Erica's Special Night (Prom Changed Her Life)

You Did What?!?

Erica continued with her story, finally getting to the events of earlier in the night. As she started to talk about arriving at the school, she began to once again, feel theanxiety and same heavy gnawing in the pit of her stomach she had felt then.  

She heard Rachel's words echo in her head, "Don't worry I'll be with you the entire night. I won't let anything bad happen to you." She tried to ignore the words and the thoughts of how Rachel had abandoned her and told her mom about how she and Rachel had danced. Not as a couple; just girl friends going to the prom without dates. Then, hesitantly, she mentioned how she had danced with a boy, JJ.

Her mom cut her off, eyes wide, mouth gaped. "You were dancing with a boy?!?"

Her mother's facial expression was one of surprise and puzzlement. Dancing with a boy was not something Erica had planned on telling her parent's about tonight, but there it was, it was out now.

Erica pulled in a deep, lung filling breath of air and answered, "Yes, mom. . . with JJ."

"The Jones boy?!? That cute shy boy from down the street?" her mother asked.

"It was no big deal really, just one dance. He asked and I didn't have the heart to say no. He's so shy I thought it would crush him if I said no. I had just, not ten minutes earlier, told Rachel that he looked so lonely standing off to the side by himself. I told her she should go ask him to dance.

"Well, she did go over and talk to him for a few moments but they didn't dance. Instead she, headed for the punch table and he shyly walked over to where I was. With his head down avoiding eye contact he nervously asked me if I would like to dance with him. Like I said, I was afraid of what it would do to him to get rejected so I said, 'O.K.."

"So, Rachel set you up? Were you mad at her?"

"No, not really. I was nervous about it at first, but by the time it was over he was smiling and I was having fun. He complimented me on my dress and even told me my toenails were very pretty."

"Did he know who you were?"

"I assumed he did. Although it didn't seem to bother him if he did. Maybe he didn't. I mean, it wasn't a total secret. Some people had been talking."

"So everyone knows?"

"I guess at least most who was at the prom probably do. If they didn't then, word has probably gotten around by now," she explained.

"So you danced with this Jones boy. Continue."

"After watching me dance with JJ, Rachel came over and told me she was going to the girl's room. She wanted me to go with her but I didn't think I should. I figured the other girls who knew and the school might get upset."

Erica had thought about many possible situations before that night and what could happen and how she would deal with them. She had thought about bullies wanting to beat her up. She had thought about the school principal barring her from entering or tossing her out of the prom. She had just assumed there would be teasing. The one situation she didn't think about was what if she needed to use the bathroom.

"So what did you do, princess?"

"Did I just hear that right?!?'" she thought, "Princess? Did mom just call me princess??? First dad calls me 'girl' and now mom has called me princess!" Erica took a deep breath, causing her 'breast' to rise dramatically and then fall again as she exhaled. Supressing the brief flash of excitement she felt inside, she calmly continued her story.

"I used the boy's room. I really wanted to use a bathroom down the hall, where no one would be but they had the gates up, so I had no choice but to use the one everyone else was using. We waited until we were sure the room was empty before I entered. Rachel waited outside the door and, for my safety, blocked any boys from entering."

"You are lucky to have such a good girl friend."

"She's not my girl friend."

"I meant, as a best friend. You know."

Erica thought about that briefly, "Yeah, I guess am lucky."

"So now what?" Erica's mom asked.

"What do you mean?" Erica wasn't sure what she was asking.

"You basically announced to the whole school that you like to wear girl's clothes. Now what?"

"It is more than that mom, much more. I like how I look. I love how this feels. I - I wish. . ." She stopped there, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Do you wish you could be a real girl?" Her mom asked, her voice soft and tender with a hint of compassion.

"Yes." Erica felt bad for her desire, "I'm sorry."

"Sweetheart, no, don't feel sorry for how you feel. Your father and I never dreamed this would ever happen, but you know what? We are not disappointed that it did. We'll figure it all out together." She hugged her child like she had never hugged anyone before. With tears running down her cheeks Erica's mom began to sob.

After a few brief moments she regained her composure. Pulling back from Erica, she looked her in the eyes, and told her, "We will always love you, baby. There is no need to be sorry."

The End?

Erica's Beginning