The Princess and the Plague : 21

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The Princess and the Plague


By Anistasia Allread
Edited by Edeyn

The whole room slanted even more steeply with the vertigo. He wanted to tilt his head to compensate but knew that it wouldn't really help. Closing his eyes wouldn't do anything but make his parents think that he was ignoring them.

"I - I - you don't know what it's like!" Eric wailed, "I had to do something!"

Tears blurred his vision

     

duckling.jpg

Eric had to mentally force his heart to start up again and remind himself to take a breath.

"I went and saw Dr. Barts today. I... needed to talk with her."

"What about last week?" his dad asked.

"What?" Eric didn't understand the question.

"Where were you last week, when you were supposed to be in school?" he clarified.

"I was there," Eric stated.

"Not according to your school you weren't," his dad replied calmly, "They said that they haven't seen you since school started; that they believed that you had moved. So where are you going when you leave here every morning?"

Eric felt his knees go rubbery. He reached out and held onto the back of one of the chairs for support. He needed to sit. Down. Now. Vertigo was making the room slant steeply to one side and blur a bit at the edges of his vision. He took another deep breath and pulled out the chair as he fell into it.

"Answer you father," his mother demanded. "Why haven't you been in school?"

"I - I - I have been," Eric protested.

"So your school is lying to us?" his father's voice was getting louder.

"No, not exactly..." Eric's mind was racing to figure out how to diffuse this, and came up empty.

With a shuddering sigh at the inevitability of what he was about to say, he looked up, took a deep breath and said simply, "I'm going to school as someone else."

"You didn't dare!" his mother yelled causing Eric to flinch, "How could you?"

The whole room slanted even more steeply with the vertigo. He wanted to tilt his head to compensate but knew that it wouldn't really help. Closing his eyes wouldn't do anything but make his parents think that he was ignoring them.

"I - I - you don't know what it's like!" Eric wailed, "I had to do something!"

Tears blurred his vision.

His father's face was one of confusion as he looked from his wife to his son and back to his wife.

"Oh my God, Eric! How could you?" his mother screamed, “How could you!?”

"Nobody knows!" Eric screamed back, "Except my friends," he added with a sniffle as tears began coursing down his face.

"Nobody knows what?" his dad asked, "What did you do? What is going on?"

"Your son is... " his mother began, and then stopped. "I can't even say it," she said, aghast.

"I was planning to tell you both on Saturday," Eric tried to explain, "That's why I went to see Dr. Barts today."

"Tell us what?" His dad insisted.

"Dad, I'm a girl. I've been going to school as a girl." It rushed out of his mouth.

Eric braced himself for the bomb to go off. He closed his eyes and flinched as he expected his father to either shout, or hit him. When neither happened, he cracked open his eyes. His father's face was one of shock. Instead of a red faced ticking explosion, he found a face frozen, drained of color, mouth slightly ajar and in utter shock.

His mother's face, though, was one of rage. "How could you, Eric? How could you?"

His father's face fell into his hands. His mother turned to his father. Her voice turned to one of concern, "Are you all right? Honey? Honey?"

"I'm so sorry, Eric," his father mumbled, "I should have seen it. I should have known."

Now it was his mother's turn to be confused. Eric's too.

"Known what?" she asked, "What are you talking about?"

"I was hoping that it was an isolated case," his father shook his head, his face still covered by his hands, "God, I had hoped it wouldn't be like this."

Eric wiped the tears from his face with the backs of his arms. What was his father mumbling about? Here he was prepared for rage, yelling, shouting, grounding -- even hitting -- but this? This was unexpected.

"I'm so sorry," his father muttered behind his hands. He wiped tears from his own eyes and looked across the table at Eric.

"How long?"

"How long for what?" Eric asked.

"How long have you known you were a girl?"

Eric was puzzled. From the look on his mother's face, she was just as puzzled as he was.

"I've... I've been... Erika... since, um, since summer camp," Eric admitted.

His dad nodded his head, "That explains some of it," he said cryptically, his eyes not entirely focused. He wiped another tear from his cheek. "So you've been going to school as a girl?"

Eric nodded, having completely lost the power of speech.

"What is your name?"

"Erika Summers."

His dad just nodded. His mother was dumbstruck, too. She just looked from her son to her husband as if she didn't know either one.

"And you've been seeing Dr. Barts for this?"

Eric nodded again.

“And no one at school has noticed?" his father asked slightly surprised.

Eric shook his head, then stopped, reconsidering. "One guy has but he said he didn't care and would keep it secret, that I seemed happier as Erika."

"You must make quite an impression."

Eric didn't know what to say or do at this point.

"You're okay with this?" his mother was coming out of her shock, "You're okay with your son dressing up as a girl and traipsing around school as a freaking fairy?"

His dad looked straight across the table locking Eric's eyes to his, "No, but I'm okay with my - my daughter being herself."

For a brief moment Eric was confused. Did his dad just say what he thought he just said. A wave of dizziness almost blinded him for a moment as blood flooded back into his brain.

"What?!" his mom cried.

"You're okay that your son is dressing like a girl? Okay with him acting like a girl?"

"If she is, in fact, a girl then... yes."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," his mother ranted.

Eric wasn't sure he could believe it either.

She glared at her husband, "I can't believe that you of all people are supporting this!"

Eric's dad reached over and grabbed his mother's hands and held them firmly. “Calm down. Let me explain."

Eric's limbs felt heavy, and drained. Not just from rally practice but also from this emotional rollercoaster that he didn't remember buying a ticket for.

His dad looked from his mom to him and back. "You've both heard me talk about my favorite uncle, Uncle Will."

Eric nodded.

"Before you were born," he looked at Eric, "before I met you," he looked at his wife, "Uncle Will took me out fishing. After a couple of beers he told me that he was changing his life. He told me that he had always felt out of place in society that he felt like he was faking it all of the time. I nodded in agreement with him because I think we all feel like we are faking it from time to time. He then explained to me that he was living a lie, that he had to tell me something that may be hurtful. He then told me pretty much what you are telling me, Eri - ka."

Eric's heart skipped a beat at the sound of his father calling him Erika. With that heartbeat she adjusted her self-alignment.

"Later that week, he told my grandmother, my mother and the rest of the family the same thing. The family disowned him, banished him. My grandmother told him to never contact any of them again. That was the day that my Uncle Will died. He didn't die in a car crash, he died when he left the family and became who he really was... Carrie."

Realization slowly dawned on Erika's mother's face, "You mean your crazy Aunt Carrie?"

Erika's father nodded. "I only have contact with Aunt Carrie through letters, and emails, but I keep in contact with her despite my grandmother's and my mother's wishes. I loved my Uncle Will and I love my Aunt Carrie."

Erika's father looked across the table, "and I love my child. Eric or Erika, I love you."

Tears poured out of Erika's eyes.

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Erika's mother pulled her hands out of her husband's grasp and stood up. "This is just a phase! A cry for attention! A game! I can't believe you are going to play along with this - this silly game of his," she stressed the last word with a glare at Erika and stormed out of the room.

Erika could hear her mother snatch up her keys and then slam the front door to the house.

Erika's dad shook his head, tears still in his eyes, "She just needs time."

Erika pinched the back of her arm hard enough to break the first layer of skin. Was this a dream? She bit the inside of her cheek, almost to the point of drawing blood. Pain hadn't awakened her from this strange string of events.

"Now, young lady, you had your mother and I extremely worried today, where did you go?"

Erika heard her mother's car start up and peel out of the driveway.

"Well, I started to go to school with Samantha like always," Erika began, "But on the way there, I became upset and needed some time to be alone and to just think. I wandered about and ended up at a playground near the Skate Park. I went to the batting cages for a bit to hit balls and think. I used the card you gave me," she paused, smiling at her father, "Then I decided that I needed Dr. Barts' help and took a bus to her office."

Erika looked at her father, just to make sure that this wasn't a dream. "I went to talk to her about how best to tell you what has been going on. We decided to make an appointment for this coming Saturday. I guess that doesn't need to happen, now" she sighed.

"No, I think it should still happen. A sit down between the three of us and a shrink would be a good idea."

"Really?" Erika looked surprised.

Her father nodded.

"Well, after that I took a bus to the mall and grabbed some lunch, and I... uh... bought a blouse," color flooded her face, "Then I had to get back to school for practice," that last word slipped out and she lifted a hand to cover her mouth as her heart thudded hard against her chest.

"Practice? I thought you were in a political cartoon club."

"I sorta lied," Erika looked away as she admitted, "I am on the rally squad."

"You're a cheerleader?" her father asked in disbelief.

"Kind of. It's the Rally Squad, we dance and cheer, but we don't do the tumbling and dangerous stuff. Or go to away games."

"You're a cheerleader," her father seemed to be having trouble wrapping his head around that.

Erika nodded.

"Does your mother know you are a cheerleader?"

Erika shook her head, "No, she didn't even know I was going to school as a girl."

"So,” her father said, “My son is not only a girl... but a cheerleader?"

"Rally Squad, Dad, I'm a, uh, Rally girl," the admittance of being a girl both thrilled and frightened her, "And then I came home."

Erika's father just stared at her from across the table. A long moment passed before her father sighed. He looked around him as if waking up. "We were so upset worrying about you that we didn't get dinner. Are you hungry?"

Erika's stomach betrayed her at the mention of food, "Yes."

"Why don't you go up and take your shower, get dressed and I'll take my daughter out to dinner."

"Really?"

Her father smiled, "Just don't take an hour like your mother."

Erika jumped up from her chair and began to run out of the room. She stopped, changed directions and ran into her father's arms, hugging him fiercely for a few seconds before sprinting off and upstairs.

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Comments

Evil thoughts

I had Evil thoughts of not posting this until next week. ;)

also, you will now notice (or I will point out) that the TG tag is there by it's self without the crossdressing tag. ;)

I hope this wasn't a disapointment

A.A.

Uh-uh...

Far from it. Thanks for letting good triumph over evil, and deciding to post this.

Quite the twist though. You had us convinced Mom would be more understanding with all her interaction with Dr. Barts and even Erica.

Just hope the three of them keep that appointment on Sat.

PB

No disappointment...

...at all! :-)

Thank you for another chapter!

-Liz

Successor to the LToC
Formerly known as "momonoimoto"

No disappointment at all.

I must say A, that you really surprised me. It really is OK with me. At least Erika is young enough to make it all work out. I do hope that Mom comes around. My own mother would have, I think. After all she is the one who first put me in dresses.

This story could have a rather high plausibility factor, perhaps. Well, she is outed at the school, and it is hard to tell if the Administration will cooperate or not. In line with my recent experience in Oregon, I'd say her chances are pretty good. There are even special schools for so called high risk students. Interestingly, Oregon has one of the highest rates of suicide, so a lot of effort is being expended to stop it. There really is not much reason for the other kids to know, but I do think it is inevitable they will.

I am trying to remember; she's a Freshman; just starting puberty? That part is confusing to me because I had it at age 9 and my grand daughter started at age 8. I have done some research and have not found it to start much past 12 years old, of course there are always statistical outriders ...

Very good.

Gwendolyn

Averages

Different parts of the world, different gene pools, but in general, in North America, boys start puberty on average between 12 and 13, with it becoming noticable between 14 and 15. While girls start between 11 and 12 and it becomes noticable between 12 and 13.

Girls mature earlier and faster, biologically speaking.

Large population statistical analysis

It would be interesting to see a bell curve analysis on this. According to your information my gene pool starts really early, by one to two years. Following that line of reasoning, there could be populations which start at approaching 14 or even 15 years.

I did a lot of statistical analysis on Industrial processes while I was still working and what I saw indicates that the above could easily be true. Hmmmmmm

Gwendolyn

late puberty.

Dedicated girl-athletes such as as country-level gymnasts and ballerinas sometimes start having periods at up to 18.

Father Knows Best!

AA: I think you just shock everybody with this chapter - but I like it, It's a shame her mother is mad about what happen! Richard

Richard

Way To Blow Us Away A.A !

jengrl's picture

All this time, Erika was afraid of her father's reaction and he totally surprises her with his support. Her mother is the one who she should have gotten support from and yet she reacted like Erika expected her dad to. My own mother reacted by saying the same thing about it being just a phase and a game at first, until I finally got through to her that it wasn't. I hope Erika gets to meet her Aunt Carrie. I imagine they will have a lot to talk about. Now comes the difficult part of convincing the school not to file charges against Erika for fraud. If a good lawyer can be found, the school could be sued and held liable for failure to protect Eric from being bullied. There could be an agreement put in place where the lawsuit will be dropped if Erika is allowed to attend classes without repercussions from the school for her masquerade. I hope Erika's mother gets over herself about this. She saw firsthand how happy Erika was compared to Eric when she visited Camp Kumoni. Hopefully, she won't turn into a religious zealot over this. There are too many of those idiots in the world already.

PICT0013_1_0.jpg

Interesting tag line, Jengrl

Funny you should mention religious zealots. I don't recall anything in this story so far to indicate that any of Erika's family is particularly involved in a church, or even has particularly strong feelings on faith issues.

We must not assume religion to always be the source of ignorance and bigotry. There are plenty of other sources.

You go Dad!

I'm glad Erika's dad has it together. I'm surprised that Mom isn't getting on board, but since I'm not a woman, how would I know?

Thanks for a great story. Keep it up!

Such a Great Story!

Dear AA,

Thank you, thank you. I just love this story so much. Sorry I haven't commented before.

I knew Erika was going to have her secret exposed and I was really worried that there would be bad feelings, hatred and/or violence. This revelation that her father is accepting of transsexuality is just so wonderful! The story, up to this point, completely had me thinking that her father would be very much against her transition.

I am very relieved. It seems like Erika will now get her wish and also be supported by her family, or at least her father.

Big Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee

Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee

Ha! Fooled Us!

All along, we've been set up to believe that Dad would be the immovable barrier, the hard nut to crack, the ballistic impedimenta, that Mom was only being considerate of Eric's well-being, protecting him from his small-minded, chauvinistic father.

It turns out to be almost exactly the opposite! In fact, Dad is open, inclusive and unconditionally loving, and Mom is only thinking about herself and "what will the neighbors think?"

Didn't see that coming.

One never knows

Ironically, I think my Dad would have been more accepting, also. However, given her Dad's history, this is a surprise.

All I can say is that I pray for all teens like her who are facing the same travails this night.

On the plus side, us readers will no longer have to say he/she and Erik/a or Eric/a any longer.

It is not settled of course whether she will have the surgery or not one day. What is a nearly sure thing is that her gender is feminine.

It was a sad day too when I realize what I to do too. There is not a lot of triumph or self-satisfaction on the part of a TG protagonist, it is always a matter of getting down to business and getting the deed done.

One final thought. Erika may not be totally out of the woods with regard to her father. Remember, she likes GIRLS !

Oh Boy.

Kim

When it comes on >>>

Well, we have not been told if she is Inter sexed, or one of those late bloomers. So far, I do not know if it is possible for her to be a normal female and have no secondary female characteristics at this time.

I have seen a Clitoris that was a good 4+ inches long, and I think she had a normal Vagina. Believe me she looked all girl, and identified as one. It seems like about the time we think something can't happen ...

Gwendolyn

Thanks AA

So, this chapter turned out completely differently than I expected. I guess I could see signs of the mother's disapproval back when the mother visited Camp K, but I figured the father would be the tougher nut to crack.

Thanks for another great chapter. As long as you keep writing these, I'll keep reading them.

o.o

Oh wow.. I definitely didn't see this coming! But it's really great how supportive Erika's dad is about the whole thing. And it even seems he was supportive the first time he encountered it too. I honestly expected her mum to be more level-headed about it, but maybe the shock of dad's acceptance threw her off balance somewhat? In any case, brilliant work Anastasia! I think you shocked everyone with a twist like that! Looking forward to more, as always! ^^

*hugs*

Arisu

Interesting Twist

But to be honest I never thought that the dad would be an obstacle to over come. I thought all the references to his bigoted family made it seem like he'd be understanding towards Erika. That being said I *never* thought the mom would take the stance she did! I certainly thought she'd be way more understanding even if a little peeved. But here it seems like Erika's mom *wanted* the dad to get angry with Erika. Like she wanted the dad to carry on his families awful beliefs. That's kind of sad. =(

Anyway great chapter as always! I can't wait to see the next update!

What a twist! I certainly

What a twist! I certainly hope that Erika's Mother does go out and "out" her. She has a really loving Father and if all can be fixed, he is the one that will make it happen. Erika now has a chance to shine in her Father's eyes and perhaps even her Mothers. Wonder if Mom has ever even met Aunt Carrie or just goes with what others tell her about the "crazy" aunt. J-Lynn

Nice Twist

terrynaut's picture

Oh yeah. That was a nice twist there, Anistasia. You had me fooled. Good job! :)

I wouldn't call this a big fall. You hyped it and misled us. That's not fair! :p

There's still some uncertainty here, but I'm relieved. I look forward to seeing you tie up at least a few loose ends. You don't have to tie them all, just most, please.

Thanks and please keep up the good work.

- Terry

Well... That was almost completely unexpected!

KristineRead's picture

Anastasia,

First thanks for posting this week, I was prepared to suffer... ;)

Dad's reaction was completely unexpected, and his having had exposure and experience....

Mom on the other hand... For those thinking the worst of her, keep in mind that Eric completely blew out her trust with this. He had promised to leave it at camp. He gave her a hard time about Dr. Barts. He embarrased her just the day before by getting drunk. And now he was going to school as Erika behind her back. I'm not surprised at how upset she is.

Hopefully the father will be able to get her to Dr. Barts on Saturday.

Anyway, WOW... Thanks again AA!

Hugs,

Kristy

Plus Mom Had the Embarrassment at School

Imagine going to the school and being told your child hadn't been there so far this year. Hopefully she'll cool off (only Anistasia knows for sure).

Anistasia, you continue to amaze!

I love the story, well done. I wasn't as surprised as I thought I would be, I always suspected dear old lecherous, macho Dad was a pretty decent person under the costume. Well, Mom has been showing that she was trying, but I guess what she was trying was not what most of us were expecting.

If Erika is seen in public with her parents, I wonder how long it will take for some student to put two and two together. Does this mean she'll be acquiring the title Princess Plague? Or will her new friends on the squad go to bat for her? Geez, a bunch of popular girls pulling for the same cause has a lot of pull with those hormone-crazed boys!

With so many bumps and twists in the road, I'm surprised someone hasn't gotten car sick, :-)

Hugs
Carla Ann

Trying...

As per the old joke, Mom's trying -- VERY trying.

I can't see any of Eric's tormentors identifying Erika through the parents; I doubt that any of them know or care what Eric's parents look like. (It's not like they've been in school objecting to the abuse.)

As for "a bunch of popular girls pulling for the same cause," it seems doubtful to me that the rally and cheer girls (other than the ex-campers) would stick with Erika if she were identified as the Plague. As they'd see it, they've been fooled worse than almost anyone else at school.

Eric

not so sure

Don't be so sure other popular girls would turn Erika down. Many of those popular girls are Erika's friends, and I think that can make a difference in a group. Turning Erika down would also mean (I think) turning down Erika's friends (not sure about Tricia still). I think they would probably see that Erika makes a better girl than a boy.
Of course, some would hate Erika, but that's inevitable. There are always some who can't stand it. But I think that would be a minority still.

Now, back to this chapter, Thanks Anistasia. It's been great. I surely didn't expected Erika's parent behaviour, but good stories do hold some parts of surprise. Surely, life seems brighter now.

Now, will Erika dress as a girl to go to dinner with her farther. Probably. And where will her mother eat? Can't wait for more.
Thanks.

Mildred

Sorry,but..............

Horray Erika!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! screw mother...................

Oh my Goddess, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG

Hope Eternal Reigns's picture

YIKES Ani,

WOW, SH!T, HOLY SMOKE!!!! ----------- So it was mom the whole time that was having trouble with the change??

Thanks so much for adding such an exciting chapter at this time. I don't know why, but this episode REALLY lifted my spirits tonight. Well, maybe I do know why, but it was great anyway.

with love,

Hope

with love,

Hope

Once in a while I bare my soul, more often my soles bear me.

Surprisingly expected

This is almost exactly what I expected! Wow, that doesn't usually happen. Her mother's reaction was a little more extreme than I thought, though. Thanks for not being evil and withholding this lovely chapter!

Saless

"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

Wow, convergence

A fantastic chapter lining up with the day I take my first estradiol pill. (Not just that, but the very chapter where the story goes from crossdressing to TG). For additional parallels, I also came out to my mother first, and she also handled it much worse than my father.

I'm not sure if I should chalk this up to coincidence, or the fact that there are a LOT of people reading this story so it was bound to happen to someone, but either way it feels pretty nifty.

a disapointment ?

NEVER !!!
one of your best "nice" that i wasn't expecting and its really made my day Thank You Anistasia

BookWorm

Love it

Waaaaah....Simplily love it *-*
Great chapter A.A.

By Yuki-chan


"People don't change. They may want to. They may need to. But they simply don't." House M.D


Sorry my poor english, i am from Brasil >_<

By Miri-tan


"People don't change. They may want to. They may need to. But they simply don't." House M.D


Sorry my poor english, i am from Brasil >_<

The Power Of Love

Shown here is full of hope. How many times has a girl been pleasantly surprised when she believes that all hope is lost?

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

One Thing I'd Forgotten...

Very nice job of shifting the storyline in a new direction. The scene rang true, though (as others have mentioned) I'm surprised that Erika's mom reacted as strongly as she did.

I went back and re-read Kumoni 51-55, Mrs Martin's visit to camp. I'd forgotten that Samantha had gone into detail as to how bad things had been for Eric the Plague in school last year. (Dr Barts mentioned it also, though she was constrained from going into detail by doctor-patient privilege.) So if Mrs Martin, after the sessions with Dr Barts, had concluded (as Erika suspected for some time) that Eric's masquerade was a matter of starting over and avoiding trouble rather than truly identifying as female, I'd probably sympathize with her to some degree; it's now clear to us she's wrong, but there's little reason for her to know that yet.

And as a previous comment noted, Mrs Martin has every right to be upset at Erika for willful disobedience and outright lies on Eric's part, and for doing something dangerous and possibly criminal without her knowledge.

But for her to argue that it's a device to get more attention strongly suggests that she hasn't assimilated a word of what people have been telling her since the camp visit, including a professional that she chose herself. I don't like thinking, given her willingness to take reasonable steps so far, that her head's that deep in the sand.

(It'll be quite interesting to see where Mrs Martin turns up. Tricia's? Samantha's? Her husband's parents? It certainly appears that she's looking to vent to someone...)

Excellent work, A.A.

Eric

Where did Mom go?

She probably went to go yell at Dr Barts.

The Father...

AA, I don't know if you remember but I hoped you would continue the 'camp' story because I was interested in how Erika's father would react. Bless you for seeing not all fathers are homophobes. Her mother, I'm sure, will get passed her problems with Erika and even if you don't continue this story, I'm pleased with the result.
--
I am a grain of sand on a near beach; a nova in the sky, distant and long.
In my footprints wash the sea; from my hands flow our universe.
Fact and fiction sing a legendary song.
Trickster/Creator are its divine verse.

--Old Man CoyotePuma

I am a grain of sand on a near beach; a nova in the sky, distant and long.
In my footprints wash the sea; from my hands flow our universe.
Fact and fiction sing a legendary song.
Trickster/Creator are its divine verse.

--Old Man CoyotePuma

didn’t see this coming

When you started this series you said you didn’t know where it was going. It has been fun watching you find your way.

I certainly didn’t see this coming. It opens up a lot of possibilities. I expect to enjoy the next as much as this.

Thanks for the story.

DJ

Well... Anistasia

Well... Anistasia... What can i say other than i never expected this twist in your super story,

Now that Erika has some degree of parental understanding!!!!Does that mean that the way is open for her to attend school as she would like without worrying about her parents finding out?... Or is Erika's mom about to put the cat among the pigeons?

I seem to remember that you promised something big was going to happen soon was this it? ... Or is it something else?...one thing is for certain you have a lot of readers waiting to find out!

Loving your work as always Ani...And I just can't wait for next weeks posting.

Hugs Kirri

Don't Be too quick to write off Dear Old Mom!

This has been an incredible strain on Mom. Think about it, this is a family in the upper income bracket, Dad makes a lot of money, enough so Mom doesn't work. This family has a certain social status to maintain, irrespective of poor Eric's problems. It is an unfortunate fact that a well-placed comment about a person by a colleague or enemy can ruin one's career, and Mom knows that she needs to keep this whole thing from becoming a scandal. Their livelihoods depend on Dad not being seen as a joke to his peers.

So she's been carrying this secret since summer, not really convinced of the possible gender thing. She's under the idea Eric finds being Erika a means to an end, that being life without being "the Plague." She's hoping the shrink will help Eric discover how to interact with others in such a way that Erika will no longer have to be around. No doubt now she has helped foster Erika's fears of coming out to her dad, moms manipulate their kids unscrupulously, every day.

Then she's confronted with the school issue, and learns that Eric hasn't been in school ALL YEAR! Talk about violating her trust! And then, when confronted, (s)he states that she's been attending as a girl! Mom had hoped that Erika had stayed at camp. Now there is NO WAY this isn't going to get very complicated for Mom, damage control is now overwhelmed!

Then, to top it off, as often happens in family confrontations with the kids, Dad doesn't see things the same way as Mom, and they don't present a united front to the kid. So now, Mom is betrayed by both of them. No wonder she huffed out and drove off like a Nascar driver.

Someone mentioned that she probably drove straight to Dr Barts' office. I hope she did, Dr. Barts can only help.

One thing is for sure, Miss Anistasia has plenty of material to work with!

I'm loving this!

Hugs,
Carla Ann

Was just re-reading the

Was just re-reading the story and all the comments and found I had left off a word in mine. I meant to say I hope Erika's mother does NOT "out" her. I think after a period of her own soul searching and "cool down", the Mother will come back home and help to work things out. Especially if she sees Erika as she is now and not what she saw her as in the camp. Erika has become more mature and grown up than at that time. She is way more into being a girl than back then. Maybe, just maybe, Erika's Mother will enjoy her new daughter being on the Rally team and will actually try to help her daughter succeed as a girl/woman. I wonder what she will think, if she comes home and finds Father and daughter gone? I also hope that Erika's Father will contact his Aunt Carrie and invite her to come and visit the family so all of them can get to know her. J-Lynn

Wowie Zingy Zangy Zowie!!!

laika's picture

I'm commenting on After Camp Kumoni at last (well there was that one p.m., but I mean in the comments. What a great twist! Loved the pacing on this, the gradual emergence of Erika over the course of two series', and all the speculation you had us in the peanut gallery going through. I hope you'll introduce Erika (and the rest of us) to crazy Aunt Carrie one of these chapters!
~~~love n' hugs AA, Laika

(PS: I really dug the bit of crossover with Edeyn's SK8R GRRLS & would like to see more, funny if The Dork came crashing into yer story bellowing inanely...)

Okay - it hit the fan - sorta...

Just not the way we were lead to expect. Dad is far more supportive than we had any reason to believe/expect. Mom - she has EVERY right to be upset at her daughter, and her going of - while maybe not safe in her frame of mind - may give her time to settle down.

My question - is mom going to have it out with Dr. Barts for not telling her about Erica going to school?

Thanks,
Annette

I never know what to expect

That's one of the things I love about your stories, Anistasia--always believable, but never predictable. You so enjoy playing with our expectations that I've come to expect it from you. But more than that, you seem to even enjoy playing with our expectation that you'll play with our expectations. (Now I'm starting to sound like Vizzini in that scene in The Princess Bride with the poisoned wine goblets.) So I never know what's coming, which is just the way I like it--after all, if I knew how the story was going to go, what would be the point in reading it?

I'm looking forward to finding out what really happens next, as opposed to what I'm expecting to happen.

Hah - I guessed - well at least partly

When uncle Will and crazy aunt Carrie where mentioned in the last chapter it was pretty clear to me that this was the same person and it meant a lot to dad. At that time I guessed transsexuality and was pretty sure dad would support Erika, but dad went further than I guessed.

When dad said:

"I was hoping that it was an isolated case," his father shook his head, his face still covered by his hands, "God, I had hoped it wouldn't be like this."

I thought it was one of those intersex syndromes that can be inherited. It would make more sense than transsexuality since so far there is nothing to suggest it is usually inherited.

It seems like dad knows more than he lets on so far. Even Dr. Barts is not fully decided yet but willing to give Erika a chance.and see if thats the right path for Eric. We do not have the results of the tests back yet if I remember correctly. So IS is still possible.

Her mom seemed to want to help but not to be too open to the whole idea. She may really have hoped it was either just a phase or her husband would disapprove since she seems to consider this a great dishonor for herself to have such a "freak" of a child.

Its great to see Erika has her dads support. He was very close to Will it seems and he seems to feel guilty for not sticking up more for him now her. At least he kept in touch with Carrie and I'm sure they will visit in the near future.

With dads support Erika has something most t-girls wil be denied all their live since dads usually have a harder time accepting their new daughters and thats even more so if said daughter is already an adult. So I really envy Erika for that.

There are still lots of loose ends and look forward to reading how all those things will develop.

This story is a real delight to read and it has been from the first chapter of Camp K.

Thank you very much A.A.

tight hugs

Holly

Friendship is like glass,
once broken it can be mented,
but there will always be a crack.

Anistasia

I am particularly fond of stories where the men are human too!
I so dearly wish I had more time to read, Anistasia. Your sweet
characters and clever plots are always engaging. Thank you, and an
excellent chapter.

Can't wait to see what Erica wears.

Sarah Lynn Morgan

Excellent!

Really nice chapter, great twist with the Mother and Father.

Hugs

Alys

I've been a Dad supporter for awhile. Is mom in danger?

RAMI

When other's were attacking the dad earlier on, I gave him support or at least the benefit of the doubt. I guess I was right.

Dad still is not ready to accept that Eric is really Erika, he still wants to make sure that is the correct course of action and so wants to get Dr. Barts more involved. We have to see where that will go.

I hope Mom has calmed down and did so quickly. Driving the way she is dangerous. I hope that Anistasia is not foreshadowing a horrible outcome based on the following, "My grandmother told him to never contact any of them again. That was the day that my Uncle Will died. He didn't die in a car crash, he died when he left the family and became who he really was... Carrie." If anything happened to mom, both Eric/a and dad will be devastated.

Dad is no longer the problem and mom is reacting negatively. Well, what would you expect. A) She finds out her son is not been at school at all year; B) She does not know where he is (Why did she not call his cell?); C) She finds out that he has been disobeying her, by wearing girls clothing and going to school dressed that way; D) He had been grounded since the weekend before, and he has violated the agreement regarding his grounding; E) She finds out that her husband has been keeping a secret from her about Uncle Will/Aunt Carrie; and F) Her husband does not support her regarding Eric/a. If anyone thinks they would not be angry under similar circumstances, they are kidding themselves.

Do not expect Erika to have an easy time at school. I expect her to have a bad time. Lets see what she can expect:

a) The school will punish her and her friends.
b) The girls on the squad might feel that they were betrayed not only by Eric/a but by Samantha, Tricia, and the other friends of Eric/A. Will those girls be kicked off the teams.
c) Julian will fell deceived. He will easily become the recipient of gay jokes. In high school, it will take a brave and strong man to fend that off.
d) All of those who tormented Eric as "The Plaque" will have a field day going after Erika "The Plaquette".

Eric/a's fall is still a strong possibility. All that has changed is that dad is carrying the glue pot (to put the pieces together again)and mom has run away.

How this will be handled is what we learn in future chapters. Perhaps a transfer to the other high school in town will be a solution.

RAMI

RAMI

Going to the school authorities

... might not be the only way to go. I suspect she will continue as Erika Summers having had an official name change and her records would be suitably altered so that she now has her previous records as Eric. A bureaucratic mess up occurred preventing the school from getting the change and confusion resulted ... and Bob's yer uncle, the school never knows about the subterfuge of her friends with her dad as the spymaster.

A bit of mission impossible but who knows.

Nowwww, the school administration will have to find out about her change but a suitable threat of a lawsuit for their lack of En Loco Parentis responsibilities in taking care of Erik and they might be more palatable about keeping all of this from the student body at large. Having the entire student body know is untenable as far as I am concerned, I cannot see how that can be worked through without some pretty spectacular fireworks.

But you're right, it would be probably best if Erika went to another school. But even if she did, the parents will have to inform the school of her gender situation. So, I think it might be better to deal with the devil you know then the one you do not.

Kim

Wow

Anistasia, Great surprise. I really like that Dad got to be a hero. Every girl need to have a Dad she can look up to. Wonderful.
Hugs, Wendy Marie

Wendy Marie

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

You have to use Gomer Pyle's North Carolina accent with this one.

Hello Miss Anistasia!!! ^___^ ;-D

You really got us thinking now. I can't wait for the next chapter to see how it turns out.

Take care until next time.

Rachel

Neither Dad nor Erika seems to be worried about Mom.

Jezzi Stewart's picture

She was so angry she "peeled out" of the driveway. That's an accident looking to happen. She probably feels doubly betrayed - by Eric for breaking trust and by Dad for not telling her about "UncleAunt WillCarrie. Ironically, she might be so mad she'd even do the "guy thing" and throw alcohol into the mix: quadruple the chances for disaster. I can't even begin to imagine how Eric could survive the guilt he would almost certainly - rightly or wrongly - take upon himself if anything did happen to mom. Her true nature would almost certainly be shoved into the deepest part of his subconscious and his life would be much more of a living hell than it ever was as the plague. If you have decided to end this with a suicide, Anistasia, (I hope not!) then you've done the perfect set up.

"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!

Eric/a a Suicide!

RAMI

Wow, I also commented about mom's situation, but that that could actually be the direction Anistasia will take us, and that Eric/a could be a suicide risk, is something I did not even contemplate.

That would be an upsetting turn of events.

I know that author's usually do their own things, but I would be willing to start a petition amongst this story's readers and fans to urge Anistasia to not go in that direction.

RAMI

RAMI

Pre OP Suicide

Well, the statistics are not good. While the X-spurts all seem to disagree, it has been in the 50% area. Being an optimist, I hope that public education and support networks for T folk are greatly reducing that.

It sends chills up my spine when someone tells me that they have started RLT because of something I have said. It is usually a really hard task to take on and I do not want later recriminations against me.

We need to try to avoid trying to bring this story into reality. It is really good and well written fiction, but in real life Transition is hard and sometimes heartbreaking work.

Gwendolyn

Can't totally avoid writing about bad transition stuff

Erika is in a difficult situation. Everything hinges on how the school administration reacts to her 'change' and how much they are willing to do to protect her from exposure.

Being known as the plaguette would be a hell even worse than being merely the plague. This is her best chance at a fresh start. The best way really is to be a new student at another school but stealth. She is early enough in the term to do such a thing also.

She can then transition in peace but without her best friends and supporters. But then we would not have a story. Staying at Washington high will probably mean not being stealth but may need to pull something out of a hat and for her to beat back her plague past.

Her current challenges is to somehow bring both parents into her orbit. Being a girl does have its benefits. Parents tend to take more seriously of their girls being abused in school whereas there is a certain expectation that boys are suppose to learn to fight their own battles.

Kim

Holy jumping catfish!

Whoa! I did NOT see *that* coming!

Big hugs,

Kaleigh

Wow!

This is such a great series! I sure didn't see this twist coming, bet no one did. I love your writing, Anistasia; so colorful and fresh. Thank you. :)

What a revelation!

I can't really add to what everyone else has already said, but this certainly takes the story in a new, interesting and hopefully more positive direction.

Erika is the dominant personality, but for those mourning Eric, the essence / soul of Eric will always remain - firstly in academic performance (which may even improve now the spectre of the pranks has been lifted), and secondly in the drawing. Admittedly Erika will be too busy to spend anywhere near as much time as Eric working on the cartoons, but hopefully will still be able to keep them 'ticking over' in the background.

But on the comic front, were they 'signed' as Eric or the pseudonym (Raven? I can't remember!)? If as Raven, it'll make it easier to submit new comics using the same account (there'll just be a bit of catch-up for those that know the artist's identity on the IM client)....

 
 
--Ben


This space intentionally left blank.

As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!

Daddy T_T

I wish I had a daddy like that

Reversal

Wow her dad is being the reasonable one I did not see that switch coming but this could solve a lot of problems.

hugs :)
Michelle SidheElf Amaianna

Dad is on board

but I thought her Mom was better than that ...

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