. It wasn’t in their report, but one of the investigators told me, when they showed him the security footage of him sabotaging the truck, he wet himself. And when they told him he was going to be charged with two counts of murders, he sang like a canary. He told the investigators, ‘if he was going down, so was the bastard who paid him for the job.’ It seemed the company the driver drove for was making a name for itself for fast, on time, deliveries. And for how they treated the cargo they hauled. The owner of the other company, the one where the man who sabotaged the truck worked, was losing money because he wasn’t willing to put up with crap from any of his customers. His drivers didn’t care if they arrived on time, or if their cargo was damaged or missing. In fact, as the investigators discovered, some of those drivers had been selling some of their cargo on the side, then claiming it was stolen while they stopped to rest. Plus, that company was having trouble retaining drives, because the owner shortchanged them every time they went out.”

“The investigators now had a video confession from the saboteur, telling them everything. Even how much he’d been paid. They then confronted the owner of the other company, who denied everything at first. But when he saw the video of the sabotage taking place, and the video confession, he became belligerent, telling the investigators they were full of shit. That the man on the video confession had been fired some days ago. The investigators produced documents showing that was a lie, that the man still worked for the owner. The real kicker was when they produced a thumb drive the man had given the investigators, one with a video the man had secretly recorded. On that video, as clear as day, was the owner handing the man ten thousand dollars and telling him to sabotage one of the other company’s trucks. It suddenly smelled funny in that room, but no one could figure out what it was or where it was coming from. It wasn’t until the police were escorting the owner from his office that they noticed the owner had messed his pants. Both men were facing two counts of murder, and pled guilty, hoping to get lighter sentences. It didn’t work. Because of the nature of the crime, both got life in prison. Peter and I, and our attorney, had no trouble with the insurance company mom and dad used, they paid out almost immediately. The other company’s insurance provider balked at what our lawyer was asking, until our lawyer told them if we went to court she’d be asking for ten times that amount. Needless to say, they paid what our lawyer had asked for, and Peter and I have nothing to want for as long as we live.”

Tears were running down Terry’s cheeks, and her lips were trembling, but she continued with, “The courts appointed our grandmother, my mom’s mom, as our guardian. I think mom got her attitude from her mom, that was one sweet old lady. But you didn’t want to get on grandma’s bad side, never. Grandma took Peter and I to the mall, one Saturday, to get clothes for school. Grandma took Peter into a store that sold boys’ clothing and let me window shop while they were shopping. I was looking at the display in the window of this one store, when I heard two guys start asking me questions. One guy wanted to know if I knew how to be a woman to him. The other asked if I gave good head. The first time I turned around and told them to get lost, to stop bothering me. But they just laughed, and kept following me as I continued to window shop. I ended up back at the store I first encountered the assholes, and those two were starting to get downright scary. People around us couldn’t help but hear what they were saying, they weren’t whispering. Just after one of them told me to let him fuck me so I’d be a real woman, both suddenly screamed, and I heard a voice I always dreaded hearing. Grandma was behind me and them. I turned around and grandma had grabbed one boy’s right ear lobe, and the left ear lobe of the other boy, pulled them down so they were sideways to her face, and asked them in that bear like voice, ‘Don’t you assholes understand when someone tells you to go away?’ One of those boys, I think it was the mouthy one, made a mistake and said to grandma, ‘Hey, you bitch, let go of me.’ Now grandma was all of five foot five, six, seven if she was wearing her favorite shoes, but when she was mad she was seven feet even. That mouthy boy never had a chance, as grandma did let go of his ear, and just as quickly, reached between his legs from behind and grabbed that boy’s crotch. Talk about a high pitch scream, that boy sang loud and long. And she had him up on his tip toes. Then she asked him, ‘What did you say, asshole?’ You never saw a boy back step as fast as that kid did. He told grandma he didn’t say anything, nothing at all. It was funny. Grandma then maneuvered both until they were facing away from me and told them next time it’d be worse. Boy, did those two beat a hasty retreat. We didn’t know three mall security guards were watching us until they started applauding. Grandma turned to look at them, and received three thumbs up. And in grandma’s fashion, she bowed twice to those guards.”

“We visited more stores, and were on our way out of the mall when grandma spotted those same two boys, doing the same thing only to another girl. She handed me her purse, and packages, walked up behind those boys, and reached between their legs from behind and grabbed each boy’s crotch. I could tell she was squeezing as she held them, cause each boy was screaming in pain. Then grandma told them, ‘I told you the next time would be worse,’ and proceeded to maneuver the boys until they were facing the direction where the security guards had been. She whistled that high pitch whistle of hers, got the attention of the guards, and yelled, ‘They’re at it again,’ and marched them down to the guards. As grandma turned them over to the security guards, and was walking back to Peter and I, she had a smile on her face as the mouthy one screamed, ‘Keep that crazy bitch away from us.’”

“Peter and I stayed with grandma for two years. She’d come into our rooms in the morning to make sure we were awake and getting ready for school. She’d have breakfast waiting on the kitchen table and kiss each of us as we left for school.” Terry stopped speaking, she indicated the tissues on the nightstand, received them from Jenny, wiped her eyes, drank more water, then continued with her story. “I can’t tell you why, but I woke up one moring with a strange feeling in my stomach. I knew grandma should have come into our rooms to wake us up and make sure we got ready for school, but she wasn’t there that morning. I left my bedroom and went into the kitchen, but nothing was on the kitchen table. I then went to grandma’s bedroom, knocked on the door but she didn’t answer. I opened the door, went into her bedroom and saw her lying in her bed. I went over to her, called her name, shook her, then realized she was cold and had a bluish tint to her skin. I called 911, told them about grandma, and when the paramedics arrived they said she’d been dead for some time. The coroner said she died of a brain aneurysm, and had died some time during the night.”

“Peter was still sleeping, somehow, given the sirens the ambulance had on when it arrived at grandma’s house. I woke him, tried to prepare him the best I knew how, then told him grandma had died some time during the night. And I found her that way this morning. He cried on my shoulder, then got up and started getting ready for school. I told him I’d call the school and tell them what happened and that we wouldn’t be in school that day. But he was adamant, he was going to school. I called the school anyway, and talked to the principal. He said we didn’t have to come back to school until we’d got my grandma’s arrangements made, and her estate settled. I told him Peter was adamant about going to school, so I would go as well. I couldn’t let Peter go along, especially after...I just could let him go alone. Dad’s folks helped us get things settled, grandma’s funeral, her estate taken care of, and wanted us to live with them. I told Peter what they said, and he almost threw a fit as he said no. So they helped us get me appointed Peter’s guardian. Grandma left us everything. Her house, and furnishings. All the savings she had in the bank. She even left us what the life insurance paid out because of her death.” Terry hung her head, sniffed her nose, then said, “Gawd, we do miss that old lady.”

It was Jenny who pressed the point when she said, “That’s about the same story Peter told me. But you left something out didn’t you? Something that happened shortly after your parents were killed. Why are you avoiding it? Beverly needs to hear that part as well.”

tbc
Chapter 33

Most often people talk about being in the right place at the right time. Maybe they achieved a beautiful photo of a sunrise, or the antics of children or animals. Maybe they found something someone lost and received a big reward when it was returned. But how often do they talk about being in the wrong place at the right time? If they do, it’s often about the death of someone or maybe witnessing a crime. And if this is the case, they are sad or horrified. Walter Williams often is in the wrong place at the right time, though his reaction to the incidents he encounters is much different than anyone would expect. And, life-changing.

Chapter 33

Terry didn’t know Jenny had already told Beverly the Stepel story, including what almost happened to Peter. “Terry,” Beverly said, “I need to hear all of the story. It won’t do you any good to shy away from something that happened. It’s probably why you’ve been having those nightmares. And why you keep getting so wound up when Kathy is involved in some situation. As you’ve been told, it’s up to you how long we keep you here. If we feel you’re holding back, aren’t being completely honest with us, you’ll be here until you start being completely honest with us. And while you’re in therapy, visitors will be limited.” Beverly was hoping Terry didn’t know that was a lie, that visitors could come and see her. She was hoping that by using this ploy, Terry would decide she wanted to see her family sooner rather than later.

Terry surprised both women by saying, “Um...I have to pee.” She quickly got up off the bed and almost ran to the bathroom. Both women chuckled as they heard Terry say, “Ahhh...that’s better.” When Terry returned from the bathroom, she again sat on the bed, pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapped her arms around her shins, then laid her head over her knees. Jenny and Beverly could see Terry had a glazed look to her eyes, as though she was seeing but not looking at anything in particular. They waited, but Terry remained silent. Beverly looked at Jenny, who nodded her head, then said, “Terry. Jenny told you about the length of time you’d stay with us if you weren’t open and honest with us. I reminded you and now I’m reminding you again. Your stay here is dependent upon your honesty and openness with us. Jenny and I can return to your room day after day until you tell us what happened to Peter and why you glossed over it in your story. The longer you’re here, the less time you’ll have with your family. The longer you’re here, the less you’ll be available if Kathy gets involved in another situation or event.” Beverly hoped the last words she spoke would provoke Terry into talking with them, but again Terry remained silent.

Beverly again looked at Jenny, who nodded her head, and both women got up out of their chairs, moved them back to the table in the room, and started walking to the door. They were about two feet from the door when Terry said, “Peter tried to hang himself two days after our parents were killed. And I wasn’t there to stop him.” Both women stopped where they were, turned to face Terry, and waited. They had to make it plain to Terry they would not allow her to get off hiding anything about her life from them, so they stood and waited. It only took a few moments before Terry opened up and told the two what she’d glossed over in her original story.

Terry took a deep breath, sighed, then looking at Jenny and Beverly said, “I was in the kitchen fixing lunch for us, grandma had gone shopping. As I was fixing lunch, I heard a cry, a crash, and a thud, coming from the garage. I thought Peter was looking for something, or moving something, and had dropped it or hurt himself in some way. When I opened the door to the garage, the first thing I saw was a rope hanging from a rafter, its end frayed. Then I saw a chair lying on its side. I couldn’t see around grandma’s other car, so I walked around the front end and found Peter lying on the garage floor, a rope looped around his neck, and the end frayed. I rushed over to him, took the rope off his neck, checked his breathing and pulse, then went back into the house and called 911. I told them what happened, and that Peter was breathing and had a pulse but was unconscious. It seemed like hours to me before the paramedics arrived and started checking Peter before putting a neck collar on him, then putting him on a backboard and then onto a gurney. Grandma came home just as they were putting Peter into the ambulance.”

“I thought for sure she was going to deck the police officer who was questioning me, when he told grandma to stay back and let him do his job.” Terry chuckled, then continued with, “She got right into his face and told him she was Peter’s grandmother, and if he didn’t get out of her way she was going to get him out of her way. That officer started getting angry with grandma until his partner, a woman who knew grandma, called him over to her. All I heard him say to his partner was, ‘no shit,’ before he apologized to grandma and allowed her to question me. I told her what I’d been doing, the noises I heard from the garage, and how I found Peter. She growled that I should have kept a better eye on him, given his state, but softened it with an apology and she was just taking her worry about Peter out on me. I told her I understood, because I was blaming myself for it even happening, but she corrected me and told me it wasn’t my fault for what Peter tried to do. Neither she or I had seen something like this possibly happening. She told me to make sure everything was shut off in the kitchen, and to throw what belonged in the fridge into the fridge, and we then headed to her car. That same police officer wanted to ask me, and her, more questions, but grandma got into his face, again, and told him to get the hell out of her way because she was going to the hospital. I really thought grandma was going to put that officer down, and she would have, she had more than enough skills to do it, but again the partner stepped in and told grandma to follow them to the hospital.” Terry chuckled yet again, and said, “At one point we were doing fifty in a thiry mile an hour zone. Anyway, we got to the hospital, grandma parked the car and we both ran into the ER, grandma going right up to the reception desk and asking about Peter.”

Terry reached over to the night table and pulled a tissue out of the box, blew her nose, held the tissue in her hand, then continued. “Grandma was someone you didn’t want angry at you, she knew things she never talked about or showed us. Where she learned it all, no one ever knew. Peter and I stayed with her for a few days during one summer, and while we were at the mall with her, we watched as she put this big guy, who’d been bothering me, down on the ground without so much as a ‘by your leave.’ That guy was about a foot and a half taller than grandma and a hundred plus pounds heavier than her, but he went to the ground in the blink of an eye.”

Terry hadn’t noticed Jenny and Beverly got their chairs and placed them where they’d been, before sitting down to listen to Terry tell her story. They remained silent as Terry kept talking.

“Peter and I learned how to gauge granda’s moods by her voice, and the voice she was using with the person at the reception desk was her ‘I’m patiently angry’ voice. That voice was two levels before her DI voice, one you never wanted to hear. And if she used her ‘patiently sweet angry’ voice, it was time to be someplace else; the guy I told you about at the mall heard that voice before he got personal with the floor of the mall. The woman police officer who escorted us to the hospital, and knew grandma, finally came over and explained the situation to the person behind the reception desk, and gave him a discreet warning, before he finally phoned someone. A nurse immediately arrived, explained things to grandma, and had to threaten grandma with a sedative if she didn’t calm down. She then placed her hands on grandma’s shoulders, looked grandma directly in the eyes, and told her she’d had something similar happen in her own family, and understood how concerned grandma was at that moment. She also told grandma the doctors would send Peter to imaging to get pictures of his head when they’d finished their cursory exams; he had nasty bump on the side of his head. She then suggested we go to the cafeteria and get something to eat or drink, that she’d come to get her when the doctors knew more. She then did something which kind of shocked grandma, as she reached up and wiped tears off grandma’s face. The two hugged for a few moments, then grandma cleared her throat, and told me we were going to the cafeteria.”

“Someone must have called the cafeteria because we were treated like royalty when we entered the cafeteria. Someone took us to a table, asked if we’d like anything, brought back what we asked for, and kept an eye on us the entire two hours before the same nurse came and got us. She took us into a small room, where a doctor sat looking over some pages in front of her. She told us Peter did have a concussion because of his head hitting the garage floor, his hyoid bone wasn’t broken, which was good, and until Peter regained consciousness they couldn’t tell how much damage was done to his vocal cords. She also told grandma something she simply hated, that Peter would be kept in the psych ward, under suicide watch, until the resident psychologist felt Peter was no longer a danger to himself. Grandma asked if she could see Peter, and the doctor said we could, and took us to him. She took us up to the psych ward, past a locked door to Peter’s room. He was still unconscious, IV’s in his arms, and a rope mark around his neck. Grandma sat down beside him and started talking to him, telling him she and I were there for him, and to come back to us. We needed him. She told him we had to go but the doctors would keep us informed of how he was doing. The entire time I knew grandma, I’d known her to cry only twice, that time sitting besides Peter was the second time.” Terry put her head in her hands and cried. She didn’t notice the extra weight that was added to the bed, but felt the two pairs of arms that held her as she cried. With her nose and eyes running, Terry said in a choked up voice, “And I wasn’t there to stop him,” before her emotions took hold again and she continued crying.

When Terry’s crying eased, Jenny asked, “Did Peter give you or your grandmother any hint he was thinking of killing himself?” Terry just shook her head. “Did he say or do anything, like arrange his things, or give you something, which would have made you feel he was acting out of character?” Terry again shook her head. “There was nothing you could have done to prevent Peter from attempting suicide because he never gave you any clues that’s what he was thinking. Your grandmother was right, it wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t her fault either. Peter would have attempted suicide whether at her house of someplace else. You’ve got to realize this, Terry. You and Peter were upset over the death of your parents two days before. You felt a sense of loss. You both may have been depressed, maybe Peter more than you, because you saw it was necessary for you to become Peter’s parent, his big sister, his protector, like your parents were to both of you. So you pushed your feelings down in order to take care of your younger brother. And you’ve continued to do that all of your life. And, you passed that same thing to Walter, who is now your daughter Kathy. You both have repressed feelings that have finally reached their limits in your minds, and are now manifesting as outbursts which have caused both of you problems. In your case, Terry, outright aggression when Kathy is involved in a situation. You couldn’t be there for Peter on that day, so you’re trying to be there for Kathy. You’re trying to make up for not being there for Peter.”

Jenny’s last statement caused Terry to lift her head and look at Jenny. “You really think that’s what I’m doing every time I go charging in like a bull? Making up for not being there to stop Peter?” Terry’s questions caused Jenny to nod her head. Beverly joined in by telling Terry, “We both think that’s the primary reason you get so wound up every time Kathy is involved in any situation, good or bad. That and repressing your feelings.”

Both women watched as Terry got a strange look on her face, before looking at Beverly then Jenny. Terry stared at Jenny long and hard then asked, “Peter told you everything, didn’t he?” She then looked at Beverly and said, “Because it would be the only reason you’d know so much about all of this. Gads, little brother looking out for big sister for a change.”

Jenny just smiled and said, “Terry. Peter has been looking out for you ever since they released him from the hospital after his attempted suicide. He could see how you were acting like a mother hen, making sure you knew where he’d be, what he’d be doing. Even being with him a lot of the time. He could see how worried you and your grandmother were about him so he made sure to do exactly what he said he was going to do. Or go exactly where he said he was going. He didn’t want you or your grandmother to worry more than you already were worrying.”

Terry laughed then said, “Why that little bastard. And here I thought I was the one taking care of us.” Terry used the tissue she was holding to blow her nose, then pulled another one from the box on the nightstand to wipe her eyes before asking, “So where do we go from here, docs? You both got me to open up about everything, told me a few things I didn’t know, but haven’t really told me how to change it all. What do we do now?”

Just then Beverly’s stomach growled, and she said, “I think the first thing we should do is have some lunch. I’m hungry. Then after lunch, Jenny and I can tell you some more things, like we told Kathy, and the two of you can work together to help each other make those changes you asked about.”

Beverly and Jenny got off Terry’s bed, Jenny going to the door and opening it, moving the slide over to reveal ‘open.’ She then stuck her head out of the door and nodded to someone Terry couldn’t see. As Terry continued wiping her eyes, four people walked into the room, and stood waiting until Terry saw them standing there. When Terry saw them she flew off the bed and pulled Shelby, Peter, Kathy, and Marge into the tightest hug they’d ever received from her. She also noticed each one was carrying a bag from her favorite deli. It was Beverly who caused a chuckle from everyone when she said, “Aww...come on guys. Let’s eat. I’m hungry.” It took a few moments for the five, seven if you count Jenny and Beverly, who did their best not to be seen leaking tears, to dry their eyes before they all sat down around the table in the room and caught up as they ate.

Terry had assumed she and the doctors would still have a lot to talk about in the afternoon. What she didn’t count on, when she started saying goodbye to the five, was Beverly saying, “Oh, Terry. Did I forget to mention these five are part of your afternoon session with us? Oh, well, I must be getting senile in my old age. Your actions of late have affected them as much as you and those around you at the time. They need to understand why you’ve been so wound up and to voice their concerns for you. I think we’re all comfortable here around this table, so, Terry, why don’t you tell them your story.” Beverly’s last words were more of a command than a question, though a gentle command. Terry gave Peter a pained look, causing him to reach across the table, take her hand in his, and tell her, “It’s okay, Terry, go ahead. They have a right to know.”

The brother and sister had since learned how to read the expression on the other’s face, and when Terry gave Peter the ‘are you sure’ look, he nodded his head and said, “Yeah, I’m sure.” She gave him the ‘if you’re sure’ look before taking a deep breath and began telling the five everything she’d told Jenny and Beverly. She only stopped once, as Kathy got up from her chair and retrieved the box of tissues from the nightstand by the bed. “...and if these two quacks are right, I’ve been flying off the handle when Kathy is involved in any situation because I’m trying to make up for not being there to stop Peter’s attempted suicide. Grandma was right, it wasn’t my fault, but I still blamed myself for not being there when he needed me.” She then looked at Peter and told him, “If I’d have lost you, I’d have died inside. I would have likely gone off the rails for good. It was hard losing mom and dad, but to lose you too? It would have been too much.” Peter reached across the table and took Terry’s outstretched hand in both of his, the other hand was wiping tears out of her eyes with a tissue.

Kathy chuckled as she wiped tears out of her eyes. She chuckled again when Terry asked, in her ‘it’s not funny’ voice, “And what are you chuckling about, young lady? You do realize none of this is funny. I almost ended up here as my new address for all my mail.” Marge saw the smirk on Kathy’s face and said, “Oh, no. Here we go again. Okay, love, spill.”

Now with a sheepish look on her face, Kathy said, “I can’t help realizing this is like that movie, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ You know the one, where the guy owns that savings and loan his father started, goes to commit suicide and is saved by the angle. Then he wishes he’d never been born, and gets his wish, only to find out he did have a wonderful life. Mom, if you’d gone off the rails, I wouldn’t be here today. You wouldn’t have met dad and I wouldn’t have met the love of my life. None of the things I experienced in grade school wouldn’t have happened, and I wouldn’t have been here to help put an end to Tony and Patrick’s actions against other girls. Maybe you have been trying too hard to make up for not being there for Uncle Peter, but you’ve been there. You were there when me or dad needed you. And from what I’ve heard, you enjoyed being there for dad.” There were snickers from those around the table, except from two very red faced adults. Shelby turned to Kathy and said with a smirk of his own, “From what your mother and I have heard, you two seem to be enjoying yourselves in your bedroom at night.” This time the snickers started with Peter, worked their way to Jenny and Beverly, then to Terry, Shelby, and finally to the two girls, who after getting over their embarrassment, finally laughed out loud.

When the laughter died down, Peter, with a smirk of his own, said, “I wonder what it would cost to soundproof both of those bedrooms?” Several wadded up tissues flew at Peter, until he took one and waved it as a flag of surrender. His waving the white flag, and what he said, started everyone laughing again. It wasn’t until Marge took one of Terry’s hands in her own that things got serious again.

Marge used her other hand to wipe tears off her cheeks, then said, “I’m also glad you didn’t throw in the towel, I don’t know if I’d be as happy as I am today. You and Shelby have been so kind to me and accepting of Kathy and I being together. But you do worry me when you go rocketing into things when Kathy gets involved in something. I keep worrying you’ll finally go over the edge in trying to protect her. I think of you as my second mother, and I’d hate to lose that because of something you did.” Marge had trouble finishing what she said, as her voice choked up and she began crying. Terry pulled Marge into a hug and let the girl cry on her shoulder, telling her, “Oh, sweetheart. I’m so sorry I worried you. But knowing what I know now, I can work on not doing that anymore.” Terry held Marge until she cried herself out.

As Terry held Marge, Peter told her, “Sis, I’ve been talking with Jenny during some free time I had at school. The events with Kathy, what we found out about those two boys, and a few other things, made me start thinking about our past. Especially the days after mom and dad were killed. The more I thought about the days after they died, the more I realized how much hell I put you through because of what I tried to do. I was so wrapped up with myself, and how I was feeling then, that I never considered how you might be feeling. And because of my attempting suicide, I was part of the reason you started tamping down your emotions. It may not mean much now, but I’m sorry I never considered your feelings at the time.” When Terry offered one of her hands to Peter across the table, he could only give her one of his hands. The other was having a hard time keeping his eyes clear so he could see the smile on Terry’s face, and the tears sliding down her cheeks. And in a rather husky voice Terry told him, “You’re wrong, little brother. It means a lot to me right now.”

Terry looked down at Marge and asked, “Better now?” And when Marge nodded, Terry released her and watched as Kathy took her place, Marge leaning her head on Kathy’s shoulder as Kathy held her.

Beverly and Jenny had remained silent throughout the entire time, letting the family have their turn to voice their feelings without any clinical examination.

Shelby reached over and took Terry’s hand in his, cleared his throat a couple of time before he was able to speak, and wiped his eyes with the other hand before telling Terry, “Before you came along, honey, I don’t think you realize how close I was to going down a path which might have put me behind bars or pushing up flowers at some local cemetery.” Peter handed him a tissue, as Terry took his hand in both of hers. Shelby cleared his throat again then said, “But that day we met for the first time, I could see something in you I wanted to know better. And the more I knew about you, the more I wanted to be better, do better, for you. I did so because I didn’t want to lose the most wonderful person I’d ever met.” The tissue was fighting a losing battle, as tears streamed out of Shelby’s eyes. He reached over with both hands and took Terry into an embrace, and with everyone watching, unashamedly cried on her shoulder. Terry joined him, but on his shoulder. Kathy and Marge got up out of their chairs, walked about the table, and put their arms around the two parents, tears falling from their eyes as they held Terry and Shelby.

Jenny and Beverly looked at each other and smiled, giving each other a slight nod of their heads. Things were going as they planned, as the two hoped they would for this family. Both ladies knew the hard part was getting everyone to open up, to let their emotions out, to say how they felt. And it looked like the floodgates for this family had finally opened, their healing could finally start taking place. They all still had a hard road ahead of them, learning new habits to replace old ones. But it would have been much harder had they not opened up and allowed their feelings to show openly.

Jenny had a sudden thought, and catching Beverly’s eye, nodded towards Peter, who she felt might be feeling left out, since the Williams, and Marge, were in a group hug at the moment. But when both women looked at Peter, all they saw was contentment on his smiling face, as he watched his sister and her family. He was more than extremely happy for her.

The two women looked at each other, again, smiles on their faces, and Beverly mouthed, ‘tomorrow,’ and Jenny nodded her head. Beverly then said, “Shelby, I think it would be best if you come late tomorrow afternoon to collect your lovely lady. She, Jenny and I will talk some more tomorrow, like we did with Kathy. We’ll give her some lessons she, and Kathy, can practice so she, and Kathy, don’t fall back into their old habits.” When Beverly used Shelby’s name, he’d lifted his head off Terry’s shoulder, as did Terry, and leaning their heads together, they looked at Beverly as she spoke. Beverly then told Shelby something he didn’t expect to hear. Beverly looked directly at Shelby and told him, “And you, mister, could do with a bit of our help as well. While you may not have flown off the handle as Terry did, you still have packed your emotions down into your own vault. I think if you sweet talk Jenny, she might have time to meet with you at your convenience.”

When Shelby leaned back and turned his head toward Terry, she did the same, so they were looking into each other’s eyes. His throat was tight as he said, “I...I think I like that idea, Beverly.” The two then kissed, as everyone watched. Almost as one, Kathy and Marge said, “Eww...you two need to get a room.” Terry and Shelby turned to look at both girls, with Terry saying, “Oh, hush, you two. We already have a room.” She then turned to look at Shelby and told him, “One which we’re going to use quite soon.”

Beverly and Jenny laughed as they watched both girls finally catch on to what Terry just said. And after another round of ‘Eww,’ from the girls, Shelby turned to them and said, “Oh, hush. You both know you’re going to do the same thing,” which caused both girls to turn beet red. It was Kathy who reached down and took Marge’s hand, looked Marge in the eyes and said, “You’re right dad. We will be doing the same thing.” Marge reached down and took Kathy’s other hand in her own, and leaned in and kissed Kathy.

While Jenny and Beverly might have been thinking ‘TMI’ at this point, they couldn’t be happier at the openness they saw displayed by the family members.

A knock on the open door caused everyone to look that way, only to see Marsha standing in the doorway. “From the sounds of things,” she began, “it sounds as though you’re having an orgey in here. I, uh, just stopped by to let Terry know all of her blood tests turned out normal. There’s nothing we need to look at further.” She’d heard some of what was said as she walked down the hall to Terry’s room. When she’d given Terry the good word, she walked over to Terry and Shelby, gave them a hug, and told Terry, “Don’t be a stranger, call me. We’ll do something together.” Terry hugged Marsha back and told her it was a date.

Shortly after Marsha left there was another knock on the door, and when everyone turned to see who was at the door, they saw a nurse with Tina standing beside her. With a sheepish look on her face, she told Peter, “I, um, snuck off a little early, I had to come and see how Terry was doing.” As everyone watched, Peter got out of his chair, walked over to Tina, and gave them a toe curling demonstration of his love for Tina, as he kissed her so passionately she ended up with her legs wrapped around his waist. The nurse, who brought Tina to Terry’s room, said so all could hear, “You two need to get a room,” before she chuckled and left the room.

If it wasn’t plain to the others, it was to Terry. Peter was in desperate need of the woman he fell in love with. The woman who had helped him not long after Pamala died. The woman who verbally kicked him in the pants when his depression threatened to overpower his will to live. The woman who became first his friend, then his love and lover. The woman who’d become his rock, as Shelby had become Terry’s and Marge had become Kathy’s.

It wasn’t long before everyone could see the change that came over Tina’s expression, as their kiss ended and she gave Peter an extremely concerned look. She lowered her legs until she was again standing on the floor and could be heard whispering, “Oh my gawd, you poor man,” and she pulled Peter tightly into her as Peter began to shake. And it wasn’t long before everyone heard why Tina looked concerned and had pulled Peter into her. Even the nurses came running, as Peter was crying so hard he was actually screaming.

It was Kathy who first got up out of her chair and walked over to the couple and put her arms around the two, resting her head against Peter’s side. With tears running down her cheeks, she told Peter, “It’s going to be okay, Uncle Peter. We’re here for you.” It wasn’t long before Marge followed Kathy, then Terry, then Shelby. All four were hugging the couple, each saying something to try and help Peter get through the moment.

The six were so engrossed in comforting Peter that they didn’t notice Beverly or Jenny having trouble keeping their professional composure. As each one had to reach for the tissue box to dry their own eyes, and regain their aloof composure before Peter was calm enough for them to continue.

It took several minutes for Peter to cry himself out, only to apologize to the five holding him for becoming so upset. Terry gently lifted his chin off Tina’s shoulder, looked him in his eyes, and told him, “No, little brother, you don’t have anything to apologize for. You’ve been affected by all that’s happened as much as we have, and your emotional bucket couldn’t hold any more. You’ve been doing the same as Kathy and I have been doing, tamping our emotions down until our emotional buckets overflowed. Guess we all need help on that score.”

When Peter said he felt better, they all returned to the table and sat down, Tina sat in Peter’s lap. For the next few minutes, Jenny and Beverly talked to all of them about holding in their emotions, how it can lead up to uncontrolled outbursts, causing more problems than was meant to occur. How it not only could affect them mentally but physically too. And that contrary to popular belief, men were more prone to this than women, since society considered it a weakness for men to cry; not that some men cared what society said.

Beverly looked at her watch, and saw it was close to Terry’s dinner time. She hated to do it, but it’d been a long and emotional day for Terry. And she wanted Terry to get plenty of rest before tomorrow. She cleared her throat, then said, “I hate to do this, but I think it’s time for the five of you to head home. It’s almost Terry’s dinner time, and she’s had a long, and emotional, day. I want her to get plenty of rest before tomorrow. So, skaddale. Vamoose. Be gone. Go home, already. Say goodnight, Gracie.” Her last statement was the wrong one to say in front of Shelby, Kathy, and Marge. For that’s exactly what they said together, “Goodnight, Gracie.” Then they just smiled at Beverly. Beverly looked towards the ceiling, rolled her eyes, then said, “I should have known better,” before everyone broke out laughing. The five said tearful goodnights to Terry, with Shelby improving on Peter’s toe curling kiss, just as Terry’s dinner arrived at her room. While Terry ate, Jenny and Beverly talked with her, telling her how more relaxed she was compared to the morning. They then chatted about nothing of importance before telling her to have a good night.

After Terry bathed, and put on a clean gown, the night nurse helped her get comfortable in the bed, before she too bid Terry a goodnight. Terry slept more soundly than she had in years. And without the sedative of the night before.

As to Peter and Tina. After Peter left early the next morning to get fresh clothes for school, a single woman living next door to Tina, who’d been friends with Tina for years, came over for a chat. The neighbor woman had no trouble seeing the glow surrounding Tina and just had to know, “What does that man do to you that makes you scream so loud?” Tina blushed for a moment, then answered, “What doesn’t he do?”

At nine in the morning, Jenny and Beverly walked into Terry’s room in the psych ward, each woman carrying their own brand of morning poison to drink. They greet Terry, who is sitting at the table eating her breakfast. After they sit down across from Terry, they start the usual, “How did you sleep? Did you have any dreams or nightmares?” And run of the mill general information about how Terry was feeling after yesterday’s session. They had hoped, and were pleased, that Terry’s answers were positive, because it meant Terry was understanding many events of her past were not her fault, or hers to correct now. It also meant she had come to understand it was okay for her to show her emotions. That she didn’t have to pack them away until they exploded to the surface. Because of the positive results Terry was showing, both felt they could proceed with helping Terry learn how to keep from falling back into old habits. Some of the things they would tell her could be used alongside Kathy, who had similar habits.

Jenny and Beverly spent the morning explaining the process of creating new habits, habits which have to be consciously worked on or the old habits would intercede. They also told her, if she was diligent in working on the exercises they would explain to her, in time, her old habits would become less than faint memories. But she had to practice the exercises. One thing they stressed most of all, with Terry, was her stopping to think before she acted in most situations. She had to stop thinking every situation Kathy was involved in was serious. Because as she previously found out, it wasn’t. She was helping another girl who’d been abused at home. Once their explanations were completed, they had Terry practice the exercises until it was time for lunch.

It was 1 p.m. by the time the three women finished lunch in Terry’s room. They were just chatting when they heard a knock on the door. Terry was sitting facing the door, and when she looked up and saw Shelby standing there, she gave Jenny and Beverly a puzzled look. Beverly just smiled and told Terry, “I asked him to come at this time. He has some exercises of his own to work on.” Beverly turned and told Shelby, “Come on in and take a seat,” and waited until Shelby gave Terry a kiss then sat down beside Terry.

As the morning had started for Terry, answering Jenny and Beverly’s questions, Shelby’s afternoon began the same way. “Yes, he slept very well. In fact, better than he had for some time.” “Yes dreams, but no nightmares.” And on they went, until Jenny and Beverly were satisfied Shelby was also doing better. They went on to explain much the same things as they’d explained them to Terry in the morning, including the exercises they’d told Terry about. They then had Shelby practice the exercises to be sure he understood how they should be done and when. Beverly then gave the couple a piece of paper that turned out to be an appointment schedule. Shelby’s was in one column, Terry’s in another. Both were told it was a no latitude schedule, unless there was an emergency. She also told them she’d already checked their work loads and knew they could make each appointment. When asked how she found out, Beverly just smiled and said, “Ve have our vays.” Terry and Shelby chuckled at Beverly’s comical answer, but gave her assurances they’d make the appointments.

Then Beverly did something so comical Terry and Shelby couldn’t help but laugh. Beverly stood up, pulled out a wand, with a star on top, waved over Terry and Shelby’s heads, and said, “I now pronounce you fit to leave. You may kiss the doctors on their way out.” Jenny and Beverly received more than kisses on their cheeks. Both received hugs and Terry and Shelby’s profound thank yous for their help. Before Jenny and Beverly left the room, Jenny told the couple, “Now you two understand. Nothing will be a walk in the park. It will mean work on your parts, conscious work. You can’t decide to do the work one day and not the next. You must practice every day or you’ll be right back to square one. And things could be much worse if they fall back to square one.” Beverly then told Terry that the discharge papers would be ready by the time she was dressed and had her things packed. Both were admonished to make their appointments, or else. ‘Or else’ wasn’t explained, but the look Beverly gave Terry and Shelby let them know they didn’t want to find out what ‘or else’ meant.

Beverly pulled Jenny to a stop just out of view from the couple in the room. When Jenny gave her a questioning look, Beverly told her, “Just listen for a few minutes.” Both stood there and listened, only they didn’t hear anything at first. It wasn’t long before the sound of a kiss ending reached their ears, and, “Gawd, I’ve missed you,” from Terry. Then they heard Shelby give a gasp, as Terry told him, “And I’ve missed him too. I’m afraid he’s going to be busy for the next few nights, or days, or both. I need you so bad I’ve a mind to shut and lock the door and take you right here.” It was Terry who gave out more than a gasp, as Shelby told her, “I think he’s missed her too. And he’s more than willing to fill her anytime she wants. Let’s get you packed and go home. I think we might have time for makeup lessons before the kids get home.” It was quiet again, until the end of a kiss could again be heard. Beverly smiled at Jenny, who said, “I think I need a bit of TLC tonight. Or something a bit stronger and longer.” Both chuckled at what Jenny said, turned then walked down to the reception desk. As they walked, Beverly thought to herself, ‘So do I.’

Jenny and Beverly waited as Terry and Shelby all but ran to the reception desk. Terry signed the papers so fast that her signature was almost illegible. Both women were about to say something to Terry, but Terry beat them by saying she’d see Beverly at her first appointment. Shelby was holding the elevator and Terry practically ran into the elevator, where she and Shelby began, there, what they’d finish when they got home. While watching Terry and Shelby’s beginning, before the elevator doors hid the scene, this time it was Beverly who said, “My Bill is going to be in for one heck of a ride tonight.” Hearing this, Jenny gave Beverly a shocked smile, as both women laughed before heading to the elevator. Whatever else they had planned at work, could wait. There were more important matters to attend to at the moment.

Peter parked his car in the Williams’ driveway, and walked Kathy and Marge into the house. The minute the front door closed, it was obvious to the three that Terry and Shelby were home. There were smiles on three faces, as Marge turned to face Kathy and Peter before saying, “Well, I guess Terry and Shelby are home.” Kathy replied, “Yeah. Guess they’re working on some of the lessons Jenny and Beverly gave them.” Peter suddenly got something caught in his throat, and did his best to stifle a cough. Kathy and Marge chuckled together, before they each got a twinkle in their eyes. Peter saw the twinkles, and told the girls he had another meeting and would see them at school. As he was leaving, Kathy, a smirk on her face, said, “Say hi to Tina for us.” Caught off guard, Peter said, “I wi…,” then realized he just told the girls where he was going. He showed Kathy a fist, but with a smile on his face.

It didn’t take Kathy and Marge long to change into nothing, and practice their own lessons.

When everyone finally came up for air, and convened at the kitchen table, it was Terry who said, “You two seemed to be working on some lessons rather fervently. I thought the neighbors might come over and complain.” The smirk was back on Kathy’s face, as she asked Marge, “What did that Roman Emperor say to his best friend before those Senate boys killed him?” Marge played along, and acted like she was thinking, before she said, “I think it was ‘Et tu, Brute?’” Kathy turned to look at her mom and said, “Et tu, Terry?” Terry gave Kathy a funny look, but Shelby caught on and started laughing. Terry slowly turned her head to look at him and asked, “Okay, funny boy. What’s so funny?”

The look Terry gave Shelby only made him laugh harder, and that infuriated Terry. When he finally stopped laughing, or to a point he was just chuckling, he said, “The girls must have heard us when Peter brought them home. You complained the girls were too loud, and they must have heard us all the way by the front door.” Terry turned back to look at Marge and Kathy, who had the biggest smiles on their faces Terry had seen. Terry put her head down on the kitchen table and began banging it lightly on the table as she kept repeating, “Oh, my, gawd.” It wasn’t long before all four were laughing because they’d each heard the other couple during the throes of love making. Kathy reached across the table and took both of Terry’s hands in her own, causing Terry to look up at Kathy. Terry got her concerned look on her face when she saw tears in Kathy’s eyes. Kathy shook her head when she saw the look on Terry’s face, and told Terry, “No, mom. Not unhappy tears. Happy tears, that you and dad can still enjoy each other in that way. I’ve heard too many stories at school about other parents who fight all the time. I’m just very happy for both of you.” Now it was Terry who had tears in her eyes, after hearing what her daughter just said. When Terry could finally speak, she said, “Thank you, sweetheart. That really means a lot to you father and I.” She then turned her head to look at Shelby and asked, “RIGHT, laughing boy?” In answer to her question, Shelby leaned in and gave Terry so passionate a kiss that she almost drug him from the table and back to their bedroom. But settled for his hand to be where he just put it.

After he ended the kiss, reluctantly, he said something the three girls hadn’t considered. “It’s kind of funny. But our talking about our love making noises, is actually practicing what Jenny and Beverly talked about. Sharing our emotions, being open with each other. They may not have meant this particular topic, but still, we are sharing together.” He watched as the three women thought about what he just said, then as they each started nodding their heads.

Marge must have been taking lessons from Kathy, because Shelby saw the smirk form on Marge’s face. He had a feeling it would be a good one, and it was as she said, “You’re right, Shelby.” She paused for a few seconds, then said, “I mean, about the noises.” The reaction from the other three was as Marge predicted. Kathy and Terry facepalmed themselves, while Shelby sat stunned before he started laughing. It wasn’t long before the napkin holder sitting on the kitchen table was empty, as balls of wadded up napkins came flying in Marge’s direction. The laughter coming from that kitchen was enough to wake the dead.

Since no one had showered, yet, and it was on the late side, they decided to order out, and chose Chinese. The water heater worked overtime that evening, after which, Terry and Shelby relaxed on the couch watching television while the girls did their homework. They all would need another shower in the morning, unless the neighbors complained about the noises to the police.

When the girls arrived at school the next day, Terry received a kiss from each of them, before watching them walk into the school. She saw Peter standing by the front door with a goofy grin on his face. It only took her a moment to realize he must have been with the girls when she and Shelby were pleasing each other. She shook a fist at him, then smiled and blew him a kiss. He acted like he caught it, before walking out to the car. He blushed a bit when he reached Terry’s car, and said, “Sorry about hearing you and Shelby yesterday afternoon. It wasn’t intentional.”

She reached out of the driver’s window, took his hand, and told him, “You have nothing to be sorry about. I’m almost positive you and Tina bothered her neighbors last night as well.” Now he was really blushing and could only nod his head. Terry squeezed his hand and told him, “Peter. The four of us have been told to work on being more open with those we love. Not to hold our emotions in, not to put them in our special boxes, as it was said. You are my dear brother, whom I dearly love with all my heart, and I want to be more open with you. And if that means you hear Shelby and I on occasion, then so be it. You don’t need to feel embarrassed because you do.” Peter reached up and wiped tears out of his eyes before saying, “I love you too sis.” They exchanged kisses before Peter stood back so Terry could pull away from the curb, and out of the school parking lot. Neither one noticed two girls standing at a window, watching the two of them.

The days passed, lessons practiced, appointments kept, and as they all discovered, replacing bad habits with new ones was more difficult than they realized. A case in point: Over the days since Charline, Kathy had others come to her because of the trust Charline had given her about her problem at home. And word had spread. Shortly after Terry had been discharged from the psych ward, she received a call from Kathy, telling her she was helping another student with a problem much like Charline’s problem. Terry immediately told Kathy she’d be right there, until Kathy reminded her of the lesson they were given by Jenny and Beverly. Terry was silent for a few moments, before thanking Kathy for reminding her and asking Kathy to call when she was ready to come home. Another time Terry had a spat with Peter, over nothing of importance, but brooded about it all day until the girls and Shelby came home. They could see she was upset, but refused to say why. It was only when Shelby reminded her about the lesson of being open to each other that Terry finally told the three why she was in a bad mood. And it wasn’t only Terry who tried to fall back into old habits.

Kathy had been in a stall in the girls’ restroom, when, judging by the voices, three girls entered the restroom. “Who does that bitch think she is? I’ve known Patty longer than her but who does Patty go to with her problems? Kathy, fucking, Williams. That bitch has only been a girl for a few months, and she acts like she knows all about being a girl. Girlfriends stick together, they tell each other their problems. They don’t go running off to some twat with their problems.” When the first girl stopped talking another girl said, “Maybe Patty went to Kathy because Kathy doesn’t gossip about other people’s problems, like you do. Maybe Kathy has a level of trust you lack.” Kathy didn’t have to see the anger displayed by the first girl because of what the second girl said. “JUST WHO THE FUCKS SIDE ARE YOU ON? THAT TWAT DOESN’T HAVE ANY MORE TRUST THAN I HAVE. I KNOW HOW TO KEEP SECRETS.” The third girl then spoke up, saying, “Yeah, we all know about your trust issues. That’s why after you posted about Kelly’s problem her parents came to your house to talk with your parents. Yeah, you’ve got trust, alright. Trust that you can’t keep your mouth shut.” The first girl screamed, “FUCK YOU BOTH,” before storming out of the restroom.

The two girls left in the restroom froze as a toilet flushed, a stall door opened and Kathy walked out of the stall. She walked over to a sink, washed her hands, dried them, before turning to the still frozen girls. “Don’t let her get to you. Or that I heard it all. I’ve accepted that not everyone is happy with me or when others confide in me. I didn’t ask for any of this, but it’s how my life has become. Well, I guess I’d better get to class.” The two girls didn’t see the tears falling from Kathy’s eyes as she walked out of the restroom, or how quickly she wiped her eyes when she approached Marge. Marge could see that Kathy had been crying, and when she questioned Kathy, Kathy just told her, “We better get to class.”

Later, when Terry picked up the girls from school, Marge again asked Kathy why she’d been crying. Kathy was sitting between Terry and Marge, and just shrugged her shoulders, then mumbled, “It was nothing.” It was Terry who reminded Kathy of the lessons Jenny and Beverly told them about, and it wasn’t long before tears fell from Kathy’s eyes as she told them about what she’d heard in the girl’s restroom. Marge pulled her close, let her cry, before Kath blubbered, “Why can’t people just accept me for who I am now? I didn’t ask for any of this.” Terry turned left instead of turning right towards their home. It wasn’t long before she parked the car in front of the Ice Cream Shoppe.

As the days passed for the Williams and Marge, so too the days passed at West High School. Ever since the first day Walter came to school dressed as Kathy, and the three boys took it upon themselves to teach Walter a lesson, only to have Terry teach them a lesson, the school had gotten tougher on those bullies who used physical violence to get what they wanted. Because the school upgraded the security cameras, and added many more, no one on campus could escape being seen by the cameras. And because some places had camouflaged cameras, more than one bully had received an immediate two week suspension for their actions against another student. And when their parents learned what they’d done at school, they were often grounded for the rest of the school year or made to volunteer at a shelter of some type. Peter received several handwritten letters thanking him for informing them about their child’s conduct at school. Some were less than kind, as a couple of families felt entitled, as did their ‘little Johnny or Joanie,’ who did nothing wrong.

Because of the crack downs, and the additional cameras, the school had settled into a rhythm which seemed to suit all of the students who attended the school. That is until Tony and Patrick arrived, and attacked Kathy. But with the help of all the students, it wasn’t long before that rhythm was restored. It did help when the students learned Tony was in Juvenile Detention until he turned eighteen, then would be transferred to State Prison to serve the rest of his sentence. And Patrick, who’d been abused by his grandmother and Tony, was in a mental health facility getting the counseling he so needed.

The days counted down to the end of the school term. Awards were given at an assembly in the gym, with Kathy and Marge receiving the Citizens of the Year award for all they’d done to help the students during the year. They were even approached by the advisor for the National Honor Society, who told them if they continued next year as they had this year, they’d be eligible to join. But when they learned what would be expected of them, they declined. Even though Terry, Shelby, Dorothy, and Thomas told them how much it would impress those who looked at their resumes. As the girls told their parents, they wanted to be accepted for who they are, not because of the club they had joined.

The final school dance was held a week before graduation, and it seemed the entire school attended. No one acted as they had during the first school dance, when Marge and Kathy danced together. More than a few cornered the girls and thanked them for all the help the girls gave them during the year. Especially those who Kathy helped get the needed help with a problem at home.

The lessons the four had been given by Jenny and Beverly were paying off, some of their old habits had become distant memories. But a few old habits still wanted to take over, which sometimes caused a few problems that were soon fixed.

When Terry picked up the girls for the last time at school for that term, Terry started asking all sorts of questions, questions the girls did their best to answer. “Do you two have plans for the summer?” “There are a few things I think you might be interested in doing.” “Have you both given any thought to what you’ll do after you graduate, it isn’t too soon to make plans.” The girls tag-teamed Terry by alternately saying, “We’ll know in a couple of days what we’ll be doing this summer.” “So if that pans out, we won’t have time for other things.” “Yes, Marge and I have discussed our future plans, together and with two others.” When Terry tried to press the girls for more details, they told her they would tell her after they found out about their summer plans. Two days later Terry learned both girls would be spending their summer with Beverly, under a special program for high school students at the hospital. And if they did well during this summer, they would spend each summer with her. They also told Terry their plans after graduation.

FROM: State Safety Investigating Board
TO: Peter Stepel, Principal West High School, and Board of Education
RE: Accident at West High School, Science Room one, supply room

After further investigation of the accident that happened in Science Room one, the supply room, upon further interviews conducted by past employees of said Science Room one, and upon deep analysis of the shelving involved, it has been concluded that the school was at fault for said accident.

After interviews with Dr. Mary Tillard, former science teacher in Science Room one, it was learned of what she found when she took over the teaching assignment from a Mr. John Roberts, freshman science teacher in Science Room one for thirty years. Mr. Roberts had stored heavy science equipment on the failed shelves, equipment which should have been stored on shelving which could handle the excessive weight. After surveying the supply room, she requested metal shelving and replacement wooden shelves. The metal shelving was granted by the then principal, but the replacement wooden shelving was denied, inspection of said shelves by the then maintenance worker said nothing wrong could be found with the wooden shelves. Microscopic exam of the broken wooden shelves revealed stress fractures along the entire centerline of all the broken shelving. Because of these stress fractures, it was only a matter of time before all the shelves would fail.

It is recommended that all wooden shelving be replaced with a sturdier material, material suitable for storage of material necessary for class lessons. It is also recommended that all liquid and powder chemicals be secured behind locked doors, thereby making it necessary for any teacher to be present when chemicals are needed.

As to the matter of the transformation of Mr. Walter James Williams, now known as Miss Kathy Elizabeth Williams, no conclusions have been forthcoming. Several experts have been consulted in several fields, and none can provide any explanation as to the event. And since it has been learned she is a healthy fifteen-year-old girl, it is then recommended yearly physical exams be conducted to further ascertain her ongoing physical health.

END OF REPORT