“Why did you come after me?” I asked as Mom opened the door on the van. She looked at me and Abby and realized that Abby had the situation under control.

“Because I’ve been in your shoes…” Was Abby’s simple, but profound statement. I slowly glanced up at her.

“What do you mean?” I asked quietly. Mr. Barker was dragging Shane out of the restaurant by his ear and marching him toward where Abby and I sat in the van. I pointed out the window toward Shane and his father. I saw Mr. Barker stop and talk to mom, and then the door on the van slid open and Mr. Barker drug Shane to the open door.

“Miss Fisher, Shane has something he would like to say to you.” Mr. Barker said.

“I’m sorry Emma, Justin, whoever you are.” Shane said, and then looked at the ground. Abby glanced at me, Shane had never apologized to any of his victims before…

“You’ve been messing up my life for several years and the only thing you can say right now is you’re sorry? I hate to break it to you, but sorry isn’t going to cut it. I know that you were close to being expelled for your stunts at school, and I hope you are.” I said, feeling a little pissed at him.

“He won’t be returning to Emerson Elementary in September…” Mr. Barker said. Shane shuddered knowing what was coming next. “His mother and I have known for quite some time what his antics at school had been doing to the students that he tormented. Shane will be attending The Chatfield School; It’s a school for boys that are delinquents. Maybe then he will shape his act up. Until he starts school there, he is grounded, and I think dresses may be in his wardrobe in the future… Petticoat punishment worked with me…” Mr. Barker let the thought trail off. “He won’t be telling anyone about what he saw tonight, and if he does, I wouldn’t want to be him… I told your mom that if you have problems with any of his friends that he’s told, for her to let me know…”

“Thank you, Mr. Barker.” Was all that I could say. I was grateful that his parents had finally gotten fed up with his antics and were going to do something about it. Abby and I watched as Mr. Barker drug Shane toward their car. While Mr. Barker had been speaking to me, a gentlemen in a polo and slacks had approached mom and was talking to her and he kept glancing at Abby and I. I pointed him out to Abby.

“Oh, that’s my dad. He’s a lawyer so who knows what he and your mom are talking about.” She said, with a shrug. I had never met her father. He walked over and poked his head into the door of the van.

“Emma, I’m Daniel Jenkins, Abby’s dad. Would you like to come over and visit when we get back from our vacation? I would like to talk to your mom about some stuff.” Abby’s dad said. I glanced at Abby, who shrugged. “Abby, do you have everything under control in there?”

“Yes. I was just about to tell Emma my story, or at least the important parts…”Abby responded, bushing a piece of her strawberry blonde hair back behind her ear.

“Ok. I’ll have them box up what’s left of your dinner, and you can eat it later.” Mr. Jenkins said, before turning and heading back into the restaurant. Mom spoke to Mr. Jenkins for a few more moments and then he went back inside.

“What did you mean that you’ve been in my shoes?” I asked again.

“I wasn’t always Abigail Elizabeth Jenkins.” Abby began. “I was born as Andrew Edward Jenkins, and I had a condition knows as partial androgen insensitivity syndrome. It was discovered after I had complained about my chest being sore for no apparent reason. When the doctors told me that I would more than likely, regardless of which gender I decided to live as, develop as a female, I took what would be the easiest path to keep my life as normal as possible.” I interrupted Abby.

“Wait, you’re saying that you were a boy? I’ve known you for years and never knew that…” I said, my voice full of surprise.

“Yep. We only told those that needed to know. Did you ever wonder why you never hear me talk of gym class?” Abby gave a little smile. “I have been excused from gym for the foreseeable future, at dad’s request. He wants me to adjust to being a girl before he lets me get into the kind of stuff we do in gym.”

“How often do you wear skirts?” I asked out of curiosity. I preferred skirts and dresses over pants and shorts.

“I normally wear skirts. In fact, I have an ankle length pink dress to wear on the plane tomorrow. I think the only things in my luggage are skirts. I have nice legs and I think that I should show them off.” We watched as Mr. Jenkins came back out side with Abby’s little sister Nicole.

“Is Nicole a girl?” I asked watching them walk toward the van. Mom, Rebecca, Rachel, and Lizzy were sitting on a bench waiting on Abby and I to finish our conversation. Abby laughed.

“Yes, Nicole is very much a girl. I’m going to have to teach her the finer points of being a girl, though. She’s looked up to me ever since mom died.” I knew that her mother had died, but I didn’t know how she had died. “I miss mom. She never really got to see me grow up. The drunk driver has no clue what he took from us…” I reached over and hugged Abby, who hugged me back.

“I’m sorry Abby.” I said quietly. She sniffled and looked at me.

“Don’t be. Sometimes I get like this. Nicole never really knew mom, so it’s up to me to act as the ‘mom’.” Abby said.

“I know what you mean, although I don’t know my father, he ran out after Rachel was born. Said he couldn’t cope or something. I just hope that if I decide to stay as Justin, I am nothing like him.” Abby smiled.

“Can I say something without you getting mad at me?” She asked, and then bit her lip.

“Yeah.” I replied, wondering what she was going to say.

“I think you make a better girl than a boy. You’ve always been so gentle and kind. Plus for the longest time, from the back, it was very easy to picture you as a girl.” My jaw dropped, that was not what I had expected to hear…