Chrissie

Allison's School Days - Part II

The New Girl

Scottie was waiting after school for all three of us. When he saw us coming, he walked over and asked if he could walk with us. We all nodded, and he joined the group. Three of Scottie’s former BEST? friends came from around the corner of the building. Todd, who was about the same height as Scottie, started in.

"Hi Scottie," he said in a mock falsetto voice. "Walking home with the girls today, are we? Do . . ."

He didn’t get a chance to finish. Dee, Chrissie and I chased him all the way across the street and told him he had better stay there until we were out of sight. He just stood there, looking like he had been chased by a rabid dog or something. As we got around the corner, we just let out the laughter. Scottie looked at us puzzled, then caught on and roared with laughter, too.

I looked at him and said. "Scottie, we need to work on that laughter. Girls don’t roar like that. In fact it is more of a titter or giggle or maybe a laugh like this." I demonstrated what I meant and he said yes, that was fine for girls, but he was a boy being punished to dress like a girl and he wasn’t going to adopt certain girlish ways, when he wasn’t going to remain a girl. Dee, Chrissie and I, all sighed and started home. Scottie went a different way and we reminded him not to forget to come over on Saturday and he promised he would, then he was gone around another corner.

"Do you think he will?" I asked as we walked to our neighborhood. "Come over on Saturday, I mean?"

"I certainly hope so, Allison. He is going to need our support more than ever now. He has lost all of his friends, and his mother is only doing this to him because he always ACTS like he is the toughest kid in the world," said Dee. "Except for today," she added.

There was nothing to laugh at or giggle about that one. What was happening to Scottie, was a shame. I still think the punishment fits the crime. But, I will still be his friend.

As we continued our walk home, we devised ways we could be of help to Scottie and when he comes over to my house on Saturday, he can pick his own girl’s name. That ended the tour, as we were finally home. It seemed to have taken forever, but it was only fifteen minutes. We all hugged each other, said see you after supper and disappeared into our houses.

The New Girl Arrives

Saturday dawned with a loud bang. I jumped out of my bed and ran to the window. It was raining and thundering and lightning. Then I put my robe on and went and took my bubble bath and brushed my teeth. I made sure my hair would survive breakfast, and went downstairs.

Much to my surprise, Chrissie and Dee were already there. "Good morning, sleepyhead," they said in unison as I walked into the kitchen. I just nodded, the electrons in my brain not functioning yet. I poured myself an orange juice and had a piece of jelly toast. As we were sitting at the table, the doorbell rang. My mother motioned us to stay put and she went and answered the door. A minute later, Scottie and my mom came into the kitchen.

"Hi Scottie," I said. "Sit down we have to do something first, before we do anything else."

"Okay," he said, and came over to the the table and sat down. "What do we need to do first?"

"Well, actually, YOU need to do something and the rest of us will tell you if we like it."

"What, for crying out loud. Tell me."

"Scottie, you have to pick yourself a new name for the rest of the school year. A girl's name," I said.

"I like my name just fine. I have no intention of being called by a girl's name, because I don't intend to stay a girl."

"Okay, you asked for it. Because we were going to give you the opportunity to pick something you liked. But now we have to do it. We cannot call you Scottie while you are dressed like that."

"Allison, You have people behind you that are supporting you. I have lost all of my friends and my mother says that if I don't show some improvement, SHE will change my name to something like Mabel or Hannah or something like that."

"Well, why haven't you shown that you can improve, so that you can get this punishment over?" I asked.

"Allison, to tell you the truth, I . . .I . . . Well, I just can't put it in words."

"Scottie, are you telling us that you have come to like wearing these types of clothes?" I queried.

"Sort of," was his reply. "But I'm scared to tell my mother for fear she may give me a worse punishment."

"Okay! First things first. Let's get this name thing done here and then we can get to the other thing that Scottie has brought up. I think that Charla suits you. Girls, from now on this is Charla and she will be a member of our group. Is that okay with you, Charla?" I said giving Scottie his girl's name.

"I-I-I guess it's okay." Charla said hesitating.

"Now, Charla. We are all girls here now, there are no boys here, and I want you to tell me how long you have been wearing female clothing."

"I started wearing dresses when I was five years old. My mother would make me wear them because we had no money for boy's clothes. I would wear them wherever we went and everyone would say what a pretty girl I was and I knew I wasn't a girl. One time we even went to my Aunt Livvy's for Christmas and my mother made me wear such a pretty dress for the occasion. My aunt never batted an eye at me or scolded my mother but just told me how cute I looked and she had a present for me. It was another dress," he then burst into tears and we all hugged him and told him that he didn't have to be afarid to cry. We skipped the part about that it was good for girls to cry.

My mother must have heard what was being said because she came in the kitchen and told us to go in the front room. She then held Charla in her arms and soothed her and ran her fingers through her hair. My mother was saying something I couldn't make out and I could hear Charla agree through her sobs. When they had finished, my mother came from the kitchen with Charla in tow and said we could go and play.

When we got outside, our female curiosity got the better of us and we wanted to know what my mom had said.

"She said that if I really wanted to be a girl, I shouldn't be embarrassed by it because sometimes it is nicer to be a girl than it is a boy. She said I should tell my mother as soon as possible so she can get me to see some type of therapist to make sure this is what I really want. She also said that, you, Allison, could be my teacher as well as the other girls. But what am I going to do? How can I tell my mother what it is I want? I never wanted to wear those dresses when I was younger, that is why I was always bullying the girls, because I thought they were the reason my mother dressed me like that. I thought all girls wanted to make girls out of boys and I wasn't going to have any of that. But now, I feel like this is what I was meant to be and maybe my mother knew it all the time and I didn't."

"Charla," I said matter of factly. "I think we should all go and tell your mother with you. But you will have to be the one to say the words to her and we will be there for you. If she has any questions, I'll just tell her to call my mother. And, maybe you're right, maybe she did know what you were and wanted to see what you would look like and how you aould have been accepted. But, let's ask her when we get to your house. Okay, Charla?"

"Okay, Allison," she replied.

Introducing Charla

We then went with Charla to her house as a group, mainly for Charla's moral support. Charla told us to come in and we sat in the front room while she went to get her mother. Mrs.Schmidt saw us and said, "Hello, girls," and then looked at all of us and then at Charla, and then after a long pause, she gave Charla a hug.

"What name did they give you, dear?" she asked.

"Charla, Mom," was her reply. Then she said, "Mom, I need to tell you something, and I don't want you to get mad at me. Okay?"

"Well, okay, darling, you tell me what it is, and then I have something to tell you."

"Mom, would it be alright if I went to school like this forever, instead of just one school year?"

Charla's mother smiled and gave her a big hug and then she said. "Oh, darling, if you only knew how I have longed for those words. And because you have shown great respect by asking me I am no longer going to punish you by keeping you grounded. Are you sure this is what you want?"

Charla nodded.

"Then, dear, you wouldn't mind if I gave all of your boy clothes to the Goodwill, would you?" Charla said she didn't mind. 'Welcome to the group Charla,' I thought as we sat there and listened.

"Mom?" Charla asked.

""Yes, dear? What is it?"

"When you dressed me up like a girl when I was very little, is this what you had in mind?"

"Yes, dear, it is. You are a very pretty girl. Why be a boy and get hair all over your body and then sweat at a job that doesn't pay well? I think you are going to like being a girl. Besides, you have Allison, Chrissie and Dee to help you."

"Thanks, Mom. I will be a very good girl from now on."

We were now going to have to keep an eye on Charla from now on until she learned how to be a girl. It didn't take much teaching as she remembered some of the things she learned when her mother dressed her up when she was five and it wasn't that long ago. I asked Mrs.Schmidt if Charla could come over by my house for the afternoon, so we could teach her some basics and she said it was alright. We said thank you and headed for my house.

"I didn't think my mother was going to be that easy to tell," Charla said with a surprised look on her face.

"Charla," I said, "your mother has always wanted a daughter. But when you were born she had to make the best of it. When she dressed you like a girl when you were five years old, was her way of living in denial that she had a son, instead of a daughter. But now, she has a daughter, and a willing daughter. How do you like the name of Charla?"

"It is different, isn't it?" she said in repsonse.

"Alright girls, I think it is time we had ourselves a little pact. We are all friends here, and we are all girls now. So, let us pledge to one another that we will be there for the others. What was it the Three Musketeers said? All for one, and one for all." We then put our hands on top of each other's to seal the pledge. We were now sisters and pledged to lookout for each other.

The Second Day Of School

The next day we all walked to the school together. Charla met us at her corner and when we got to school Charla's former friends were there waiting. But when they saw the whole group, they decided to go their own way, and not say anything. Wise choice. When we walked into school, Charla had to go to her class and we had to go to ours and I said to her.

"Charla, if you have any problems with your former friends, just let us know, and we will take care of it. Okay?"

"Okay, Allison, I will. See you at lunch."

With that, we all went to our classes and and as classes go, we probably learned something new that day.

Before class began, I was asked by one of the girls, not a part of our group, what was wrong with Scottie. Melanie Troy was ten years old. She always wore nice dresses and had her hair done at a salon, I think.

"Allison, we all know about you and why you have done this and everyone is proud of you for it. But, I saw Socttie today and he looked as though he enjoyed wearing that dress."

"Mel, sweetie, she does enjoy wearing dresses and her name is Charla. Dee, Chrissie and I are going to be her mentors on how to walk, talk, sit, and eat like a girl should. We are going to teach her mannerisms to fine tune her feminine traits."

"Can I join your little group? I mean you girls seem to have so much fun and when you're together there is a certain glow that you all have. I will be a very good friend."

"Mel, honey," I said. "We will have to discuss this with Charla, too, as she is a part of our group. But, we will and get back to you tomorrow. I know you will be a good friend, Mel. I am sure that Charla will have no objections."

With that, it was time to head home. School was out for the day. Charla came up an met us, and we walked. I told Charla about Melanie wanting to be part of our group and Charla said okay, Melanie was a nice girl and one of her friends although they weren't really close. I asked Charla about her day and she said it was uneventful, and that those boys will not be teasing her anymore. When I asked what happend, Charla explained.

"We were all sitting there in class. Somebody threw something at the teacher's desk. When she looked up everyone was either reading or writing something. Then a few minutes later it happened again. She must have been looking over the tops of her glasses because she knew right away who it was. Todd was suspended for a whole week. Tom and Dave are nowhere to be found."

We all giggled at what we had heard. The boys tried to be mischievously clever and it had backfired. Good, they should be forced to wear dresses to school, those cowards. We said night to Charla as she took her corner and the rest of us walked home talking about what Charla had said. We got to our houses and said see you after supper and went inside.

Inside my house was quiet, my mother was not home yet, so I went into the kitchen and took an apple out of the fridge. I sat down and sliced it into pieces and just as I had the last piece cut, the doorbell rang. It was Dee and Chrissie.

"It isn't after supper yet," I said laughing.

We went into the kitchen, I offered them a piece of apple and then we sat down and talked about Melanie.

"Charla said she didn't care if Melanie was a part of our group and even called her a friend. We know that Charla has not made many friends since being forced into dresses. But if Melanie can be a friend to Charla, then Chrissie and I say that we will give her a chance too."

"I agree Dee," I replied. "Melanie has been a pretty good trooper these last few weeks. I will tell her the good news tomorrow."

"Uh, Alison? Why don't we all tell her together at lunch?" Chrissie said

"Ok Chrissie. That sounds good to me."

It was getting on time for the girls to go home for supper and they would be back afterwards. I thought about Melanie. When she joins the group, we will have five in the group. nice size for grade school. No one would mess with any of us after that as Melanie was very popular with other girls in other classes. Tomorrow, she will be one of us.