On the Flip Side, Chapter 7

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Chapter 7

"What in the world could it be?" Mom said as I opened the package Maria sent me.

I honestly had no idea. It came as a complete surprise.

"Books!" I said.

It also included a note.

"These were mine when I was your age. Katie and Sasha are too young. Thought you might enjoy Jane Austen's books. Love, Marie."

There were three books: Emma, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.

"I read those when I was your age, too," Mom said. "I never thought I'd be saying this, but it's really a thoughtful gift. You need to call her and thank her."

Mom handed me her cell phone.

"Hi dad," I said. "Yeah, everything's okay. Why am I calling? I need to talk to Maria."

Dad acted like he really didn't want to talk to me.

"Hey Maria!" I said. "Yeah I got them! Yeah, I'm going to read them. That's why I called. Thanks so much. Doing good. Yeah we have a meet on that Thursday. You want to talk to Mom?"

I handed Mom the phone. Mom was surprised Marie wanted to talk to her.

"Hello Marie," she said. "Yeah. He would probably love that. I think it would really be an adventure for him. Yes, I'll let you ask him."

She handed the phone to me and had a big grin on her face.

"Hey!" I said. "Wow! That would really be cool! I'd love to go!"

Marie was being honored by a feminist group for a magazine article she wrote and was going to receive her award at a banquet in New York City. She knew dad wouldn't want to go, so she was inviting me.

We would be going to see the New York City Ballet perform Romeo and Juliet on the night before. She was going to come East a day early to watch me compete in gymnastics.

#####

"You know you really should get your hair cut," Mom said as I wrestled with putting my hair into a ponytail.

"Come on mom," I said. "Boys wear their hair long now, Mom. And wear ponytails."

"But do you have to tie it with a ribbon?" she asked.

"We want to look nice at the meet, Mom," I said. "All the girls are doing it."

"But you're not a girl," she said.

I rolled my eyes and admired my work in the mirror.

"Take your duffle bag downstairs at put it in Marie's rental car since you guys will be flying out after the meet," she said.

I grabbed my duffle bag and my gymnastics bag and went downstairs where Marie and Katie were waiting.

"Wow!" Marie said. "Don't you look cute!"

"Mom doesn't think I should wear the ribbon with my ponytail," I said.

"Don't encourage him, Marie," Mom said with a laugh.

Marie winked at me.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing you compete tonight, kiddo," Marie said.

We were competing against three of the state's top teams.

"We'll probably be competing against all three at state if we make it out of the regional meet," Coach Mills said at our team meeting before we went out to the floor to stretch.

I looked up into the crowd and saw Mom, Aunt Paige, Claire, Marie and Katie sitting in the stands together. I was still amazed Mom was letting Katie sit with Marie. Beth and Gina were also in the crowd.

"Are you nervous?" Kylie asked me before I made my first run at the vault.

I nodded my head.

"Just try to relax," she said.

I took off, did a handspring before soaring over the vault. I came down, took a step back, but stayed on my feet. The crowd applauded.

"Good score, good score!" Coach Mills said when an 8.7 was posted.

"Good score," Kylie whispered. "But I know you can do better."

I took a deep breath before taking another run down the lane. I ran, did my handspring, soared over the vault. This time, I stuck my landing!

I looked up and saw Aunt Paige high fiving Marie.

"Way to go little sister!" Gina yelled from the stands.

Shelley came up and slapped me in the butt. It stung.

"Way to go!" she said. "But don't let it go to your head!"

I posted a score of 9.3, my best score of the season.

It helped us to the lead after one event, but Bellemead High School took the lead by a couple of one-hundreths after two events after we had a couple of stumbles on the uneven bars.

They still held that lead after we were done with the beam.

Kaycee slipped on the floor, putting pressure on me to post a good score the team could count.

"Go out and dazzle them!" Dominique said when I got ready to take the floor. "Put some sass in your routine! Use some hippage."

I almost died laughing. She relaxed me.

My tumbling passes were the best of the season. I danced as well as I'd ever done with the music and did a couple of handstands that Aunt Paige helped me put into my routine.

I posted a 9.1, by best score of the season.

"Your best meet by far!" Coach Mills said. "I'm so proud of you. I don't know what's gotten into you. But I hope it stays."

Jessi, Kylie and Shelley posted great scores, but no one could touch Dominque, who scored a 9.8.

We won the meet to stay undefeated.

Mom, Aunt Paige, Marie, Claire, Katie, Beth and Gina were waiting for me. They clapped when I came out of the lockerroom.

"I want you to have fun in New York!" Mom said when I got in Marie's rental car. "Be good."

"I will, Mom!" I said, rolling my eyes.

"I'm sure he'll be a complete angel," Marie said.

"Well, call me if you need me," Mom said.

"You realize you still have the ribbon in your hair," Marie said as we drove off for the airport.

"I know," I said. "Thought I'd keep it in for a while."

"You realize people at the airport will think you're a girl," Marie said.

"I'm cool with it," I said.

"Well, if you're cool with it, then I'm cool with it," Marie said.

#####

Mom called it a "5-star hotel" in the middle of Manhattan.

"Breath-taking view, isn't it?" Marie said as we looked out of the window at all of the skyscrapers lit up at night.

I nodded my head.

The room had a hot tub and the biggest bathroom I'd ever seen in a hotel room.

"Hope you don't mind that we only have one room," Marie said of the beds that were side by side. "I used to bathe you when you were a kid and I've seen you in your underwear."

It wasn't a big deal to me.

"We need to both get showers and hit the bed," she said "We've got a big day of touring tomorrow."

We were going to the Statue of Liberty. We were going to go downtown and see "Ground Zero", Time Square and Rockerfeller Center.

We both read in bed before falling asleep.

"You're reading Emma?" Marie asked. "How do you like it so far?"

"I like it a lot," I said.

Touring the next day was pretty awesome. We went to the top of the Statue of Liberty. She bought us matching Yankees' caps and jackets that were really cool.

We at lunch at a small cafe downtown.

"You've got a choice tonight," Marie said. "We can do the 'manly' thing tonight and go see the Knicks, which I'm sure your dad would want us to do."

"Or?" I asked.

"We can go over to see the Rockettes at Radio City," she said.

"The Knicks suck!" I said. "I'd rather see the Rockettes."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Marie said. "But what about going to do a 'manly' thing."

"You bought us Yankees' caps and jackets," I said. "Isn't that a 'manly' thing?"

#####

Shopping, dinner and the ballet.

That was the plan on Saturday. The banquet was Sunday.

"I'm going to pick out a couple of dresses at Bloomingdales," Marie said. "We'll get you a tux."

Marie tried on several dresses.

She asked me my opinion on each.

"For a boy, I think you've got a really good perception of what I'm looking for," she said when she finally settled on the one she was going to wear to the ballet.

I took it as a complement. She actually noticed me looking through dresses while she was looking for a dress to wear to the banquet.

"Have you found something you like?" she asked.

"They all look really nice," I said. "But I like the blue, and the red one, too."

"Would you rather wear them than the tux?" she asked.

I blushed. I was almost afraid to answer.

"You can tell me," she said. "It's okay. No one has to know that you wore a dress to the ballet or the banquet."

I nodded my head yes.

"We'll have to get you some shoes," Marie said. "And some underwear. I'll take the dresses home with me. Your dad will never have to know they're yours."

####

Marie did my hair, make up and nails.

She seemed to be having as much fun as I was.

"Marie, can I tell you a secret?" I asked.

"Sure, what is it?" she said.

"I dunno, there are times when I really do enjoy being a girl, you know?" I said.

"I know," Marie said. "I was thinking that watching you out there bouncing around in your leotard, with the ribbon in your hair at the gymnastics meet."

I have to admit Marie did a great job getting me ready, even better than Gina's sister and friend did during homecoming.

I looked really classy. So did Marie.

"You ladies look really nice," the doorman said when we left the hotel and got into the limo.

"Thought you would like the limo better than the taxi," Marie said.

"We're really riding in style," I said.

"Of course we are," Marie said. "We're going the ballet, not touring."

We went to a very fancy Italian restaurant. I had no idea what to order, so Marie did the ordering for us. She ordered some type of Ravioli that the waiter said was a good choice.

We ended up talking to an elderly couple sitting at the table next to us.

They were also going to the ballet.

"You have a very beautiful daughter," they said.

I blushed.

"She's my stepdaughter Chloe," Marie said.

"Chloe?" I whispered. "Oh my teammates would really have fun with that."

"I've always liked Chloe for a name," Marie said.

"I didn't say I didn't like it," I said. "Maybe it suits me."

We had very good seats at Carnegie Hall to see the ballet.

The dancers were absolutely amazing.

"Oh my God, the girl playing Juliet is very beautiful, don't you agree?" Marie asked.

"Yes she is," I said. "She's very graceful."

"I am so amazed how they dance en pointe like that," Marie said.

The guy playing Romeo was also fantastic.

"Marie, you want to know something?" I asked.

"What is it, kiddo?" she asked.

"The girls are very beautiful," I said. "They do some fun things. But I'd rather dance the guy's parts. I like doing the leaps and the jumps. I like partnering the girls."

Marie gave me a hug.

"Lucas Lacy, you are one extraordinary boy," she said. "One beautiful, extraordinary boy!"

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Comments

I'm still trying to work out

Angharad's picture

where this is going. Is it just a boy coming to terms with his feminine side or is there some deeper message - if so I missed it? It is however, one of the few stories I read, so it obviously has something about it - the naive charm of the protagonist, perhaps?

Angharad

Angharad

Me too.

I was going to write a separate comment but thought I'd piggyback this one, because I know what you are feeling, Angharad. I've been holding off so that I could see where the plot was heading. But with this story there doesn't seem to be a hard line direction for the lead. He/She is just experiencing living on both sides of the fence, and sometimes in the middle. That's not a bad thing at all.

To me, it's refreshing to see a young one experimenting and NOT angsting over every little decision, just her accepting that while she may not be and average person and that he/she wants to have fun. With the attitude of 'who cares, it's my body, I'll do what I want.'

I like it, and look forward to more.

~Lili

Blog: http://lilithlangtree.tglibrary.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lilith_langtree

~Lili

Write the story that you most desperately want to read.

My feelings as well

... of course, pity Lucas won't pass as well as he grows up; just the nature of male hormones will do that, of course.

In the mean time, he gets to experience more aspects of life in an unfocused/unstructured learning experience, meandering through one metaphorical colloquium or symposium or 'unit' of learning. Which he chooses to attend with an open heart.

The school of life holds no fears for this kid, as he seems to be getting As so far in my book.

However, we finally get to meet Chloe, just as special.

Kim

That said

... the story still needs some kind of destination. Granted, in real life, there is no ultimate destination, with the exception of what all mortals will one day encounter.

However, for a story, some kind of center focus for the tale to drive the progression of it, else it becomes more like a series of vignettes.

Kim

Vignettes

You say "series of vignettes" like it's a bad thing. Does a story really 'need' all of that stuff? Does this story really have none of it?
OK, it's light, it' easy, and I don't think Torry is aiming for great literature here (some of her other things are more polished), but so what?
Anyway, I for one like vignettes, and can't the only thing I've ever read that weren't a series of them only had one.
Not trying to rouse any rabble, just saying I'm liking the ride we're on.

In my ideal world ...

Perhaps the ties to our primitive roots are loosening in my ideal world. Perhaps the advanced human population will just allow the sharp line between feminine and masculine conduct to just disappear. As a child, I would have been quite happy to go to the Prom in a gown, and ride my hill climbing Motorcycle the next day.

I wonder what it would have been like to have developed with out um "Dictatorial Guidance"? Would I have been Transgendered, or would I have simply been a very kind and loving Male?

Any how, this story gives me a nice case of the Warm Fuzzies! :)

Khadijah

And me

Just read the comments left by Angharad and Lilith, Spot-on the pair of you, And is it not just nice to read a story where the main character is so gloriously uncomplicated...I too look forward to reading more of this fine well written tale.

Kirri

Where is this going? Let my try and explain.

Now while I am not the author and really don't know where the author is going, let me tell you what I see. I see a boy, a very athletic, agile boy, who not only can play boy sports, but excels at girls sports better. Lucas was placed in a position in Changing Playing Fields that if he lost a hand wrestling match with Beth, he would sign up for field hockey. He lost and he signed up. But to his surprise and the surprise of the others, Lucas was accepted on the field hockey team. Lucas plays his heart out, and as he kept playing as a member of the Lady Tigers. As Lucas keeps playing he finds himself immersing further into a female side. When they gave him the option of wearing a suit or a dress, Lucas chose the dress. Then Lucas volunteered for girls gymnastics, and was accepted on the team, and excels at that. He is just as good as any of the other girls, without the muscle advantage of a male.

Where is this going? Well, as you know that for some of us, it takes us a while to come to complete terms with our femininity, and this is what is happening to Lucas.

Like in this chapter, when Marie tells him she will get him a tux, but settles for a dress instead. Chloe doesn't object to the name or being called a girl. Then at the end "Chloe" tells Marie that she would rather dance the guys parts and be able to jump and leap like they do. And he also says he would actually like to partner the girls. Okay, so Lucas/Chloe is still mixed up as to which direction to go, but, in the final analysis, Chloe, not Lucas, emerges from the ashes like a new born phoenix.

I suspect that this may end up going in to the direction of a transgendered youth about to meet the girl inside and be her forever. If this ends up as just another crossdressing, falling in love with the girl type of story I will be sorely disappointed. So right now Lucas/Chloe is battling his/her subconscious self with his/her consciousness, and we know that all to often that can be a dangerous thing.

I really like this story because it has tender and soft emotions, indecision, and doubt. But hopefully Lucas/Chloe can come to terms with all of this.

"With confidence and forbearance, we will have the strength to move forward."

Love & hugs,
Barbara

"If I have to be this girl in me, Then I have the right to be."

"With confidence and forbearance, we will have the strength to move forward."

Love & hugs,
Barbara

"If I have to be this girl in me, Then I have the right to be."

"... just another crossdressing ..." ??

Jezzi Stewart's picture

The word "just" is a really loaded word. Actually, this story is my current favorite because, so far, to me, it seems pretty unique because it is not "just another transexual guy becomes a girl gets the guy" type story. I am a CD, but am about 50/50 as to which ending I'd prefer. ... OR, hey, how about "just another transwhatever guy becomes a lesbian gets the girl" type story? :-)

"All the world really is a stage, darlings, so strut your stuff, have fun, and give the public a good show!" Miss Jezzi Belle at the end of each show

BE a lady!

Please be sensitive to each other?

OK, I am post op by only about 3 years, so what do I know? The option to cross dress was not offered to me. The very fact that I was trying to figure out if I was gay or what was enough to have me expelled by my red neck family. They did and still do think that I go to town every single night and fuck anything in sight. AS IF! I wonder if it would be fun?

A guy friend of mine were just talking about me getting out my pleated black Mini, and red and black tights, and tube top to go dancing at a famous gay bar downtown. I wonder if I could get any and if I'd get a disease. Of course, I'd have to stoke up on pain killer, beer and maybe a little weed. Haven't done that in a long time.

It would probably be best to not wear my Hijab, right? Maybe I just need a breather from all the religious gravity and seriousness.

In my opinion, and it is only mine perhaps, those who can stop with just cross dressing are the strong and lucky ones. Oh, I am very happy as a woman now, but I considered the emotional cost to be far to exhorbant!

Inexplicably, in order to find someone to get frisky with, I may have to dress like a Dyke, and do it with a Woman, YUK!

Now just go out there and be nice.

Khadijah

Please don't dictate the story to the author

Pippa, this is not directed at you. It is just a subject that has been on my mind for some time.

If an author choses a story line that others find personally offensive, that is the choice of the reader, not the fault of the author. The reader can comment or vote with their feet or just go to one of the many other stories that cater to their personal tastes.
I suppose someone could write a story about a crossdresser that hated post-ops and in the course of the tale say many mean and nasty things about post-ops, this might offend post ops. Does it mean the author feels this way or has some agenda? If that were the case they'd have locked up or summarily executed Steven King a long time ago because he was a threat to society.

A forum like this is unique in that the readers are able to comment, often while the story is a work in progress. It seems that more than a few readers are under the impression that these are interactive stories where their personal interests and sometime tantrums can steer the direction of the story. Thats kind of selfish is it not? Trust the author to entertain you.

When you cross a busy street in the middle of the block and see a bus coming at you fast, do you step out from between two parked cars into the path of the bus? Then why the hell do people continue reading once the see a story taking a turn to subject matter they feel unconfortable with, read it to the end then whine incessantly that they have somehow been violated? Nobody forced you to read the next word. Why is your discomfort somebody elses fault?

Comment To A Comment

Christine, dear, I wasn't addressing my remarks to Torey, the author of this marvelous story.

They were addressed strictly to Barbara, who has on more than one occasion posted what I consider ill-informed comments about crossdressers in conjunction with their appearance in stories. I'm just trying to promote a little understanding in this wonderful community of ours. We're not all the same, and crossdressing and transexuality are not different degrees of the same thing. There are transsexuals who do not feel the need to dress "girly," and there are confident male-identified men who enjoy presenting as female. It's a wonderful world, indeed!

Nods to Pippa

Pippa, could not agree with you more, refreshing.
-thanks for the feedback.

Bad Link

For some reason, my link above isn't working. Let me try again:

At the risk of repeating myself (click here)...

I must have messed it up the first time. Sorry!

I seem to recall a blog posting

about coming to conclusions - http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/blog/17947/comments-stories-no...

and yet here you are again doing just that.

I might point out that Switching Playing Fields and On the Flip Side are labeled Crossdressing while all of Torey's other stories were labeled Transgender. Mayhap for a reason - to not raise false expectations as to the stories final destination. It may still go where you so fervently desire it go and then again it may not. I'd just like to enjoy the trip without worrying so much about the destination. That's why I'll let Tory continue to drive the bus.

Commentator
Visit my Caption Blog: Dawn's Girly Site

Visit my Amazon Page: D R Jehs

Boys just want to have fun

(and girls do too, right?) Just let the kid be, he's not hurting anyone.

I am really enjoying this story

Thanks for sharing it with us.

I love the reactions of the mom, step-mom, and aunt, allowing Lucas to question who he is and try on his female persona without shame. At one point in my life I would have believed postive parent reactions could only happen in fiction, and maybe that would still true in a case like Lucas's. But last fall I heard a PFLAG speaker talk about her husband finding gay sites on their son's web browser history. The son became very upset and cried, "Dad, I was doing research. I think I might be gay!". He was expecting the worst (as was the wife when the husband told her about the confrontation on the phone). The response of the father was accepting and loving. He said, "Well, is that all? We can work through that." and gave his son a hug. There were still plenty more tears and confusion, but happily, some parents these days are reacting to GLBT questioning kids in a better way than my parents did.

Good Hard Evidence about GBLT

I am heartened to see that there are good studies going that follow the scientific protocols more closely. Much of the "T" work has been done in the Scandinavian countries; with some also done in Michigan and Hawaii. Lately, I have been reading some articles about work being done in OZ.

Sometimes I let myself feel too optomistic, but we really do have a long way to go. Recently, lulled into believing things are better than they are, I signed up for OKcupid.com and in just a few hours got such nasty comments that I quit the site.

We can all hope for better.

Khadijah

I am beginning to wonder if

I am beginning to wonder if Lucas/Chloe is actually going to undergo a male puberty or a female one. He doesn't seem to have gone thru his yet as he is still feminine in his appearance and body type or so it seems to me. It is rather interesting that no-one called "foul" on Lucas being a male during any part of the gymnastic meet. So it would seem that everyone except Lucas sees him as a female. Jan

Jane Austen.

Austen seems to be used in this story as a metaphor for femininity. Certainly her books were all written from a female POV but are they really early 19 century chick lit? I don't think so. She is one of my favourite writers because she reveals aspects of social standards and attitudes of the time with great perception, humour and style. Moreover, I find her far more readable than Dickens. Austen is worth reading and enjoying by anyone, male or female.

I don't know what I'm hoping for in this particular story. Lucas is unique (well perhaps 'almost' unique if that's possible). He has a rare ability to be totally flexible and relaxed as to the way he presents himself. I think I'll be happy however it works out but I think I would prefer ... :)

Robi

ANOTHER GREAT CHAPTER !

ALISON

While the character of Lucas/Chloe develops more and more the ugly question of
CD versus post op TG raises it's equally ugly head.Coming from an era when we had no choice,I will not take sides.However,the following statistic may give you food for thought.
A friend of mine who is a psychologist at a leading hospital in Sydney,Australia,led a
team of researchers at a 'Rave Party,for just on 4,000 teens over Christmas.Very tight
security and all had to produce ID for scanning.Of those that scanned as males, 47%
were dressed as females !!! So work that one out,the 'trick cyclists' can't.
Thank you for this great story.

ALISON

I LOVE IT!

"Of those that scanned as males, 47% were dressed as females !!! "
For some silly reason that really warms my heart. What a great party that would have been. But then I wonder what the statistics of females were and the ratio of gentic girls to genetic boys?
My life would have been so different had I even known there were people like us out there, the Gods must have invented the internet to spread knowledge.

Amen to that

"My life would have been so different had I even known there were people like us out there, the Gods must have invented the internet to spread knowledge."

Amen to that. If the Internet had been available when I was 18 I would have been saved several decades of personal anguish and frustration. I would probably have transitioned in my early 20's and now be married to a nice man (one can always hope!).

Still, if that party had been held when I was 18, then not even one of the boys would have been dressed as a girl. How times change, eh?

Penny

Where this is going?

Hmm. Must it _go_ anywhere? I believe this is a story where the main lead is trying to answer every new challenge in life with as much un-biased gusto as possible. To me it's painfully clear that our main character isn't bothered by gender roles specifically, while well aware of these, but not particularly inclined to let those unspoken rules dictate his life.

Whether he is, or should consider himself, transgendered in any which way isn't quite the issue for our protagonist, or so it seems. Much more is that he is finding positives and negatives with each different part of the gender-gap which sometimes makes him appreciate or dismiss that 'little detail'

If it should go anywhere, I think it would be to eventually grow into a human being that's capable of understanding more or less both sides of the equation. And confidently take his/her place in society certain of the demands and rights.

If he should proclaim himself female, or herself male is beyond the premise of this story, I think. At least for now.. :).

I think this is a sweet story between a boy and a girl, who maybe will find each other, where both of them will be able to complement each others' peculiarities. It reminds me a little of Me and Sam, or Contest and Consequence by Sarah Bayen.

And also that the chapters are too short, and become more and more sparse throughout the week. *That's a real bummer :( *

But thanks for the story itself though.. I love it.

Jo-Anne

I really enjoy the Lucas

I really enjoy the Lucas Lacy chapters. Why care where it's going? It's fun to read.

hear hear

I have really enjoyed these so far and was wondering where the next part was so came looking. I hope none of the persona angst amongst the commentary has put the autor off.

Thank you for the story so far - whereever you take it.

Torey, I love your writing, but a little advice for you...

that will make your writing even better.

"PROOF IT" before you post it. I bet there are a number of your fans that would gladly proof your writing for you.

The bonus for them is that they get to read your next chapter before anyone else does.

I really love your style of writing and the only thing I see that disrupts the flow is the little mistakes so often overlooked by the author.

I know all about these little mistakes Torey, I make them all the time myself, giggle, giggle.

I'm no longer the prolific posting writer I once was. Instead I write and re-write, edit and re-edit, proof and proof again and still I miss a few things.

Find someone you trust to proof your stories for you and your good stories will soon be GREAT stories!

(Someone has offered to proof and edit my stories for me recently. Time will tell if we are a good match.)

Huggles Torey, I do love your writing and only wish better things for you.

Angel

"Be Your-Self, So Easy to Say, So Hard to Live!"

"Be Your-Self, So Easy to Say, So Hard to Live!"

On the Flip Side, Chapter 7

Lucas could be blessed with a low testosterone count that let's him develop like his mother, or perhaps he has an ancestor who was mistaken for a woman and has inherited those genes.

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine