A Nerd, a Tough Kid and the Wonder of Dance

Chapter 8: more change, more dancing

Jena's transition quickly picked up pace. Her parents said to me, "She's so much happier, Garth. We wish we'd got her started earlier."

They were already making arrangements for Jena to go to school as a transgender girl for the last term. The 'secret' of her transition was hardly a secret - Jena was just too excited to keep her mouth shut. People at the school were generally more curious, than surprised.

It was also well known that I was now right into dancing (nobody dared tease me about it) and attended the same dance school as Jena. Friends asked me what he was like when dancing.

"He's just like one of the girls. When he's dancing, he looks like a girl, acts like a girl, everybody treats him like a girl; and I should add, he, I mean she, is a bloody good dancer."

"You know, Gar," my best friend Rich observed dryly, "I reckon that kid is much better off as a girl rather than the scared, wimpy boy he was."

"Couldn't agree with you more, man. Good luck to her, I say."

Mrs Reinke wanted Jena and I to learn a duet. This was going to mean a lot of additional work. Jena and I were down the dance studio after school an extra two or three times a week - sometimes by ourselves, sometimes with Mrs Reinke overseeing us. My other sports and activities were getting put on hold.

I thought Jena would baulk at the amount of work, but she didn't. She was dead keen and working her rather cute little backside off.

Towards the end of the year, we were walking home after a strenuous workout when Jena took my two hands in hers and asked me earnestly, "You do want to do this, don't you Garth?"
I looked at her doubtfully, pulling my mouth from side to side. Then I laughed and said, "How can I possibly let you outdo me, Jen? Of course I want to do it."

"Oh, good, good," she responded giving me one of her delightful smiles, "See you tomorrow, Garth dear."

The school year ended, but we kept up our work rate during the break, except for the two week's holiday I took with the folks - the old man still grumbling about "bloody dancing".