Contest And Consequence

by Sarah Bayen

Part Fifteen - Stand By Your Man

 

It would be easy to blame my bracelet, but for whatever reason, I had some strange dreams that night. First, I was in a dark tunnel. I seemed to walk through it for ages before seeing the end, which was a blinding light to start with, and then resolved to five figures beckoning me forward. The next thing I remember was sitting in a ring of standing stones with my arms tied behind my back. There was some sort of trial going on, and it suddenly occurred to me that I was the accused. A woman I vaguely recognised wandered around in front of me, accusing me of murder. I was flabbergasted, even in the dream, because I had no memory of murdering anyone.

The trial went on, with more and more evidence being brought out against me. I remember feeling, even as the accused, that the case against me appeared compelling enough for an instant conviction.

Then another woman stepped forward, and smiled at me before facing the other four. She gave an eloquent speech of mitigation. It appeared that I was now accused not of murder, but of intent to murder, which I supposed was an improvement. My advocate told of a whole range of trials and tribulations I had supposedly been put through, none of which I could specifically remember, and how some dark force had told me that I had to murder one of two people. I had apparently found it impossible to make the choice, in spite of the dark force giving me a gun, and had eventually decided to let them both live.

The other four, who were all women, were swayed by this speech, and applauded my defender, who bowed gracefully to them. My hands were untied, and the woman helped me to my feet, smiling the same sweet smile. "Sarah and Steve," she whispered to me, and the dream faded.

I woke up drenched in sweat to see the new morning sun. Looking at the clock I saw that it was late. I hardly felt as if I had slept at all, but dragged myself up, and got myself ready for school. It promised to be a difficult day, with Anita, Liz, and Sue all awaiting responses from me for their various requests.

Waiting for the train, I wondered whether I should hide myself somewhere on it, rather than brave my usual seat with Sue, Anita and the others. I decided in the end that I should face the music rather than delay, and when the train pulled in, I walked through, and found those two, with Nikki, Tania and Lawrence, still dressed in his girl's school uniform.

"Hi!" I said brightly, hoping that I might influence the course of the day by being happy myself. I was soon stripped of this delusion by a glare filled with venom from Anita. Sighing to myself, in the vain hope of giving me strength, I stepped into the carriage.

"I see now why you were so evasive on the phone last night!" she spat at me, and standing, she threw a copy of a newspaper at me, before stomping out of the carriage, and disappearing further up the train.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked.

Nikki looked at me. "She's just a bit upset. But have a look at the paper. It's really good. You and Liz are on page five."

Then the penny dropped. That was what was upsetting Anita. Today was Thursday, when the article about Liz and I would be coming out. Now wonder she was furious with me; it probably went on and on about how Liz and I were an item.

"There's some really nice pictures in there," Lawrence said, smiling at me. And then he silently mouthed the question, "are you all right?"

I nodded in reply, and picking up the paper, turned the first few pages over to see what had been said about me. And then there it was, a full page spread, with an enormous picture of Liz and me at the top, heads close together, and smiling at the camera. There were other pictures too, but I quickly started to read the article, to see what damage it must have done to my reputation. This is what it said, under the headline, "LOCAL SCHOOL BREAKS NEW GROUND IN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES!"

 

Right around the country our schools are winding down for the long summer vacations. The celebrations to mark this are varied. There are competitions, festivals, and all sorts of things taking place. There is always one unifying factor however; a common event that takes place in every school, every year, probably since mixed education began. That is that the captain of the football team will always start to date the winner of the beauty pageant.

And our local school is no different. I was lucky enough to meet the football captain and the Carnival Princess earlier this week, and, needless to say they were dating. But there was a new twist this year. The tall, athletic captain of the football team is a girl called Liz, and the breathtakingly beautiful Carnival Princess, despite answering to the name of Sarah, is actually a boy!

I asked Sarah what his friends made of him winning a beauty contest. Crossing his long elegant legs before replying, he told me. "They think it's great! It's not just girls who can be beautiful, boys can be too."

Liz looked proudly at him as he spoke to me, and who wouldn't be proud of such a catch? His dark eyes gazed adoringly up at her, and smiled a smile so sweet in the way that only a fifteen year old can be sweet.

Did Liz worry that Sarah wore a skirt, I asked? "No," she replied. "He's got fantastic legs, so why shouldn't he show them off?" It was hard to disagree with her, but surely they realised that their relationship was, shall we say, unusual.

"I don't see anything unusual in it," Liz insisted. "I like sport, and I'm independent. Most boys can't cope with that sort of thing. Sarah's different, not just in the way he dresses, but in his attitude. He lets me be who I am, and I do the same for him."

Sarah took up the challenge. "It's so old fashioned to think that the boy has to be the one in charge. I don't want to be in charge. I'm happy to let Liz look after me, and try and be pretty for her!"

And you can't deny that he succeeds. Flawlessly made up, and with a figure most women would die for, Sarah looks set to break a thousand hearts. Did he find that he attracts men as well as women?

"Not really. Anyway, when you've got someone like Liz, who needs a man?" he reasonably asks. While not as devastatingly pretty as Sarah, Liz is no ugly wallflower. Robust where Sarah is delicate, she has a broad chest, and strong arms, which is she is constantly placing around Sarah's delicate shoulders.

I asked them if they thought they were setting a trend. Would we soon see lots of couples like them, where the girl was tall and strong, and the boy delicate and pretty?

"Yes," Sarah told me. "Lots of my friends have already started wearing skirts, and going out with older girls at the school. It's the future!"

Liz was slightly more measured. "It's all about choice really," she explained. "We should all have the choice about how we want to be, and who we want to be with. Most girls are like me, and want more independence. It's taken boys a while to catch up, but I'm sure they soon will."

As I watched them walk away arm in arm, him in his daringly short little skirt, and her in a tracksuit, I wondered whether they were right. Is this the future? How would I have reacted when I was at school? I certainly remember the feeling desolate when the football captain didn't ask me to the end of school dance. I was captain of the hockey team at the time. I just wonder if a cute little thing like Sarah had been around, would I have been happier dancing the night away with him?

 

And that was the end of the article. Shocked, I looked up from the paper to see all my friends staring at me to gauge my reaction.

"It's lovely isn't it?" Nikki said, smiling at me.

"And you look gorgeous in the pictures!" Sue added gleefully. "Both of you."

I didn't reply immediately, and felt a well of sadness that the picture of bliss between Liz and I painted by the article had disappeared so quickly. I felt my lip beginning to tremble.

"Come along with me for a minute," Lawrence said, grabbing my arm. I made no resistance as he took me out into the corridor, and down the train a good few yards.

"Are you all right?" he asked me solicitously.

"Yes," I managed to mumble in reply, although my head was drooping in sorrow.

"Oh God, I knew it would upset you!" he said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "It's because of Liz isn't it?"

I nodded glumly in response.

"I'm so sorry Sarah," he said, giving me a quick hug.

"Steve," I hoarsely corrected him, still fighting back the tears.

"Is it really all over between you?" he then asked.

"I think so," I mumbled, still hurting from what I saw as Liz's betrayal.

"Oh that's so sad!" he went on. "You made such a lovely couple. Anyone could see how much you loved each other!"

"Really?" I asked.

"Oh gosh yes! Your eyes used to go all misty whenever Liz was around. A bit like me with Max I suppose, although we've had an argument too."

"What about?"

He looked away. "Well she got all grumpy when she came to pick me up after the football match," he explained. "She hardly talked to me when we were driving back and then it all came out."

"What did?"

He looked at me, and bit his lip. "She said I'd been flirting with all the football players after the game. She said I was a right little slut!"

"Oh that's terrible," I told him. "How dare she!"

"That's what I told her," he went on, pleased with my reinforcement of his own view. "Anyway," he went on. "It's not as if she owns me or anything is it?"

"No," I said, with tones of outrage. "Of course not."

"I was only dancing with them anyway," he went on. "After you left, there was only Ronnie and me there, so it's not surprising they paid us a bit of attention."

"No," I agreed.

He looked at me for a moment. "Although your Liz caused a bit of stir, throwing her weight around."

I looked up to the sky in despair. "I know. I heard."

He looked carefully at my face for signs of emotions, and then went on with his tale. "Anyway, when Max arrived, I was dancing with one of their players. I don't know if you remember her, she was tall with dark short hair, and a funny sort of nose."

I shook my head.

"Well anyway," he went on. "We were dancing. Not close, you know, not holding each other or anything, when Max came in."

"Did she get stroppy?" I asked him.

"Not straight away," he went on. "She just sat down, and watched us. I waved to her, but she didn't come over. Anyway, when the record finished, I was going to go over and say Hi to her, when this other girl stopped me. I'd promised her a dance earlier, and she was insistent that we did it then."

"Right," I said.

"Well, unfortunately the next record was a slow one, so she put her arms around me. I wasn't very happy about it, although she was quite fit!"

"Which one was it?"

He looked up and down the corridor to make sure we weren't being overheard. "Leone, Leone Rawdon."

Leone was a girl in Liz's year, almost as tall as her. I hardly knew her, but Liz had told me she was really shy with boys. I raised my eyebrows. "Yes, she is quite fit," I agreed.

"Anyway, to make matters worse, she got a bit handy as the dance went on," Lawrence continued. "I knew Max would get cross, so as soon as it was over I rushed over to her."

"Was she pleased to see you?"

"Well you'd have thought so wouldn't you?" he said. "But she didn't really say anything, and said we should leave. So that's what we did."

"Oh God that's terrible," I said to him. "I mean, it's not as if it's your fault Leone was getting a bit fresh is it?"

"No!" he agreed. "Although try telling that to Max!"

I shook my head in disbelief. It was amazing how unreasonable girls could be!

"So we both got into arguments then," I observed. "The football match was a bit of a disaster for us all told."

"Yes," he agreed. "Although Ronnie did well."

"What do you mean?"

He looked up and down the corridor again, and whispered. "Well our Ronnie managed to hook up with their captain. Do you remember, the one with the black headband?"

"Oh yes, I remember seeing her." I replied.

"Well as soon as the party started, she made a beeline for Ronnie, and wouldn't let anyone else near him. They were snogging and groping and everything, and after an hour or so, she drove him off in her car!"

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah! And judging by the look on her face, she wasn't just going to show him some countryside!"

"Oh my gosh!" I said, smiling at the thought of what might have happened. A thought suddenly hit me. "But Janet's going to be a bit put out!"

Lawrence shrugged, "Probably. Oh look, we're nearly there."

He was right; the train was pulling into the station where we had to get off. We ran back down to the compartment to pick up our bags.

"Where have you two been?" Nikki demanded. "I thought you'd been kidnapped!"

"We were just catching up on things," I said evasively, poking my tongue out at her.

We all climbed down onto the platform, and Sue grabbed my arm. "Hang on a bit Sarah," she said. "I need a word with you."

"Steve," I said, by way of correction, as I halted. This was going to be about the shop again. I had to tell her that I was going to have to say no. There was no way I was going to spend all summer dressed as a girl, simply so she could live out her dream of working in a shop.

Before we could begin any conversation however, an irate looking Anita joined us. "I want a word with you," she said, grabbing my arm rather too firmly.

"I got him first," Sue snapped at her.

"Yes, but I need him more than you!"

To make matters worse, I noticed Janet hovering around a few paces from us.

"Come on," I said, as firmly as I could. "Whatever we need to talk about, we can do it on the way to school."

So we walked along with me flanked by Sue on one side, and Anita on the other. Janet rather sullenly brought up the rear. As I had rather hoped, each of the girls presences acted as an inhibitor on the others, and instead of being probed and questions about things I didn't really want to answer, I was able to keep them chatting about whether skirts would be longer next year or not. The bracelet around my left wrist weighed heavily against me as we walked along.

My luck ran out at the school gate however, when Anita intervened to stop my little plan. "Look," she said, with some irritation to the other three of us. "We all want to talk to him, why don't we just take turns?"

Sue looked at Janet, and back at Anita. "All right."

"But it's a bit private," Janet mumbled, looking down at her feet.

"Well that's all right," Anita responded. "You go first, while Sue and I walk over here a little. Let us know when you're done, but don't let him get away!"

"All right," Janet agreed, and I was left, leaning on the gatepost of the school with her in front of me while Anita and Sue wandered off a little.

"Hello Janet!" I said brightly, flashing my brightest smile at her. She looked at me with curiosity.

"Sarah," she began."

"Steve, actually," I corrected her.

She looked at me even more curiously, as if this was some impossible information. She shook her head. "Sarah, I wanted to know if you'd had any chance to talk some more to Peter about me."

"Not really, " I replied quickly. "I've not really seen him."

She looked at me again. "But you were on the cheerleading team together yesterday."

I nodded, but said nothing.

"I know he's not talking to Chrissie any more; so they're not an item," she went on, shuffling her weight from foot to foot in front of me. "So I thought maybe he might go out with me."

I looked at her, and felt for her anguish, especially with the news of Peter's conquest from the evening before fresh in my ears. "I think you might be better off speaking to him about it," I ventured. "I'm not sure he takes much notice of me."

"Have you had your haircut?" she suddenly asked me, looking at my head for the first time.

"No," I replied.

"Yes you have," she insisted. "Pity. I liked it longer."

It occurred to me that what she meant was that I wasn't wearing my wig for once. Well, those days were over, and she had better get used to it. "Well it's a bit more practical being short," I said, briskly.

"Yeah but not so pretty," Janet mumbled, and I felt myself blushing. "I will talk to Peter," she said. "And if he says no, I still might ask you." She looked me up and down, as if appraising whether I would make a suitable partner for her. "I like you better in a skirt," she said eventually.

My heart sank. There seemed no way through to her that contained the slightest iota of subtlety. I smiled wanly in reply, and saw that she was beckoning to Sue and Anita. The first part of my grilling was obviously over.

Sue walked across, and, nodding to Janet to indicate that she could go, that she was now going to make sure I didn't run away, waited patiently while Janet lumbered into the school building before starting.

"Well?" she demanded.

"Well what?"

"You know very well what," she said. "Have you managed to ask your Mum and Dad about working in the shop this summer?"

My mind raced for some evasion, but I decided in the end to go for the honest approach. "It's not really about my Mum and Dad," I said at length. "It's about me."

"You?" she demanded. "What do you mean?"

"Well," I began hesitantly. "If I work in the shop, it'll mean spending more or less the whole summer dressed as a girl."

She looked at me with suspicion. "So? You like it!"

"No I don't!" I insisted.

"Yes you do, you said as much in the paper. All that stuff about boys being free to do what they want. Since you want to wear a skirt and be pretty, then this is your perfect opportunity."

"But wearing a skirt always gets me into trouble!" I said, nearly shouting in frustration.

Sue looked at me for a while, and then shrugged. "So wear a dress," she suggested.

I turned away from her in despair. Why did people so wilfully misunderstand me all the time?

Sue too was getting cross. "Look," she said. "You know how much that job means to me. I'll give you till the end of the day to make up your mind, but if you say no, then you're no friend of mine, and no friend of mine is going to be a friend of you!"

"Sue!" I said, astonished at her vitriol.

"Well that's how it's going to have to be," she went on. "It's not as if there's nothing in it for you. You'll get paid, which is more than you would have done if Sylvia was still there."

"It's not the money!" I whined.

"I know that," she snapped. "You've convinced yourself that you're too good to work in a smelly little boutique with me. You'd rather be swanning around the countryside with your boyfriend!"

"My boyfriend?" I gasped.

"Yes, Liz," she explained. "I know she's hunky, and makes you feel all soft and gooey, but you can't let her come between you and your friends, remember that!"

I opened my mouth in astonishment at Sue's interpretation of events, but didn't manage to say anything. "I'll speak to you this evening," she said, "and I'll expect you to say yes!" She waved to Anita in the distance, and, still punch drunk from this round of my interrogation; I waited glumly for the next.

Anita waited while Sue walked away, and I leant back against the gatepost, wishing the ground would open up and swallow me. Satisfied eventually that Sue was out of earshot, she began her assault.

"I see now from reading the paper why you were being so evasive with me!" she snarled.

"Anita," I began, hoping to be able to make some sort of explanation.

"How could you lead me on so much when you were fixing yourself up with her all the time?" she demanded.

"It wasn't like that," I mumbled.

"Well that's what it looks like to me," she snapped. "You made me finish with John, thinking you'd be happy to go out with me, and now, because you're such a tart, I'm left with no-one!"

"I didn't make you finish with John!"

"Yes you did! You used to look all stupid every time I mentioned his name! I thought you'd be happy spending the odd Saturday with me, but oh no! You made it clear you wanted to be the only one!"

"No I didn't!" I insisted.

"You did! I could tell that you weren't going to be satisfied with just being my occasional partner. You wanted the lot!"

"No I didn't," I said, not sure whether I was lying or not.

She shook her head. "To think that I made you what you are!"

I looked at her blankly.

"Sarah!" she snapped. "If it wasn't for me, you'd never had discovered you had Sarah inside you."

The bracelet pulled on my arm even harder. "I don't know about that, Anita, she would have come out sooner or later," I said, feeling a little more confident. She was silent, and I decided to press on. "And to be honest, when it comes to leading people on, I think you were more to blame than me."

"Me?" she responded with incredulity.

"Yes!" I insisted. "It was you who started kissing me that first morning when I stayed at your house."

Her mouth opened and closed again. I decided to press on, a new strength filling me.

"And you who started everything off after our girls' night out. I thought we'd just be going to sleep. It was you who jumped into my bed, and lifted up my nightie! There wasn't much talk of getting rid of John then was there? You just wanted to get inside my knickers!"

"They were my knickers, and my nightie. Even if you were wearing them, I had a right to be inside them!" she said, without much conviction.

"So I'm not sure that makes me the slag!" I went on, with a note of triumph in my voice. Her face betrayed outrage, and although her mouth opened and closed a few times, she didn't say any more. After a few seconds, she picked up her bag, and stomped off into school.

Round three over, I slumped back against the gatepost, and closed my eyes. It was all over. I had actually managed to say some home truths to Anita, rather than worshiping her as a goddess, or perhaps a role model. I lifted my left arm, and felt the bracelet, turning it around a few times. Well perhaps my Mum had been right, it had offered me some help on this difficult day. All I needed to do now was face Liz, and the saga of Sarah would be over.

I opened my eyes, and was shocked to see a grinning face in front of me. It was Chrissie, together with Jacquie, and a couple of other girls I didn't recognise.

"My oh my!" Chrissie sneered at me, leaning her hand against the gatepost near to my head. "It's our poor little Carnival Princess, left all alone with no-one to protect her."

In alarm, I looked furtively around. Chrissie was right, all the other kids had gone into school by now, and we were alone in the street.

Chrissie's unpleasant smile was only inches from my face. "Hi Chrissie," I piped cheerfully.

She gazed intently into my eyes. "I'm a bit disappointed in you Sarah," she drawled.

I didn't dare correct her, and blinked wildly. "Disappointed? In what way?"

She looked down at me. "Well you haven't made much of an effort today, has he girls?"

There were grunted 'no's' from the three behind her.

"No make up," she said, stroking my cheek. "No skirt," she went on, pulling at the waistband of my jeans, "and a silly boyish hairstyle. If you think dressing like a tomboy is going to improve your reputation, then you're very much mistaken. Isn't he girls?"

This time there was a chorus of 'yeas!" enthusiastically delivered to order.

"I'm not dressed as a tomboy," I plaintively whispered.

"Oh no?" she demanded, holding my chin in her hand. "Then where's your pretty little skirt then?"

"I don't have to wear a skirt every day," I told her.

She looked at me again, sneering right into my face. "That's not what you said in the paper this morning!" she said, triumphantly. "Show him Jacquie."

Jacquie stepped forward, brandishing the paper I had already read.

"I bet he's still wearing girl's knickers though," one of the other girls said. "They always do!"

Chrissie looked at me and smiled evilly again. "Well, shall we see then?"

"No," I pleaded pathetically.

"Oh I think we should!" she said, firmly. She grabbed again at the waistband of my jeans, and I tried to push her away. "Come and help me!" she said, frustrated for a moment. Suddenly my arms were drawn behind me, and my legs were held firm to the floor.

"That's better!" Chrissie announced. "Now let's see what you have got on under those horrible boyish jeans!"

She fumbled with my catch and zip, and then, with a tug or two, pulled my jeans down from my hips.

"Oh but that's horrible!" I heard someone say.

Chrissie looked down at my groin. "Yes," she agreed. "Boxer shorts! Now Carnival Princesses don't wear boxer shorts do they?"

"Let me go," I heard myself pleading. "Please Chrissie!"

She sneered at me again. "Why don't you show me what you can do first?" she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"Well," she began. "A little bird told me that you were pretty good at giving head!"

There was a chorus of agreement from behind me. "You give me some head, like the little slag that you are, and maybe we'll let you go."

"And me!" a voice said from behind me.

"Me too!" said Jacquie.

"And me!"

I felt tears coming to my eyes, but was determined not to let them show. "Don't be silly Chrissie," I managed to say. "We're right out here in the open!"

"I don't care about that. There's nobody here anyway! Come on, let's do it!"

She undid the belt that held up her own jeans, and slithered them down over her hips. She pulled her panties down to her knees, and looked on at me with a mad triumphant grin. "I bet Anita's never got him to do this!" she said to her friends. "This is going to be so good."

"Make sure he doesn't try and bite you," one of the girls warned.

"I'll kill him if he does!" she replied. "Come on, get him on his knees!"

I felt a push at the back of my legs, and, although I resisted, I was pushed onto my knees in front of her. Chrissie thrust herself into my face.

"Come on slag!" she shouted. "And I hope you swallow, because I come like a fountain!"

There was a peal of laughter from the others.

She pushed herself against my face hard, and I felt my hair pulled from the back. I didn't know what to do. Slowly, and with great reluctance, I opened my mouth, and began to move my tongue forward.

"Harder than that you slut!" I heard Chrissie saying. "Harder and faster!"

I could not stop the tears now, and tried to comply with her brutal request. Her hands clasped the back of my head, and pushed me further towards her.

The next few minutes were a haze to me. I felt physically sick, and was constantly cajoled to be more enthusiastic about my task. I could hear Chrissie's occasional grunting, and the snide comments of her sidekicks, but they did not reach into my consciousness. The only thing I could truly feel was the bracelet on my left arm, gently singing into my flesh, as my arms were held behind me.

Suddenly there was a thud, and daylight flashed into my eyes, where before there had only been the pink of Chrissie's flesh, and the black of her hair. My arms were released, and I fell backwards. Looking up, I saw Lawrence's face holding my head, and felt him stroke my hair.

There was a lot of shouting, and various grunts and cries from all around me, but they were a blur. Lawrence was crying, and telling me not to worry. Eventually the sounds died away. "You'd best get yourself decent," Lawrence whispered to me. I nodded, and, with some difficulty pulled up my pants and jeans. Then Liz's face was above me.

"Are you all right?" she asked. I nodded.

"Thanks for telling us," she said, turning to Lawrence. "I don't think they'll be bothering you again."

Anita, Janet and Sue also swam into view, and they all looked down at me with deep concern on their faces.

"Poor Sarah," I heard Sue say. I opened my mouth to remind her my name was Steve, but no sound came out.

Suddenly I could taste Chrissie on my tongue, and felt sick. Pushing Lawrence away, I staggered to my feet, and over to the wall, and vomited my breakfast onto the pavement.

"Oh God!" I heard Anita cry. "This is all my fault. I should never have involved him in my argument with Chrissie!"

"Poor Sarah," I heard Sue say again, as my head swam. Steadying myself, I straighten up, and looked at them.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I saw you out of the window!" Lawrence gushed. "I nearly came out to help you myself, but I realised I needed some help."

"So he found us," Liz said, calmer than the rest. "And it's all right now."

I looked at her, and wanted to collapse into her embrace. I felt myself stagger some more, however, and Lawrence caught me to stop me from falling.

"Thanks," I managed to whisper.

"That's all right," Sue said, putting her hand on my arm. "That's what friends are for. And I'm sorry about what I said before. I'll be your friend even if you don't want to work in the shop."

I smiled at her, as best I could.

"I think I'd better take him inside, and get him cleaned up a bit," Lawrence suggested.

"We'd better come with you," Anita said. "In case they come back."

Lawrence looked at her. "All right. Come on Sarah, let's go inside."

He half carried me into the school building, and without me being able to voice a protest, into the girls' toilet. Once inside, without being aware of it, I found tears streaming down my face. Without really knowing what was happening, I was washed, and dried, and began to feel a little better.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier," Anita said to me, looking rather sheepish.

"It's all right," I mumbled.

"I've had a chance to think about it now," she went on. "It's better this way."

"Better?" I asked.

"Yes," she went on. "I mean, I don't know what I was thinking of, assuming we could go out together. I mean, when it comes down to it, we're," she paused, and looked even more embarrassed; "both girls."

I looked at her in astonishment, but had no time to reply. Lawrence had jumped in front of me, and was brushing my face with blusher. "This'll make you feel better."

"And look better too," Sue added.

I felt too weak and confused to protest, as eye shadow, mascara, and some light lipstick were added to my face.

"You're jeans are all messed up," Sue observed. "Have you got anything to change into? We saved your bag."

I was still in shock. I shook my head feebly.

"I'll have a look," Anita said, and walked out of view. "Hey we're in luck!" I heard her say. "He's got his uniform skirt in here."

"That'll do," Lawrence said. "Come on Sarah, let's help you into it.

Helpless, my trousers were removed for the second time that morning, and I was put into the school uniform skirt.

"He can have his boots as well," Anita said. "He looks silly wearing boy's socks and trainers with a skirt."

"Yeah," Lawrence agreed. Within minutes, I was wearing the boots as well. They felt odd, but not unpleasant, against my naked legs.

I struggled to pull myself together. "Where's Liz?" I asked.

"We told her to wait outside," Anita told me. "This is a time for girls."

"Yeah," Lawrence agreed.

"I need to see her," I told them. They looked at one another.

"All right," Anita said at length. "I'll take you to her."

Still needing to lean on her for support, I was led out of the toilets, and into the hallway. There was no sign of Liz there.

"She must have gone outside," Anita told me. "Come on, let's go and have a look."

We went out of the front entrance to the school, and looked around. There was some sort of commotion going on by the main entrance.

"What's that?" I asked.

"It looks like, I don't know, some television vans." Anita said, peering to get a better view. "Oh and look! Liz is over there as well. Oh dear!"

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"They're talking to her."

I looked, but was unable to focus much on what was going on. I could make out Liz's back, which I recognised from her tied back hair, and a gaggle of people brandishing various equipment out in front of her. We moved slowly forward, and the voices gradually became audible.

"So where's Sarah then Liz?" a man's voice asked. "Can we see her as well?"

"Is she really a boy?"

"Are you lovers?"

"Are you lesbians?"

Anita stopped me, by holding back on my arm. "You'd better not go there. It looks as if they've picked up on the newspaper story. Things could be a bit ugly."

I looked back to the entrance, and saw that there were at least ten people milling around, pinning Liz back against the wall as Chrissie had pinned me back earlier.

"Did you win the cup match?"

"Is Sarah a good shag then darling?"

"Let me know if you ever want to try a real man."

"She's a real man herself Doug."

Anita still held my arm. I shook it free. "I've got to go," I told her.

She looked at me with concern. "They'll give you a hard time as well," she said, with anxiety on her face. "Worse than they're giving her."

I looked at her. "I know," I said. "But I can't let her face all that on her own."

Anita looked at me again, and lent forward to hug me gently. "You're right," she said. "Go on. Go."

Smiling at her, I gingerly moved forward towards the gate.

"Be careful Sarah!" Anita's voice came from behind me.

Still a little unsteady on my feet, I inched forward, out of view of the television crews, until I was only a few feet from Liz.

"Come on Liz darling, go get Sarah for us."

"Yeah, maybe she'll do us some topless shots!"

"That's if she really exists."

"Yeah, maybe you're just a big bull dyke, is that it Liz?"

"Yeah, where is Sarah."

I stepped around the gatepost, and looking up at a rather astonished Liz, slipped my arm around her waist, and smiled up at her. Turning then to the equally if momentarily astonished group in front of us, I smiled my sweetest smile.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen," I said. "I am Sarah."

 

EPILOGUE

"Mummy mummy!" I heard my daughter call from the hallway. "Come and look! I've turned Ian into a girl!"

Glancing across the coffee table at Anita, our eyes met. What had my little Natasha done to her son?

We both walked through into the hall, followed by Lucy. We were both munching our biscuits. Lucy had declined to have one. He had put on a bit of weight since the birth of his first child earlier that year, and was trying to loose it again.

We got to the hall, and Natasha, eight years old, was standing proudly at the foot of the stairs. A couple of stairs up was Ian, six, wearing one of Natasha's pink party dresses, white tights, and a pair of her shoes.

"He makes a lovely girl, doesn't he Mummy?" Natasha asked me.

I looked at him. He certainly did, having inherited his mother's pale skin, and fine blonde hair. I wondered how Anita would react. She stared at her son for a good few moments, and then looked at me and smiled. "What goes around comes around," she said. I waited a few moments, and then we all started laughing, and led Ian into the living room, telling him how beautiful he looked.

  

  

  

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