One Day at St. Charles

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He snuck in the door just before the bell rang. He knew everyone was looking at him, but he just headed for his seat. He was about to sit down when the Voice of Doom came from the front of the room.

"George Watson, come here at once!" Sister Maria's voice wasn't loud, but it carried.

Reluctantly, he walked to the front of the classroom and stood there as she looked him over. Sweater, blouse, skirt, knee socks and Mary Janes. His hair in a high ponytail, and the light makeup on his face. His school pack still hung from one shoulder as he'd not had time to set it down at his desk.

"We can't have this. Report to the principal." With that Sister Maria scribbled a note, folded it and handed it to him.

He could feel everyone's eyes on him as he walked to the door of the classroom and headed for the office.


George made sure the bedroom door was locked. Even though no one else was home, he really didn't want to have anyone walk in on him now.

He undressed down to his briefs and dug a box out from its hiding place. He opened it. Inside was a skirt and blouse. A girls uniform for his school.

It'd been his sister Sally's uniform before she moved on to high school. It was in pretty good shape. He'd nabbed it from the box of stuff going to be donated.

He'd had it for months and would take it out from time to time and look at it. He'd even worked up the courage to try it on a few times.

He took a deep breath and started putting it on. Fortunately, he was small enough to fit it. The blouse hung a bit loose on his chest, but there wasn't much he could do about that.

He wished he had a bra for it, but he wasn't going to steal one from Sally. At least his school sweater was a style that was ok for the girls uniform. Heck, he'd been wearing Sally's sweaters for years. She'd outgrow them and mom would save money by passing them down to him

He always wished he could wear more of the clothes Sally outgrew, but he'd never had the courage to say so. Which was why he'd finally nerved himself up and swiped the uniform from the box of clothes mom had set aside.

He decided to risk it and unlocked the door and made a dash for the bathroom. In the full length mirror he didn't look too bad. The skirt was several inches above the knee. Higher than on Sally, but then again he had longer legs than she did.

While he'd never swiped any of Sally's stuff, he had snooped in her room a few times. He'd never dug through things, just looked at what was in plain sight.

Since they looked a lot alike, he figured that he could use the same makeup she did. So he'd made a list of what she had (and the stuff in their shared bathroom) and bought some of his own.

He went back to his room and dug out the makeup after re-locking his door. He'd practiced every chance he got. Fortunately, he'd had a bit of a clue from the times he'd been able to watch Sally. And from reading the magazines she'd leave laying around the house.

So, it didn't take him too long to do a decent job on his face. He thought he looked pretty good. Then he frowned and reached for the cold cream.

Shortly thereafter he was back to "normal". He started to put things back in their hiding places. Then he stopped. He looked over at the pack he used for his school books and things.

He'd get in so much trouble... But wouldn't it be worth it to do it? Just once? He sat there with the uniform in his hands going back and forth. At last he made a decision.

He put the uniform and some makeup in the pack. Then he went over and did his homework.

Much later, in bed, he took a long time falling asleep.


Next morning he looked over at the pack. He started towards it several times, but in the end, he decided to go through with it. So he put on knee socks rather than his regular socks. He looked at the old pair of Sally's Mary Janes that he'd also swiped from the donation pile. They'd take up too much space in the pack. But he couldn't get away with wearing them to breakfast.

He decided that he'd try heading back up and changing shoes after breakfast.

Somehow he managed to get through breakfast without incident. He faked having forgotten something and ran back to his room and switched shoes. He managed to get out the door without being spotted.

He had lots of time to think on the long walk to school. But the time let him get over most of the fear. He knew there'd be trouble, but the feeling that he had to do this got even stronger.

At last, he was entering St. Charles school. He quickly ducked into the handicapped bathroom. It was unisex and single occupant, so he could even lock the door.

He quickly changed clothes and then applied a bit of makeup. He stuffed his boy clothes into the bottom of his pack.

The mirror showed someone in a slightly rumpled girls uniform. Something wasn't quite right. Oh yeah. He quickly undid the ponytail he wore his hair in (and barely skated by on the dress code with) and re-did it as a girl's ponytail high on his head. He swapped out the black scrunchie for a blue one that matched the uniform colors better.

He checked his watch. It was close to time for the bell. He'd just have time get there and to his seat before it rang. Which was good because it'd mean less time to run into people.

He snuck in the door just before the bell rang. He knew everyone was looking at him, but he just headed for his seat. He was about to sit down when the Voice of Doom came from the front of the room.

"George Watson, come here at once!" Sister Maria's voice wasn't loud, but it carried.

Reluctantly, he walked to the front of the classroom and stood there as she looked him over. Sweater, blouse, skirt, knee socks and Mary Janes. His hair in a high ponytail, and the light makeup on his face. His school pack still hung from one shoulder as he'd not had time to set it down at his desk.

"We can't have this. Report to the principal." With that Sister Maria scribbled a note, folded it and handed it to him.

He could feel everyone's eyes on him as he walked to the door of the classroom and headed for the office.

He reached the school office all too quickly. He handed the note to the secretary and carefully sat on a chair. He didn't have long to wait before he was called into the Principal's office.

Sister Catherine had a piece of paper in front of her. It looked like the note Sister Maria had him take to the office. She looked up from the note and looked at him with a severe expression on her face.

After a moment she just said "Turn around, slowly."

He swallowed and did so, worried even more.

Sister Catherine sighed. "Mr. Watson. I am very disappointed in you. You should know better. You're a disgrace to the school dressed like that. And you were such a good student."

She continued, "I'm sorry, but this calls for serious punishment." She opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out The Paddle. It was a legend around the school. It was very rarely used, but parents did sign the papers allowing it to be used.

George swallowed. This was bad. Really bad. Worse than he'd thought.

"Assume the position."

George had never been paddled before, but he, like everyone, knew the drill. He bent over and grabbed his ankles. All the while praying he'd make it through.

He hear Sister Catherine get up and walk behind him.

"First, the dress code clearly states that skirts are to be no more than one inch above the knee. Second, students are not allowed to wear makeup. And third, uniforms are to be neat and clean. Not looking like they'd been wadded into a ball before being put on."

She paused, "Do you understand your offenses, Mr Watson?"

George's head spun. He wasn't in trouble for wearing the uniform?!

He felt something (probably the paddle) tap him on the rear. "I asked you a question. Do you understand?"

George stammered. "Y-yes, I understand."

"Please repeat the offenses so we are both clear that you understand."

"I-I'm wearing makeup. My skirt is too short, and my uniform is a mess, Sister," He paused and swallowed, then continued. "So... So if I fix those, it's OK to wear a girls uniform?" He cringed as he awaited the response.

There was another sigh from the principal. "Yes, though the church is not in favor of transsexuals and the like, the schools in our diocese do not discriminate."

"So as long as this isn't some kind of joke, you can dress as the girls do. But you'd better be on your best behavior. If you cause the school any embarrassment, you'll be punished."

"Y-yes, Sister.

"All right, let's get this over with."

With that he felt the back of his skirt lifted and placed on his back.

Sister Catherine coughed. "Another infraction. you aren't wearing proper underwear either. That's not something we normally check, but it is in the dress code. White, modest panties and a bra."

George was stunned. "Panties and a bra?"

"Yes. In your case, it'd probably have to be a training bra. We don't allow stuffing bras, and would prefer that girls not wear padded bras."

"Enough, it's time for your punishment."

George tightened his grip and tried to brace himself.

Wham! the paddle struck. George tried not to cry out and started to raise up, but a gentle hand on his back stopped him.

"You have to maintain the position, or I'll have to start over." Sister Catherine's voice was surprisingly gentle.

Wham! Another blow. And another. A dozen in all he later found out.

His skirt was flipped back down. "You can stand up again. Let me help." With that Sister Catherine steadied him as he straightened. He needed the help as he was quite shaky.

He didn't realize he was crying until she offered him a tissue.

"I'd tell you you could sit down, but I expect you'd rather not right now."

That actually got a small laugh from George as he wiped the tears.

"In a moment, I'll be sending you off to the nurse so she can make sure you are OK. She'll also help you get that makeup off and dig out one of the loaner skirts we have for when girls wear a too short skirt to school. Happens a few times every year."

"But first, we have a few things to have a few things to deal with. I'm going to have to call your parents about this..." She stopped as George cringed.

"Easy there. Under the circumstances, we can just tell them that there was a uniform violation, and arrange a meeting. And we can have someone there for you at the meeting. Someone to try to help explain things."

"Even so, you are going to have to talk to them about this."

George nodded. He'd known that he'd have to, and he didn't think it'd be too much worse than just getting yelled at. But it was still scary.

"On a lighter note, George is a bit odd as a girl's name, but not completely out of the question."

At George's stare, Sister Catherine chuckled. "Surely you've read Nancy Drew? One of her friends was a girl called George."

"So I'll leave you to think about whether you are going to be Mr. Watson or Miss Watson. I've got calls to make and you need to see the nurse."

George had a lot to think about as he headed for the Nurse.

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Well, I got the base idea

Brooke Erickson's picture

Well, I got the base idea (boy in girls uniform gets gigged not for it being a girls uniform, but for it being "worn wrong") and had the whole thing written out in something like an hour.

Pleased it turned out so well.

Had to fight the temptation to just keep writing, though.

Brooke brooke at shadowgard dot com
http://brooke.shadowgard.com/
Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls
It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world
"Lola", the Kinks

It *was* a fairly serious

Brooke Erickson's picture

It *was* a fairly serious offense.

And physical punishment is not automatically abuse, regardless of the opinions of many people.

Speaking as an abuse survivor, I'll note that such things *can* be abuse. But so can a lot of other things. Both the intent of the person inflicting things, and the way they "feel" to the recipient are what really count.

Brooke brooke at shadowgard dot com
http://brooke.shadowgard.com/
Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls
It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world
"Lola", the Kinks

Agreed Brooke

Corporeal Punishment does not equal physical abuse. It can, but at that point it is not corporeal punishment. I grew up with it and I can say it introduced me to the fine points of unspoken rule extensions. No barracks lawyering with my dad. But when I got a spanking, I knew what I had done wrong. Nothing arbitrary about it.


"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin

Re: It *was* a fairly serious offense.

I have no problem with corporal punishment, provided it is done appropriately.

I'm also an abuse survivor, and I can give you hundreds of instances where I was whupped with a heavy leather belt until my rump, lower back and the upper back part of my thighs were actually bruising/marking from the impacts of the belt.

It got so bad by the second last year that I was in grade school that I wore long sleeves and full pants through the entire school year (from the Tuesday after Labour Day until about the end of the third full week of June), even for gym. I'm amazed it wasn't discovered.

The excuse for a "father" had been beating me for ages, at that point it was forty to fifty swats, sometimes two or three times a day. He may have meant it to be simple punishment, but by the time I turned eleven, it went well beyond the level of reasonable punishment.

If he'd kept it to maybe ten or fifteen swats, like Sister Catherine in the story, then it would have been a reasonable punishment.

Intent is definitely a key part of whether or not it is or can be abuse. There's no need to bruise or batter the recipient.

"a girl called George."

Boy, would I have loved to go to a school like that that...

DogSig.png

One Day at St Charles

Ok, You got a good starter story chapter and it needs to continue to see what happens to her/him!

Richard

This definitely needs to be continued.

This story shows the acceptance of the Catholic church in accepting transsexuals. Even gays are now permitted in the church, as well. But, there are still those who wouldn't accept George as a Miss. This story needs to be continued because there is a lot more to tell here about George's journey in to girlhood. Things like telling his parents, will his parents talk to him when he gets home, the meeting at the school, how his peers accept him as a he or a her, and who is there for George and who isn't. All of this needs to be told in a second, and even a third chapter.

I loved reading this chapter, and it reminded me of my days at school, albeit, a public school. Thank you for sharing this heart warming story.

"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."

Alas, the Church's stance on

Brooke Erickson's picture

Alas, the Church's stance on Trans folks is *worse* than their stance with regards to gays. And the stance on gays amounts to "we will tolerate you being attracted to members of the same sex as long as you never act upon those feelings".

Yep, only way for a gay to be acceptable is to *never* have sex or even show physical affection to a member of the same sex.

But, as with their anti-gay policies (and policies on birth control and many other things) there are a lot of Catholics (and even some clergy and other religious) who don't agree with the policies regarding trans folks.

I just decided that this one diocese would be citing the local anti-discrimination laws as a reason for not strictly adhering to the Church's teaching on the matter.

It wouldn't be the first time that someone in the Church pulled the "as long as I haven't been *specifically* ordered regarding the matter, I'll follow my conscience" bit.

For it to be a diocese wide policy would require at the very least that the bishop was looking the other way. And that nobody complained too loudly.

Brooke brooke at shadowgard dot com
http://brooke.shadowgard.com/
Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls
It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world
"Lola", the Kinks

St. Charles is a great school

for their open mindedness on the T.G. I'd like to see more on this story and wonder what Georgie girl will do now.

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

"Surely you've read Nancy Drew? 

No, no I haven't and don't call me Surely! (LOL) . Sorry, couldn't resist! Well George has certainly picked a dramatic way to make an entrance!(or is that Georgia!). Ok Ms. Erickson, this one begs to be continued, please? Nice start! (Hugs) Taarpa

The Catholic School I went to

Brooke Erickson's picture

The Catholic School I went to had both Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys (the *old* editions, not the poorly "updated" ones from the 60s/70s) on carts in both 5th grade classrooms.

And Nancy Drew is kinda fun to read, even if the culture is *way* different back then.

Brooke brooke at shadowgard dot com
http://brooke.shadowgard.com/
Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls
It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world
"Lola", the Kinks

day one at St Charles, now what

Just finish reading day one. interesting to say the least, I can fully under stand George. The punishment deal did seem totally wrong by todays standards, but having attended a catholic school that was the norm. I am looking to see how his parent react to the whole situation.

Looking forward to reading "Day 2" soon.

PS: Not use to writing reviews

Stephanie online name

Made me wish....

... that I'd had a sister.....!! :)) ... and been to a co-ed school.....!!!! xx

And to think...

Aljan Darkmoon's picture

…they started out as a radical underground sect that was severely repressed by the Roman orthodoxy. Some 2,000 years later, people still adopt the ways of their putative oppressors. So much for “progress.”