The Jade Box                   by: Genni S

 

Part 3

 

'Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Stuart and Amy. Happy birthday to you.'

'What?' Amy said sitting up in bed and glancing at her clock radio. 'Bloody hell, it's only nine thirty. Can't a guy get a sleep in on her one day off?' Jade and her mother were standing at the end of her bed holding a cake.

'Aren't you going to blow out the candles?'

'If I do can I get another hour sleep?' Amy asked pushing a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

'Nope,' Susan replied. 'I just had a call from Katie and some of your friends are going to the beach.'

'Good for them.'

'So are you.'

'Aw mum.' The girl complained. 'Can't I just veg today? It's bad enough I have to get dolled up and go out with the family tonight.'

'Sorry young lady. Jade and I have to get the house clean in case anyone comes back here after the restaurant. We also have to wrap your presents. I should have done it weeks ago but there was this guy who used to live here who liked to spoil the surprise.'

'No.'

'Look on the bright side,' Susan said trying to soothe the situation. 'At least your period has stopped.'

'Til next month.' Jade said none too helpfully.

'Great. So I was meant to be hanging out with my mates, rehearsing the band but instead I'm going to be prancing around a beach with a bunch of girls while wearing a bikini?'

'Not necessarily.' Jade smiled. '

'You mean I can still get out of this?'

'No, but I have a lovely pink one piece you can borrow.'

'Come on Stuart,' Susan prodded. 'You haven't gone out apart from work and to shop. You can't sit in your room all the time waiting for your penis to miraculously grow again.'

'Mum.' Amy groaned and buried her head back under the covers.

'Well it's true honey. You need a social life and you have two choices. You can hang around with boys or girls. The girls you are going out with are the same ones who will be with you at school. You need to know how to act around them and to do that you need to be with them.'

One eye peeked out from under the blankets. 'I'd rather not.'

'Okay then, I'll ring your male friends up and invite them over for lunch.'

'You wouldn't.' Amy cringed.

'I think you know her enough by now to know she would.' Jade said.

 

'Yeah, you're right. She would.' Sitting up Amy smiled just a little as she saw the cake. Half was blue and half was pink. 'Did you cook this Jade?'

'No mum did. Why?'

'Suicide was my last hope.' She replied as she took a deep breath and blew out the candles.

-oOOo-

'Don't talk to me,' Amy said as she entered the house, marched straight past her mother and headed for her room.

'Good day Dear?' Susan asked somewhat dryly.

'I am not in the mood Mum.'

Susan checked her watch. 'Well get happy kiddo because you've got less than three hours until we go out.'

'The meal is cancelled.' Amy shouted back from her room. 'My birthday is cancelled in fact the whole of my life has been well and truly cancelled.'

Jade came in from the back yard where she had been picking some flowers to take for her Grandmother. 'What's all the commotion?' She asked getting a vase down from a cupboard.

'Just Amy throwing a tantrum.' Susan shrugged.

'I heard that,' a voice echoed down the hall. 'I am not throwing a tantrum. Well, ok, I am.' She re-entered the kitchen and slumped down at the table. 'But it's a well-deserved tantrum. If anyone has a reason to throw a tantrum it's me.'

'Oh?' Susan arched her eyebrow a little. 'What's up?'

Amy looked at her mother like she didn't believe the question. 'Oh, you mean apart from the fact that I am a girl?'

'Ah ha.'

'Where do I start? Okay, I spent my birthday almost naked on a public beach pretending to enjoy the fact that I was pretending to perv on guys who weren't pretending to ogle me. And mind you we compared each guy's butt to the last one. The conversation centred on every topic under the sun I know nothing about. I just don't understand girls.'

'You're kidding?' Jade asked sarcastically. 'Gee, I never would have guessed.'

'How am I supposed to understand a species who act totally violated if you see them in their underwear yet they put on a bikini that makes their panties and bras look like they are neck to knee. And while we are on the subject what's the deal with calling them a pair of panties and a bra? Surely it should be the other way around.'

'You're ranting Stuart.' Susan said. 'What's up?'

'Up? Nothing. I spend the day in a bikini and now I have to get ready to go out with my family. I am about to go into my room, pick out a dress, some pantyhose, a bra and panties and then get into the shower, shave my legs and under arms then do my own make up and style my hair. On Monday I am going to put on a school dress and go to school like a good girl. Nothing is up.'

Jade and Susan looked at each other as if to say 'Something is up alright.'

Amy ignored them both and headed for her room. She carefully locked the door and then pulled out her diary, or rather the diary Amy kept before she took over her life. Flicking back through the pages she searched for one entry that would confirm or refute what she had learned that day.

It actually hadn't been a bad day if you disregard the fact that she was comparing guy's buts with the best of them. She was enjoying the closeness with Katie, Emma and Terri, a closeness she never had with any of them when she had been a guy. Even Katie whom Stuart had always considered to be one of his best friends seemed to be closer to Amy now. Even if some of the conversation was a little outside of Amy's interests she felt totally accepted by all of the girls and even managed to relax a little.

All that changed when Katie looked at her watch. 'Sorry guys, I have to go.'

'Go?' Amy replied. 'Go where?'

'Steve is picking me up by the Esplanade.' Katie said, picking up her towel and slipping a sundress over her bikini. 'Happy birthday Amy,' She bent and gave Amy a quick peck on the cheek and squeezed her arm. 'I hope the family thing goes off okay. Talk to you all tomorrow.'

Emma and Terri seemed to take it all in their stride. It seemed to Amy that in this reality this was nothing new. Katie smiled and waved at them all and headed off up the reasonably crowded beach. 'What the hell does she see in him?' Amy asked no one in particular.

Emma smiled to Terri. 'I don't know. What did you see in him?'

'Yeah,' Terri added. 'Talk about fickle.'

'What do you mean?'

'Come on Amy. I think you don't like the fact that Katie is going out with Steve after he dumped you.'

Amy found the entry in question.

Sat : 25^th Nov 2000

Wow !!! What a day, more importantly, what a night. The great day started with a shopping trip with Katie. I bought this great pink baby doll T-shirt with "Bad Girl" written in white right across the chest. It will look great with my denim cargo pants. Anyway, Katie bought this really cute top too. It's a metallic blue coloured halter top and it shows her tummy off. God I wish I had her figure.

Later on Katie and I were at my house. Mum was out having dinner with this guy called Robert and Jade was over at her friend Jenny's house so I hired Pretty woman, the directors cut and Katie and I were going to watch that.

We'd only just started the movie when some one knocked on the door. I still can't believe it was Steve Ellis and his mate Martin. Martin was kind of cute. A little like a young Chris O'Donnell even though he does have a few pimples. Steve though is an absolute babe. I kind of let it slip to Steve that my mum and sister would be out when I saw him in he food court this morning but I didn't really think he'd show up.

They came in and Katie was all, 'Ah… you guys shouldn't be here.'

I played it cool, despite the fact that my heart was beating a mile a minute (even more when Steve looked at me, which was often) God he looks like Rick from The bold and the Beautiful, right down to that funny little dimple in the chin. I got them both a glass of coke and then asked them if they wanted to stay. Katie poked me in the ribs and pulled me into my bedroom leaving the boys alone in the kitchen. She told me her mum would go ballistic if she found out we had boys here but I asked how she was going to find out. It turns out Katie has had a crush on Marty for weeks but she has never had the guts to tell him. She was freaking because she didn't want him to know she liked him. I just told her to play it cool so we put on some lippy and went back down into the family room to watch the movie.

I sat next to Steve and he smelled soooooooo good. He told me I looked nice and I must have blushed redder than my nail polish. Martin sat next to Katie but he was further away from her than Steve was from me.

I doubt I heard a minute of the movie. I kept waiting for something to happen and I kept on sneaking peeks at him when he wasn't watching. I caught him looking down my top at one stage and I pretended it bothered me but it didn't.

Martin got closer to Katie but she kept moving away so much so that in the end she was almost sitting on Steve. Poor Marty.

About an hour later the boys were getting silly. You know boys. They started throwing chips around the room and acting all silly, trying to show off. Then all of a sudden Steve yawned and I felt his arm around me. God, I didn't think anyone actually did the old yawning thing. I would have laughed but I was afraid he'd pull his arm away. I waited so long for it to happen I didn't want it to be all over in a second. I snuggled up against his chest and watched the movie. I could have died happy then, hearing his heart. Boom boom. Boom boom. Boom boom.

The next thing I know he was kissing me. My god I almost died. He tasted wonderful and I melted in his arms. We just kissed the whole of the rest of the movie and even Katie and Martin were smooching when the video ended.

I had to go to the toilet and I was really wet down there. It felt WONDERFUL but a little squishy. I wiped as much as I could away and hoped Steve wouldn't know. Maybe he could smell it. We left the TV on but it was on mute and all of the lights were out. We kissed some more and then Steve put his hand under my top. In next to no time I felt his hand on my right breast. It was a little cold and I could feel my nipple rise straight away to his touch. I could hear Katie make little moaning sounds so I did the same. God I got so wet. And then we heard Jade's car in the driveway.

FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. Trust Jade to mess things up.

The boys freaked. Katie freaked and I freaked. I jumped up and flicked up the light Katie picked up all of the stuff the boys threw around and I hid their cups.

Steve and Martin snuck out of the side door as Jade came in the front. She must have guessed something was up but she didn't say anything. She just smiled and Katie and I said nothing until Jade was in the toilet and then we both burst out in fits of giggles.

 

Amy couldn't believe her eyes. She would have read the entry again if she could cope with the mental it evoked. Her and Steve… YUCK.

-oOOo-

 

She was still trying to get the terrible taste out of her mouth when her mother knocked on her door. 'Time to get ready honey.'

Amy got up and opened her door. 'I'll pay you every cent I own to call this off.'

Susan grinned a little. 'I've seen your bank balance Amy. No go.'

'Bugger. All right, here are my rules. No cake, no singing and we get the hell out of the restaurant as soon as we've had dessert.'

Susan shook her head. 'Here are mine. We have cake, singing and we stay until your Grandmother gets tired.'

'And if I don't?' Amy challenged.

'Do you remember that catholic girl's school I mentioned to Jade on the day of your accident?'

'All right. You drive a hard bargain. But I am not going to wear high heels.'

'Yes you are,' Susan chuckled as she walked off down the hall.

Amy contemplated throwing a real tantrum but decided it would be easier to just go with the flow. She headed for the shower, the only luxury of which was she could still stand to pee. She shaved her legs and under arms and then put on a robe and went back into her room. She already knew what dress she would be wearing so she picked out some black panties and a matching bra. No matter how many times she stood in front of the mirror the sight of the cute girl with the wet tresses was always a shock to see looking back. Carefully drying and combing her hair Amy simultaneously picked out some jewellery, a pair of gold hoop earings, a ring, a nice gold bracelet and a gold necklace with her zodiac sign, Aquarius, on a small ingot. When her hair was dry she took off the robe and pulled on the black lacy panties and bra. She didn't like to admit it but one of the only pluses to her gender change was the feel of her panties, the bras she could do without. She reached for a new pair of pantyhose and sat down at her mirror. Gathering one of the legs of them up in her hands she slid her smooth right leg into it, making sure the seam at the toes was in the correct place. She repeated it for the other leg and then stood to pull them up around her waist until they fit snugly to her flat crotch and round behind. Next came the dress. Black with cap sleeves and a square neck line it was simple but elegant and with the jewellery, make up and her hair styled Amy had little doubt she would look more like seventeen than her fifteen years. Using the trick of doing the zipper up most of the way before she put the dress on she easily reached up and pulled her hair out of the way and the zip up all the way to the top. She thought for awhile about what to do with her hair. Maybe up? No, on second thoughts she decided on something a little simpler. She had to have two goes at it after her first attempt at loose a loose plait was a little bit off to the left. On her second try the plait ran straight down her neck and she moved on to the make up. Following Jade's instructions about less being more she simply applied some eye liner, some mascara, a little blush on her cheeks and a nice shade of red lip stick and put on her jewellery.

Finally Amy pulled on a pair of high-heeled shoes. She had been practising walking in heels for an hour a so a night after word and now she was pretty good at it but even a short amount of time caused quite a bit of pain. One last look in the mirror and she picked up a handbag and headed out.

-oOOo-

The small Italian restaurant had been one of Stuart's favourites so Amy wasn't surprised when Jade steered the car into the car park. Getting out of the car she had a bit of an unsteady gait as she tried to negotiate the pock marked bitumen in heels. 'How the hell do women walk in these all of the time?' Amy asked herself. Her feet were already hurting, the bra was digging into her shoulders, the pantyhose were hot and she could feel them some how manage to ride up her butt and sag at the same time.

'You ready?' Susan asked.

'Nope.' Amy quickly replied.

'Too bad.'

Amy followed her mother, sister and the waiter Dominic over to a large table. Counting the number of settings Amy tried to work out whom to expect. Twelve places were set so she ticked off the usual suspects. Her mum, Jade and herself. Grandma Nelson, Uncle Dean, Auntie Di and their two kids, Kym and Shayne. Add her Dad's sister, Auntie Pam and her two, Robbie and Johanna. Who the hell was number twelve?

Amy was still contemplating that when she realised her mother was coughing, trying to get her attention. Dominic was holding a chair out, she smiled self-consciously at him and, smoothing her dress under her as her mother had taught her she sat.

In next to no time relatives started arriving, all smiles, kisses and presents. Then, just when Amy was beginning to relax and enjoy herself she felt hands on her shoulder and a kiss on her cheek. 'Hi ya Princess,' A familiar voice said from behind her. 'I couldn't miss my little girl's fourteenth birthday.'

'She's fifteen Jim.' Susan said as he gave her a quick unconvincing peck on the cheek. With a more meaningful one for Jade.

Amy's dad sat at the table with that dopey grin on his face. Amy headed for the toilet.

'I didn't know honey,' Susan told her as she joined her daughter in the ladies room.

Stuart and his father never really got on. They were too much a like not too fight when Jim Denton was a member of the family and the relationship went down hill after the divorce when Jim moved to Perth and eventually married and had a new family.

'How could you not know?' Amy asked as she looked at the alien reflection in the mirror.

'For any number of reasons. He might have heard from Pam, or maybe Amy asked him before Stuart took over.' Susan paused and put her hand on the girl's shoulder. 'Believe me, I didn't tell him.'

'Now what the hell I am supposed to do?' Amy asked. 'I can't go out there and play Daddy's girl. No way.'

'Just be polite. Is that too much to ask?'

'God, I am so nervous now I have to pee. Now I have to pull all of this down and then rearrange it when I am done.'

'Well,' Susan started. 'One more trick of the trade. Do you want to know how to tell if you accidentally tuck your dress into your pantyhose?'

'Not really,' Amy sighed truthfully. 'But I guess it might come in handy.'

'Everyone will be staring at you when you come out of the ladies room.

 

-oOOo-

The meal was great even though Amy couldn't eat a quarter of what Stuart used to put away. She did have to mind her Ps and Qs a little when it came to the family. For reasons beyond her understanding the gender change had totally messed up her role and position within the family. Stuart was second eldest of all the male cousins, only Kym was older than he was, and the four boys were pretty close. Johanna was always left out because she was only twelve so Jade was too old to pay much attention to her. Now Amy found Kym, Shayne and Robbie basically ignored her. Even when she tried to talk about cricket, voicing exactly the same sentiments Stuart had at Christmas time, they told her she didn't know what she was talking about and to leave sport to the guys where it belonged. Johanna on the other hand sat right next to Amy and talked away like they were best friends. After a few dirty looks from her mother Amy started to be nice to Johanna in return. It was her father who caused most of the nights aggravation. It was as if all of the fights Stuart had with his dad never occurred because Jim Denton acted the doting father and was quite bemused when Amy didn't act the loving daughter. She was even more hurt when she found out her father was in Adelaide on business. Amy knew her dad enough to realise that if he wasn't there on business he probably wouldn't have even sent a card.

The other big let down of the night was the presents Amy received. They were all either clothes, make-up or jewellery. Jim Denton had actually paid quite a bit of money for a gold heart shaped locket, which he insisted, on placing around Amy's slim neck. Susan made some snide comment about him being able to afford it when he was so far behind in his child support payments. Jade, as ever the peacekeeper, jumped in to stop a fight. The locket was ok but Amy wasn't all that impressed. Jim noted his daughter didn't even open it up.

Finally, after what felt like 10 hours, Amy's grandmother announced she was tired, which was always a cue to wrap things up. Amy had to kiss her uncle Dean and her father again before she was able to head home. Her mother and father had a small argument in the car park and her dad just smiled an apologetic little smile at the girls, kissed them both again, and wished Amy a happy fourteenth.

'I'm fifteen dad,' Amy said.

'Whatever. I love you princess.'

Amy knew he wanted her to say it too but she couldn't bring herself to say it. The divorce had hurt her a lot more than it had hurt Jade and she felt abandoned by him. 'I know you do,' was all she could manage to say.

Jim shrugged; looking a little hurt, and left heading back to Perth.

-oOOo-

'You were a little mean to Dad.' Jade said as both girls kicked off their high heels and sat on the sofa.

'No I wasn't. I just couldn't play daddy's little girl. That's more your area of expertise.'

'You still don't like it that I always got on better with him than you did.'

'The guy's an arsehole Jade. At the first sign of trouble he nicked off and left mum to do all of the work.'

Jade shook her head, her hair bouncing and shifting. 'You didn't see it like I did. Dad has his faults but so does mum. I love her but she would have been hard for him to live with. They were both so different and mum fell into the same trap a lot of women do.'

'Oh please enlighten me with your boundless wisdom.' Amy said sarcastically.

'She married him thinking she could change him. Mum was always much more serious about work and money than Dad was. She was as much to blame for the divorce Amy.'

'That's not how I remember it.'

'Your sister is right Amy.' Susan said as she entered the room and sat between her daughters. 'I loved your dad. I still do. We just came to a point where we enjoyed hurting each other and when we did that we hurt the two of you. You have been blaming him when it was as much a joint effort as the marriage was.'

'I'm going to bed.' Amy announced, bringing the discussion to an end.

-oOOo-

Stuart went on stage first, followed by his mates. All of them stood there, transfixed on the forty thousand people who had come to see them play. Their debut CD has already gone platinum and Stuart was feeling very comfortable with his rock and roll lifestyle, not to mention the groupies.

He couldn't see the audience because of the lights but the applause was like rolling thunder. Forty thousand people all cheering and clapping for him and his friends. Quickly glancing at his friends he reached for the microphone, plugged his guitar into the amp and launched into the worldwide smash hit single.

All of a sudden, just as he started singing he heard some one's pager go off. It got louder and louder until Stuart stopped the song and started looking for the source of the noise. Eventually, off stage he found his clock radio beeping away.

Amy woke to the incessant beeping of her alarm and sighed. She always dreamed she was still Stuart which made it doubly hard when she woke and found herself under a floral bed spread in her feminie room. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and pulled the nightie down her body from where it had ridden up during the night. Padding gently to the bathroom she pulled down her panties, pulled her nightie back up and sat. Of everything different in her life now, sitting to pee was the one thing Amy couldn't get used to. She could ignore the clothes for the most part and even the sway of her boobs wasn't too bad but whenever she needed to pee she was faced with the incontrovertible fact that she was now a female. She wiped herself and then pulled her panties back up.

Jade was sitting at the kitchen table when Amy entered.

'Morning,' Jade said sounding like she was developing a bad cold. 'I feel like shit.'

'I need a few more hours sleep until I am good enough to feel like shit,' Amy shot back.

'Worried about today?'

'Only a little bit.' Amy lied. 'Well a lot actually.'

'School will be okay Stu. Just hang around with Katie and her crowd. I'll be around if you need me. Just try not to draw attention to yourself.' Jade tried to smile a little but sneezed instead. 'I'm going to have a shower. : I'll call you when I am done.'

'Great.' Amy groaned.

Susan rushed into the kitchen still putting her earrings in. 'Morning love.'

'Morning mum.' Amy said trying to imitate Jade's cold. 'I feel awful.'

'Really?' She walked over to the girl and put her hand on her forehead. 'You feel a bit warm.'

'I do? Ah… I mean, yeah, I am really hot.'

'Gee. Maybe you should take the day off.' Susan frowned.

'Yeah?'

'In your dreams Amy. Eat your muesli then have a shower and get your self off to school.'

'I hate you.'

She showered quickly and then pulled on a pair of panties and a bra. 'I guess I better get this over with.' She said to herself. Reaching into her wardrobe she grabbed the blue plaid cotton school dress. It was short, falling only half way down her thighs and Amy made a mental note to make sure she always crossed her legs. She'd spent too many days as Stuart looking at girl's panties in classrooms so she was determined not to give any boy the same cheap thrill. She brushed her hair and then put on a blue hair band, picked up her school bag and headed for school.

 

-oOOo-

Walking in to school in a school dress was probably the strangest experience Amy had had so far as a girl. No matter what she wanted there was no hiding now. She was just like all of the other girl's in school and she had to act the part.

'Hey Amy,' She heard a voice call in greeting. Turning she saw it was Steve Ellis and before she knew it he had his arms around her slim waist and had lifted her clear off the ground. 'Looking good sweet thing.'

Amy didn't like to admit it but she was scared. If the sight of all of the guys she used to hang around with wasn't enough to demonstrate her new size, or lack there of, then the way Steve had lifted her like she was a rag doll amply showed how weak she now was.

'Put me down you fucking jerk.' She squealed pounding him with lots of punches that did absolutely nothing to hurt him.

'Calm down Amy, I was just having some fun.' Steve protested as he put her gently back on feet.

'Fun? God, if that's your idea of fun you must find pubic lice hilarious.' She regretted saying it as soon as it came out of her mouth. Steve's eye sight shifted from her face to her groin. 'Oh just grow up.' She shouted and stormed off.

She was still steaming so much she didn't even think where she was going. She almost forgot who she was when she saw her old friends. Noah Lane, Jordan Davis and Joel Warren just looked up and said. 'Hey Amy.'

It was the first time she's seen them since her transformation. Lano, Davey and Rabbit were normally Stuart's partners in crime but now she was just another girl in school and all of their shared history never happened. She responded with a weak,'Hey,' and walked on feeling a huge sense of loss.

She met up with Katie and some girl's she had barely known as Stuart. All of them acted like they were her best friends so she just tried to relax and go with the flow. It wasn't too hard because everyone was talking about what they'd done on the summer break. 'What about you Amy? Do anything special?' A girl called Rachel asked.

'Not really.' She said smiling. 'Just got turned into a girl,' she thought to herself. 'Happens everyday.'

-oOOo-

Amy was surprised at the reception she got from teachers. Normally, when they saw Stuart they groaned at least. 'Not you again Mr. Denton? I hope you intend to pull your socks up this year.'

Now they seemed genuinely pleased to see her. 'Hi Amy, welcome back.' Was this girl she had become a teacher's pet?

It was her third lesson of the day that she had a new Teacher. He was old, in his early forties at least and he looked pretty square, all suit and tie.. On the blackboard behind him was written 'Mr. Fisher.'

Amy took a seat next to Katie and waited for the noise to quiet down and the lesson to start. That's when she saw him. He wore ripped jeans rather than the regulation grey trousers, his shirt wasn't tucked in and he had a pair of Ray-ban sunglasses on.

Fisher noticed him too. 'You,' he said to the new kid. 'Where's your tie boy?'

The kid just grinned and pointed to his right thigh where his school tie was.

'The rules state you must wear a tie. Consider yourself lucky I am only giving you one detention.'

The boy shrugged. 'I think you'll find that the rules say I have to wear it but it doesn't say where it's meant to be worn.'

'Where on earth do you think a tie is meant to go son? The neck, that's where.'

'Sorry sir but I have doctor's advice stating that wearing a tie around the neck can limit blood and oxygen to the brain leaving the wearer with limited mental capabilities.'

Fisher shook his head. 'I've worn a tie every working day for the past twenty years.'

'I rest my case.'

'Think you're smart do you?' The teacher asked getting more flabbergasted by the second.

'That's what I am in school to find out sir.'

'Do you have a name?'

'Yes sir, but thanks for asking.'

'What is it?' Fisher shouted.

'Danny.'

'Danny? Well Danny, after wasting five minutes of my time I think I deserve a last name.'

'You have one sir. It's Fisher. At least that's what's written on the black board.'

By now it was pretty obvious that Fisher was losing control of the classroom. At first just a few titters broke out but by now there was plain old laughter. 'Your last name boy, not mine. I already know mine.'

'Yeah? Then why do you need to write it on the black board?'

'WHAT IS YOUR LAST NAME?' The teacher shouted.

'Simpson, Danny Simpson but most people call me Simmo.'

'Right, that's two detentions for insubordination Mr. Simpson'

'Call me Simmo, were old friends now,' Danny grinned as he pulled out a Palm computer. 'As for detention, I can fit you in Thursday and Friday next week. I'm booked solid before then.'

'I think you should go to the principals office.'

'No need, I've already been. But thanks for the offer.'

Fisher looked like his head was about to explode. 'Go and then maybe I can get on with my lesson?'

'Hey, don't let me stop you.'

'Get out of this room now Simpson and take off the sunglasses. There's no sun in this room.'

Simmo did as requested and Amy saw the most amazing blue eyes she'd ever seen.

'All right but you won't be popular with him, he's already said that if he sees me again today there will be hell to pay.

'I'm sure I'll live,' Fisher said dryly. 'Now the rest of you have a copy of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet on you desks. We'll be studying that for the first part of this term.'

Amy was still transfixed by the blue eyes when he walked past her on the way to the principal's office because he grinned at her. 'Don't work to hard babe.' He said winking.

-oOOo-

'Hi sweetie,' Susan said when Amy entered the house.

'Mum. I thought you'd be at work.'

'No. Most of what I needed to do can be done here and then e-mailed into the office. I just had to go in this morning for some meetings on the China deal. How was your first day of school?'

'So so.' She answered. 'Is Jade back yet?'

'Not yet honey. I think she was going to Alicia's house.'

'Okay, can you tell her I need to talk to her when she gets in please?'

'Will do. Anything wrong?' Susan asked.

'No, I just need to ask her advice on something. I'm going to get out of this stupid school dress.'

'Okay, just do me a favour and hang it up. Don't just throw it on the floor. I'm going to be too busy tomorrow morning to iron anything.'

-oOOo-

Amy was watching TV in her room when Jade stuck her head around the corner an hour or so later. 'You wanted to pick my brains little sister?'

'That'd be a quick job,' Amy said. 'Close the door.'

'Oh, this sounds serious.' Jade shut the door and sat on the bed beside Amy. 'What's up?'

Amy looked at her feet and said, 'listen, I am asking you something in confidence here and if you so much as even laugh I'll tell everyone at school you still wet the bed.'

'Yep,' Jade grinned. 'This is serious all right. Fire away.'

'Ah… I kind of… I sort of…'

'Do you want me to leave the room so you feel more comfortable talking?'

'There's this boy.'

'Actually there are a lot of boys Amy.'

'Yeah, but there's this one in particular. Simmo.'

'Is this the kid that stuffed around that new Maths teacher?'

'Ah ha.' Amy said.

'I've heard he's cute.' Finally a light bulb went off over Jade's head. 'Don't tell me you like him?'

Amy shifted uncomfortably on the bed. 'I… He's… I think he's cute. I'm a sicko right?'

Jade though about it for a second. 'I don't think so.' She said. 'Look, we had to watch this documentary in Social Studies last year. It was all about the different genders and why there seem to be differences between guys and girls.'

'I've kind of worked that out in the past few weeks.' Amy said pushing her breast.

'I'm talking about mental differences. Like how guys seem better at reading maps and working out where they are and women are better at communicating.'

'Yeah, and?'

'Well scientists say it's got a lot to do with the hormones you get while still in the womb. Your whole brain is wired either male or female when the foetus is only about eight weeks old. That's why you get transsexuals. Something goes a little haywire before they're born so they end up with a male body but a female mind or vice versa. They also now believe that the same hormone cocktail has a lot to do with sexuality and sexual preferences.'

'And this helps me how?' Amy asked.

'Well, apart from you, me and mum everyone thinks you've always been female right?'

'Ah ha.'

'Well then,' Jade said rolling her eyes. 'Doesn't that mean that the body you're now in was always female? If that's the case it's only natural you are starting to see guys the way most girls do.'

'You think?' Amy said.

'Sure. It's not something you can control.'

'I guess not but I still feel guilty.'

'Amy, Amy, Amy. There's nothing to feel guilty about. Is this guy cute?'

'He has the most amazing blue eyes and his smile would put Tom Cruise's smile to shame. I kept looking at him all day and I just… I don't know. He talked to me at lunch time but I got all tongue tied and giggly.'

'Well, you're a girl. He's a guy. Nothing unnatural about it.'

'I guess not. I just hate feeling like this.'

'Amy my dear, welcome to the wonderful world of being a girl.'

-oOOo-

Amy was lying on her stomach on the bed trying to get used to the new feeling. It wasn't uncomfortable but it sure was different. Until the moment she first lay on her stomach she didn't think much about the feelings the same position gave her as Stuart but now she was acutely aware of her new groin area and of course her boobs, which were pushing into the bed.

She was bored. Sure she had homework to do but why change the habit of a lifetime? Stuart always put it off as long as humanly possible, justifying it by saying he worked better under stress. Instead she was half watching TV and half flicking through the diary. Most of it was pretty boring stuff from what she could see. A lot about make up and clothes. She was skimming through trying to find any juicy bits when she noticed red stars on some of the diary entries. The last of which were for four consecutive days, around two weeks before Stuart became Amy. She found some more a month or so before that and then another month before that None of it made any sense to her until she counted back from when her period started. Twenty-eight days. As much as it disgusted her she knew it would also help to have her menstrual cycle for the past two years. At least now, if she was sill a girl, she would know when to expect that little visitor. She was putting a star on the date she had her last period when some one knocked on the door.

'Yo?' She said sticking the diary under her pillow.

'It's Katie. Can I come in?'

Amy got up and unlocked the door. 'Sure you can. Come in and park your butt.'

Katie smoothed her skirt and sat, demurely crossing her legs, a position Amy still wasn't overly comfortable with. 'You busy?'

'Me? Well I'd be lying if I said I was.' Amy smiled. 'Just trying to come up with reasons not to do my English homework.'

Katie smiled weakly at her best friend, waiting for her to notice she was upset. For some reason Amy had been a little distant for the past few weeks. She didn't talk half as much as she used to and she never hugged any of her friends, it was always them hugging her. And it was kind of strange that she stopped doing ballet after seven years of it. Worst of all she wasn't as tuned in as she used to be. Amy of a few weeks ago would have known she was upset in a second. Now she was totally oblivious. It reminded Katie of some one else but for the life of her she couldn't work out whom.

'So, what's up?' Amy asked concentrating more on the TV than her friend.

'Not much,' Katie sighed.

'Cool. You want to do something?'

'What?'

'I don't know.' Amy shrugged. 'Anything I guess.'

'We could listen to some music I suppose,' Katie replied sadly.

Amy got up from the bed and went over to her CD collection. This was a huge let down now. When she was a guy she had a great CD collection and loved to listen to some of the heavier bands. She had heaps of AC/DC, Cold Chisel, Nine-inch nails, some Linkin park. Marilyn Manson and Silver chair. Now it was all back street boys, N'synch, Britney Spears and other bubble gum pop.

'Uh, lets pass on that.'

'Okay, do you want me to paint your nails?'

Amy quickly put on some N'synch, anything to get out of a make over session.

Katie couldn't stand it any more. 'Steve and I had a massive argument,' She blurted as she started crying.

Thankfully Amy turned off the CD and then sat back down next to Katie. She hesitated before she put her hand on Katie's shoulder. 'Let me guess, you're still bugging him to join the human race and he can't pass the physical.' She mumbled

'This is serious,' Katie bawled. 'We're over, through, finished.' She threw her arm around Amy and then leaned over so her head rested on Amy's breast. 'Men are arseholes.' She cried.

Amy tried to ignore the feeling of a head pushing into her boob but it hurt a little and felt extremely strange. 'What happened?'

'He called me fat.'

'Oh god, why me?' Amy thought. She said, 'yeah, you and Kate Moss. Both of you are world famous bubble butts?'

'Really?' Katie asked.

'No silly. You're as skinny as a rake.'

'Steve doesn't think so.'

'Well Steve is a moron. Did he actually say you were fat?'

Katie sat up and sniffed. 'As good as.'

Amy was already sick of the round about way this was all coming out. 'What exactly did he say?'

'Well, I made a comment that my jeans were tight and how I must be getting fat.' Katie said as she wiped her nose.

'And he agreed?' Amy asked.

'Well no. But he didn't disagree either. He just went on watching the cricket.'

Ah, now it all makes sense. 'The jerk,' she said, even though she would have done exactly the same when he was Stuart.

'What am I going to do now Amy? I love him.'

'I know you do. He'll come back, begging on his knees to get you back then you can make him pay.'

'True,' Katie grinned and Amy saw the light at the end of the tunnel. 'But what if he doesn't?'

'Then that's his loss,' Amy said giving the other girl a hug. 'Now, didn't you want to paint each other's nails?'

 

'What was wrong with Katie?' Jade asked after the girl had gone home.

'How do you know anything was wrong?' Amy challenged.

'I saw her giving you a make over.' Jade shrugged. 'You wouldn’t do that even for Katie unless something was up.'

Amy nodded. 'She had a fight with Mr. Australia.'

'Steve?'

'Ah ha. God knows why she is going out with him.'

'You can be thick sometimes Amy, you know that?'

Amy just looked at her sister. 'Huh?'

'When you were Stuart she wasn't going out with anyone right?' Jade asked hoping she didn't have to draw a diagram to get Amy to work this out.

'Yeah. So?'

'So now Stuart isn't around she's going out with Steve.'

'And?'

'Work it out you drop kick.'

Amy looked like a light bulb went off over her head. 'Me? Katie had the hots for me? Nah, you're wrong.'

'No I am not.' Jade smiled. 'Everyone knew.'

'I didn't

'Well everyone with half a brain knew then.'

'Fuck me.' Amy exclaimed.

'She might have if you'd played your cards right.' Jade laughed as she walked away.

 

-oOOo-

Amy woke the next morning and couldn't work out what was missing. Then it hit her, the house was quiet and that definitely wasn't right. Normally Jade was rushing around getting ready for school and her mother was trying to do a hundred things at once before heading off to work. Looking at the clock radio Amy let one word out. 'Shit.'

She had slept through the alarm or hadn't set it properly and now she was twenty minutes behind schedule. Then it came to her, Her mother had to go into work early, something about the China deal and Jade wanted to go over to one of her poxy friends for some project they were working on.

'Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.' She shouted racing to the toilet. 'Where's my fucking dick when I need it?' She asked as she sat. 'Come on. Hurry up. You're as slow as an old lady.'

Finally she heard the tinkle of urine hitting the water in the toilet. After wiping she bolted for the shower. In and out in record time she at first cursed her long wet hair and then swore at the hair drier when it started sparking. She ran to Jade's room and grabbed her drier. Glancing outside she saw that it was raining and hunted down a raincoat. She threw on a pair of panties and a bra that didn't match. 'It's not like anyone can see them,' She told her self. Slipping in to her school dress while putting her hair up into a ponytail with a blue scrunchie and then she grabbed her school bag and rain coat and headed out of the house.

The rain was pelting down when she got outside and Amy knew she wouldn't make it to school on time if she walked. Cursing life in general and Mamma Chow in particular she put the raincoat on and grabbed a light blue girl's bike from the garage.

'Whoa.' Was all she managed to say, as the bike seat massaged her new crotch, not sure yet if she liked the sensation or not. As she pedaled like a lunatic she asked herself one question. 'Am I rushing to get to school so I don't get in the shit with anyone or am I rushing to see a certain boy?'

It was still unanswered when she cycled into the bike rack area.

-oOOo-

'Ah,' Fisher said as Amy walked into his class. 'Glad you can join us Miss. Denton.'

'Wouldn't have missed it for the world Sir.' She smiled taking her normal seat next to Katie.

'Glad to hear it.' Fisher said turning back to the black board where ROMEO AND JULIET was written. 'Now, for homework I asked you to read the first twenty pages of this tragic romance. But before you graced up with your presence Miss. Denton, I had some complaints from your friends that they couldn't understand it. Would you agree?'

'Ah… pretty much Mr. Fisher. All that flowery language takes awhile to work out.'

'I see, well, there is an easy way to rectify this.'

'Not read it?'

'And how would you learn anything then Miss. Frances? No, I think the easy way to see what's happening is to see real people preform the play. Miss Denton?'

'Yes?' Amy said.

'Congratulations, While you weren't here we all took a vote and you will be our Juliet.'

'Fuck that,' Amy thought.

Fisher looked at the door when a noise alerted him to something. 'And here’s our Romeo now.'

Amy spun around in her chair to see who it was.

'Huh?' Danny Simpson asked, all sunglasses and smile.

'You will be Romeo to Miss. Denton's Juliet. We are going to put on a play.'

'Which moron came up with the crappy idea?' Simmo asked.

Fisher almost smiled but not quite. 'Um, that moron would be me.'

'I guess I'll be heading for the principals office.' Simmo sighed.

'I guess you will. Send him my best.'

-oOOo-

 

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