Chapter 3

"How much longer do I have to walk with these silly books on my head?" Emma protested.

"Until you learn to walk gracefully like a young lady should," the stern looking woman sitting in the corner with a stick replied.

The other girls in the room tried not to snicker. And Emma wasn't the only pupil being drilled on walking gracefully.

She found a kindred spirit in a spunky girl by the name of Maggie Madison, or Margaret Anne Madison as their teacher, Mrs. Balew preferred her she be called.

Chapter 2

"Andy, Andy, wake up, you're having a bad dream," the young soldier said to his bunk mate.

"Lucian, I'm OK," his bunk mate said.

She couldn't possibly tell him the contents of the dream. She was surrounded by Confederate soldiers who had discovered her true identity. They were about to assault her when her bunk mate woke her up.

Author's note: This story takes place during the last half of the American Civil War. The war has already turned against the South. The casualty rates have devestated families in many Southern communities. A draft has been instituted. Unless a family held a large number of slaves, every male able to hold a rifle was suddenly called to fight for the Southern cause. As the war drug on, boys as young as 13 and men as old as 65 were expected to fill the already depleted ranks of the Army of Northern Virginia.

Chapter 1

Kiss Your Elbow and Become a Girl

by Jennifer Sue

There is an old saying that periodically makes the rounds of schools. It’s really silly and quite impossible but at the same time holds a strange fascination for those who hear it. It’s mostly used by girls to tease boys. “If you kiss your elbow you change into a girl”. The near physical impossibility of kissing your own elbow is one of the more unusual parts of this childhood mythology. According to the legends, a peck to the elbow would bring about an instantaneous sex change. For most boys, it was a threat of a terrible fate, something never to do. After all, most kids would never want to be a member of the opposite sex; they're icky, and may even have cooties! The most common version of the myth was that kissing your elbow at any time would cause a sex change. It doesn't matter if it's by accident or intent, if your lips touch your elbow, you're going to have to start using the other restroom. Some variations of the myth had a certain ritual you had to perform to become the other sex, such as spinning around in a circle ten times under a full moon before giving the kiss that will turn a boy into a girl. Obviously, no matter how much ritual is involved, it doesn't work... or does it?

Pass It On
Chapter Four

When they broke the embrace, they wiped the tears from their eyes and Destiny reached into her pocket and pulled out the coin. It had changed since the last time they’d looked at. Only the words “Pass It On” remained, everything else was blank now.

Destiny nodded as she rubbed the coin between her fingers. “I understand now.”

Katie shrugged her shoulders. “So tell me because I don’t.”

The Dead Kid Returns; Chapter 7: “I think I’m a girl”

“I think I’m a girl.”

Beth debated how to respond to that. Should she act surprised? But that felt wrong, so she said, “I’ve... seen her in you.”

“You mean .... I’m not crazy?”

“I wouldnt say that....” Beth then looked at the expression on the new kid’s face. “I’m joking. You’re not crazy. I’ve seen her.”

“Really? But .... what do I do?”

“I .... I dont know. But I want to be your friend, regardless.”

“Thanks.” the new kid said, and then they both became silent.

Conner nodded, then he pulled Tracy into a hug. “Sorry about the wrong name.”

“It's okay.” Tracy answered as she hugged him back.

“Is this permanent?” Conner asked. “The boy’s clothes, I mean.”

“I don't know. I'm just so afraid.” Tracy replied. “I don't want it to be.”

“Well, hopefully you'll get over that fear. I want to see my pretty granddaughter smile again.”

Edited by Djkauf

More of Tracy, post pictures and Vance too

The photoshoot went fine since my uniform was tailored to me to hide any flaws and with the help of a pushup bra I made it look really good. I did the whole shoot with those ladies standing their so I had to keep up the lily act the whole time.

Like I put in the blog, this is how Through the years began in my head, but then I went back and started on Troy's life as a kid and it moved away from ever reaching this point. So this is in no way a part of Through the years, but all the characters names haven't been changed.

Please enjoy

"Why are you trying to look like a boy?"

The Dead Kid Returns; Chapter 6: Talking in your sleep

For the next week, things slipped back into their former routine. Every day, they would find a quiet spot, and read beside each other. The new kid never mentioned the kiss, and Beth was too happy to have her friend back to push the issue.

The Dead Kid Returns; Chapter 5: Breaking Hearts

Sorry this chapter is kinda short. It was just too good a spot to make a break to pass up.

Beth was absolutely devastated. Her attempt to help the girl inside the new kid had gone horribly wrong, and now the new kid hated her. She dragged her broken heart to school the day after it happened, and the new kid wouldn’t even look at her, much less talk to her. Beth even tried waiting at their favorite reading spot, but the new kid didn’t show up.

I carefully snap the gold ribbon and take off the red paper. I’m unwrapping a Christmas gift from my grandmother.

“What’s she got you this year, Nathan?” my father asks as I stare dumbfounded into the box, frozen on the spot.

My mother comes up and looks over my shoulder, “Oh dear, it looks like she’s muddled the labels up. I guess that must have been meant for Sally.”

Troy leaned back and watched the scenery pass by. After a couple of miles, he spoke up without looking at his mother. “Mom, is it wrong?” He asked, then he slowly turned his head to face her.

“Baby, like your grandmother said, you should never let anyone make your choices for you.” Maggie patted her child’s knee. “And if you stop being yourself because of some asshole and his pictures, then you're letting him make a choice for you.” She turned onto their road and kept driving.