I'm a Mermaid, Not a Merman

Chapter 18

"I think," Dad said as they walked past the teacups, "that the Matterhorn is getting on in years."

"It is a bit over seventy," Dani said. 

She herself did not have the best ride.

"Oh c'mon," Dad noticed her own discomfort, "you can't be having a hard time yet, you're not even twenty!"

Dani laughed. "Yeah, I don't know, I'm just not feeling the best - which is funny because Big Thunder Mountain Railroad didn't feel as rough."

"Are you feeling nauseous?" Mom asked.

"No," Dani said, "just kind of... I dunno. Like a pain in the bottom of my stomach."

Jason undid a button on his cargo shorts, and came out with a bottle of Ibuprofen. 

"Oh thank you," Dani said. She dumped two pills out, and gave the bottle back.

"How much stuff have you got in there?" Dad asked.

"I've actually got a fine selection of watches," Jason laughed.

"Hey Mac," Sammy quoted, "wanna buy a sundial?"

Dani laughed, but it caused her another pang of pain.

"I'll go to the restroom with her," Sammy said.

"Okay," Mom said, "we'll just be waiting nearby."

Dani walked with Sammy, though a bit confused.

"I really just need a drinking fountain for some water," Dani said.

"You said that you get these pains like down in the bottom of your stomach?" Sammy asked.

"Well like," Dani said, "it depends, I've had headaches with them before - I've got a mild headache right now."

"So this has happened before."

"Yeah," Dani shrugged as the bathrooms came into sight, "it happens every so often."

"LIke how often?"

"I dunno," Dani said. "Maybe twice a month? Or once a month I guess? I don't keep a running count."

Sammy had a weird look about her.

"What is it?" Dani asked.

"It's... well," Sammy said, "nothing."

Dani took the pills at the drinking fountain, and then it did become clear that she did need to use the bathroom. And it would be her first time using a women's room - or, well, in this case the "queen's room."

It wasn't very ceremonious. Dani and Sammy walked in. It was just like a men's room, but with no urinals. Dani sat down in a stall, did her business, and then they washed up, and left.

There was however, that glaring feeling when she used the restrooms. A feeling of difference. That she didn't belong. That one thing - one little thing was not quite right. And that feeling had been coming to her mind more and more.

The ibuprofen helped her get through the rest of the day fine - but then she needed it again each day of their trip. That of course, was when Mom took notice, and she scheduled a doctor's appointment, despite Dani's insistence that nothing was wrong.

Regardless, the trip was fun, and Pirate's of the Caribbean wasn't even closed. Jason seemed to enjoy Avenger's Campus and Star Wars land - despite Dani's personal feelings on them, and he seemed to be in a better mood than she'd seen him in a while.

After being around so many people on the trip... Dani finally was feeling more and more comfortable in being a girl. Not only were wearing things like bras and panties second nature to her now, but she no longer had those little whispers of fear that someone would find out that she was trans.

This meant that all that lay ahead... was the school year. She wanted to be herself during school. But that also meant that everyone would know she was trans. Was she ready for that? What if it even felt freeing? What if she could freely go about wearing some transgender flag shirt?

That was something that she was going to have to decide when the time came - and that she'd have to decide based on circumstances. Based on how people like Lexi had reacted to Danny, it seemed like many people at school had assumed she was a girl - or even that she was actually identifying as trans-masculine. Dani wondered how Lexi would react to Dani going in the opposite direction.

There was that light at the end of the tunnel - she would be finally through all this... and then just be able to go on and live life. Live life as her true self, with no feelings of shame, or fear. 

But really, she already felt free - because with every step, every day, she became more certain this was who she was.