Girlish

(A love story)

by Karen Singer

 

Chapter 12

 

I vaguely remember bright lights rushing past me and people yelling at me. But I didn't care. I was in too much pain and went back and found the nothing again.

I remember hurting! Lying on my back and hurting badly. I couldn't wake up. I didn't want to.

I remember having trouble breathing. I couldn't breath through my nose. I felt suffocated. I started struggling and clawing my way awake. I opened my eyes and took a huge breath. The room was dim and quiet. I realized I was in the hospital. My head ached badly, my groin felt mostly numb and tingled a bit. As I looked out my vision was hampered by bandages around my nose. I turned my head and saw my mother sleeping in a chair. "Mom?" I said, my voice coming out a bit horse.

She looked up instantly. "Sweetie, you're awake!" She got up quickly and came over and hugged me awkwardly around all the tubes and wires sticking out of me. I hadn't even realized they were there till she did it. "How do you feel honey?" she asked me.

"I hurt, all over," I said. "And I'm thirsty."

She looked almost panicked as she ran from my bedside to the door and out into the hall. A few moments later a nurse came in with her. "I see we're finally awake," said the nurse barely looking at me. She spent a few seconds looking over some monitors in the room then left us again.

"I told her you were thirsty," Mom said. I hope she brings something soon.

I had to wait a little while, but finally a doctor showed up and checked me over asking how I felt. "I hurt, all over," I told him. "And I'm thirsty."

"I'm not surprised," he said making notes on a clipboard. "I'll have the nurse bring you something to drink and increase your pain medicine a bit." Then he left, that quickly.

Mom hovered over me not talking much. Just worrying about me till the nurse finally showed up twenty minutes later with some ginger ale in a cup and a straw. She put the straw into the cup and just held it for me to take a sip. It tasted so good! She wouldn't let me sit up yet though. "Not till the doctor says it's Ok," she told me. She made some adjustment to a bag that I realized was attached to the end of the tube sticking in my arm, then she left.

Mom looked worried. "I'll be Ok," I said.

"I know Sweetie. The doctor said you'll be just fine. I'm just happy to see you finally awake again."

"Why, how long did I sleep?"

"Two days Sweetie. A very long two days."

"How's Brenda?" I asked suddenly remembering her.

"She got banged up a bit and she seems to go a bit crazy every time a man comes near her, but otherwise, she's doing fine. She was here a lot while you were sleeping. She seems to be real nice."

"She is. I like her an awful lot." I think the increase in medicine started to kick in then because I suddenly started to feel tired again. "Mom, I think I'm getting sleepy again."

"That's fine dear. Just rest and close your eyes. I'll be here if you need me." And with that I was soon asleep again where I didn't have to think about hurting.

The nurses checking on me woke me up very early in the morning. I didn't hurt as bad but I didn't feel too good either. Mom was still there. I could tell she hadn't left. We talked a bit about this and that, but otherwise, we didn't really get a chance to say much to each other.

The doctor came in early. Not the one that I saw last night. Evidently this was the one who was in charge of my case because Mom seemed to know him and was glad to see him. "He woke up for a little while in the middle of the night last night," she told him. "Then he fell back asleep again."

The doctor nodded. "I'm Dr. O'Conner," he told me. You're a very lucky person. You came very close to being killed."

"I know," I said to him.

"I should also tell you that you may be something of a local celebrity right now, so you better be prepared."

"Me?" I asked. "Why?"

"Because the police and newspapers are making a big deal of it."

"But everybody will know about me!" I said panicked.

The doctor looked down at me. "Maybe, maybe not. So far, the newspapers have only been told you were a girl. The police know differently, of course. What you tell them is up to you. I can't vouch for the hospital staff though. So I just want you to be prepared."

"Ok," I said. "Just how bad did I get hurt?"

He smiled at me. "Pretty badly, but nothing that won't heal sooner or later. Let's start at the top shall we?

"First of all, I still have you listed as being in serious condition. I'll probably downgrade that later this morning, but let's leave it at that for now. You have a major concussion and a small hairline fracture in the back of your skull from where you hit your head on the bed frame."

"The bed frame? Was that what it was?"

"That's what the emergency crew put down. Next, your nose was broken and you lost a few teeth in front. I'm afraid you're going to need some dental work when you get out of here." I nodded. I could feel them missing. "You also have some other major bruising to your face, but nothing else was broken there. However, you do have a broken rib and some major bruising on your torso."

"Yeah, it hurts," I said. "That's where he kicked me."

The doctor nodded again. "Finally, your biggest problem is where he stabbed you." Visions of that knife coming down at me and the memories of the searing pain flooded through me again and I shivered. "The knife got caught on your chastity device and the consequential struggling tore you up pretty badly inside, but it was nothing we couldn't fix. You're going to hurt an awful lot down there for a while, but you'll be alright. Believe it or not, I think that chastity device probably saved you. It only let the blade go in about two inches before it got stuck. If it had gone in any further, you would have had a whole lot more damage. I need to tell you though that we had to remove your right testicle. It was cut up pretty badly and there was no way to save it. Everything else we were able to sew up."

I nodded. It was hard for me to worry about losing a testicle. I had hardly seen or felt them in months. "So I'm going to be fine?"

"Perfectly, given a few weeks to heal."

"Good," I said relieved. "Any chance I can get something to drink? I'm real thirsty… and hungry too."

The doctor smiled at me. "They should be around with breakfast for you very soon. I'll check back with you later this afternoon. Listen, I meant what I said about that chastity device probably saving your life. If it hadn't trapped that knife it would have done much worse damage and he would have used it to slit your throat for sure. I saw the little cuts he gave to your friend Brenda. You are one lucky person."

I nodded. I didn't feel lucky. "Thank you," my mother said to him as he was leaving.

"Mom," I said. "Is there any way we can sort of play down the fact that I'm not a girl?"

"I don't know Sweetie," I guess we can try if you like.

"Good," I said. "I'd really prefer it."

Breakfast wasn't great, but I was hungry and ate everything. It sure made me feel a lot better. Afterwards the nurse came in and changed a bag full of yellow liquid that had evidently been hanging from my bed. I had a catheter in me and I didn't know it. A good thing I decided. I didn't really feel much like getting out of bed yet.

Brenda came in with Sharon and Melissa shortly after eight o'clock. She was wearing a turtleneck top so I couldn't see any cuts or bandages on her neck. I could tell her face was bruised despite some makeup she had put over it. "Stephie," she cried as soon as she saw me and ran to me to hug me. She didn't care about the wires, she just threw herself on top of me. I grunted when she did, but I don't think she even noticed. "Oh Stephie," she cried into my shoulder, "I love you." She stayed like that for the longest time. I could hear her sniffling back small tears.

When she finally started to pull her self back up, I saw the tears still coming down her cheeks. I pulled her face to mine and kissed it. "I love you too, Brenda," I said and watched her smile at me. It made me feel good.

"How are you doing?" I asked her as she finally got off my sore ribs.

She shrugged, "I seem to be scared of every man I see again, but I'm trying. I'm not going to let it get to me like last time."

"Good," I said. "How about you?" I asked Sharon.

"I don't know," she said. "I'm thinking about leaving for good as soon as the police will let me. I can't sleep at night anymore."

"I'm sorry," I said understanding.

"Don't you be sorry! If it wasn't for you, I'd probably be dead right now! We all would!"

"Me?"

"You bet! If you hadn't gotten that guy away from Brenda and then kept him busy till Bruce got there we all would have had it!"

"You saved my life," Brenda said.

I looked over at her. "I had to," I said. "I just had to!"

Sharon and Melissa stayed for a few more minutes then left. Brenda stayed behind and talked with my mother. I didn't say much. It was easier for me to stay quiet. Mom hadn't even found a hotel yet. She had driven here as fast as she could right after Jill had called her and had just stayed in my room with me.

 

It was a little before noon when Aaron walked into the room. "Hey everyone," he said with a big smile on his face. He walked over to my mother and said, "I'm Aaron, I live in the same house with everybody else."

My mother just shook his hand and said, "Hi."

Aaron pulled a newspaper out from under his arm. "Have you seen this yet?" he asked.

"No," I said.

"It's yesterday's paper." Then he unfolded it and showed me the big headline: "Local Football Star Hero!" it said. "Would you like to read it?"

I looked at him past all the bandages on my nose and said, "Maybe you better read it to me. I don't think I can focus too well."

The story basically told how the three guys had entered our house with the intention of raping and murdering us. The part I didn't know was that Bruce and Melissa had been walking home when they heard Brenda screaming from two blocks away. Bruce had taken off at a run for the house but didn't get there till after I had been stabbed. I realized that he was what I saw rushing into the room just before I had blacked out. It seems he was mad and tore through those guys injuring them pretty badly. A two hundred and seventy pound tackle can do a lot of damage to someone really quickly. Aaron and Jill had gotten home right after Bruce got there. Aaron had tied the guys up before they could go anywhere and to stop Bruce from pounding on them. Melissa had called the police.

Us three "girls" were only referred to as three coeds, pending notification to their families. I was labeled as the girl that got seriously injured with stab wounds while struggling and trying to prevent being raped. It was also mentioned that I had egged one of them away from a second girl to protect her after one of the attackers had made cut marks across her throat.

Bruce was being touted as a hero. He was certainly my hero. He had saved my life. So had Aaron and Melissa, I realized. I came very close to being dead.

"You saved my life too," I said to Aaron. "Thank you."

He just smiled at me. "Thanks, but I didn't do anything except tie them up a bit."

"Still, you were there and that helped."

He was still smiling at me. "It never hurts to have a little rope around now, does it?" I smiled back at him.

 

I had napped a bit after that. They keep waking you up to check on you when you're in the hospital I noticed, that is, unless you want something. Then nobody can be found! Mom had spent most of the day talking to Brenda again. "Mom," I finally said, "Where are you staying?"

"Why don't you stay at our house?" Brenda said. "Stephie's bed is empty and the police took the seals off our door yesterday so we can get back in there again."

Mom looked at her with that undecided look on her face. "I don't know, I wouldn't want to impose."

"Believe me, you won't be imposing, especially if you can drive me back and forth to the hospital here with you every day."

Mom smiled. "I could do that I think." So it was settled.

Later that evening, Mom and Brenda were just starting to talk about leaving for the night. Mom was very anxious to get a good bath and some rest. I was doing better and she felt safer about leaving me. They didn't get out though before we had more company. Bruce, Mark, Aaron, and Jill all came in with very serious looks on their faces. Bruce was carrying a large suitcase.

They barely acknowledged my mother and Brenda, but instead gathered in a tight group around my bed. I could tell something was up.

Bruce took a deep breath. I could tell he was troubled and a bit uncomfortable. But he was also very determined. "I wanted to say this because it's all my fault to begin with and I've felt really badly about it for a long, long time. You put your life on the line to try to save those two girls. That took courage and guts. Only a real man would have done what you did. It's our fault that you wound up like you are now, so it's up to us to fix it." And with that he set the suitcase gently on the bed and opened it so I could see in it.

Inside, I could see that it was stuffed with men's clothes. Jeans, shoes, underwear, everything! All of it for me! "I was wrong for being so cruel to you when you first got here." Bruce said.

"And I was very wrong for what I did to you too," Jill said.

"And I was wrong for helping them to do it," said Aaron. "It's time to stop pretending your something you're not." Aaron continued.

"You've shown us that you're a real man, no matter how you were dressed." Bruce finished.

Brenda came over and looked into the suitcase. I could see a look of horror on her face. "No!" she screamed. "No, no, no!" She ran out of the room hysterical.

Mom came around to look too and I could tell she had a proud look on her face. It had turned to one of puzzlement at Brenda's reaction though.

It was like manna from heaven. My mouth hung open. I was truly touched. The very thing I had longed for all these months had finally been handed to me on a proverbial silver platter. Tears fell out of my eyes as I reached out and touched the edge of the suitcase. The world would never know how much it meant to me. I was just bothered that Brenda had reacted so badly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much," was all I could say through my tears. They all looked happy and more than a bit relieved.

"I need to apologize too," Mark said. If I hadn't left you all alone that night, this probably wouldn't have happened in the first place.

I looked up at him. "Yes it would have," I told him. "They would have just waited till another time and got us then, or you would have been hurt too. It's not your fault." I looked up at Bruce. "The newspaper's say you're a hero. Well I want you to know, that you'll always be my hero. I can't thank you enough."

Bruce smiled at me. "My pleasure," he said. "Besides, it felt awfully good pounding on those guys like I did." The small laugher that his remark evoked was like a welcomed relief.

After they left, it took Mom nearly thirty minutes to find Brenda. She was curled up in a ball in a stairwell somewhere crying her eyes out. When she finally got back to my room, Brenda ran over to me and jumped on me again crying. "Stephie, don't leave me. Please don't leave me. I need you Stephie! I love you!"

I held her as best I could to comfort her. "I love you too. You know that. And I'm not going anywhere."

"You're going to be a boy again," she said.

"But I'm still going to be here."

"It's not the same thing!" she said and pounded on me with both fists. There was no way I was going to tell her it hurt me. "I don't want you to be a boy, I want Stephie!"

"But Brenda, you'll like me as Stephen too."

"No, no, no!" she screamed and pounded again on my chest with each word. She was so upset! Then she suddenly jumped up looking very confused and shouted "No!" one more time acting like she wanted to hit something, then ran out of the room in tears.

"She'll get over it honey," Mom said. "I'll go find her again."

Mom was gone about twenty minutes. She couldn't find Brenda anywhere, so she finally said goodnight to me and left to find a hotel and get some much needed sleep. All night long I worried about Brenda.

 

The next morning was sort of a repeat of the previous one in that the nurses were a regular pain at keeping me awake when I want to be sleeping. Mom hadn't shown up and I hoped she was still sleeping. She had needed it.

I finally dozed off myself again. When I woke up, a strange woman was seated in the chair watching me. At first impression she looked like an old "bag" lady that lived out on the street. Her coat was old and tattered. She looked like she hadn't taken care of herself in years. "Hi," I said to her.

When I said that she smiled at me. "Hi," she said kindly. "I'm Brendi's Mom." That got my attention, along with the smell of cigarettes and bad liquor on her breath. "You must be Stephen, or as my daughter tells me, Stephie."

"Yeah," I said, "that's me. Soon to be just Stephen though."

She nodded. "Brendi wouldn't come with me here this morning, but I had to come over and see you for myself. I came so I could thank you for giving my daughter back to me, and now for saving her life. She was scared and afraid to even go out of the house. It was a major effort to get her to accept her scholarship to this school and come here. My fondest wish for her was to not wind up like me. I'm not sure if that's going to happen now though. Suddenly last semester, all she would talk about with me was Stephie, Stephie, Stephie. You brought her back to life again. I can't thank you enough for that. And now to top it all off, you literally saved her life when those boys got at you. I'll never be able to repay you for it, but I just wanted you to know how grateful I am."

I looked at her. What could I say? "I had to save her. I love her. You don't know how special Brenda is to me. She's helped me so much with everything. She was the only one who was kind to me when everyone else was cruel. She was right there holding my hand and helping me through the worst parts of my life. I love her. I just wish she could accept who I really am."

She nodded again, "Well, you won't have to worry about it anymore. She called me last night to come and take her home. She's dropping out of school. It breaks my heart. I don't know if she'll ever get this chance again. The police asked her to stick around for another day or two and she's got to see that doctor again and some business with the school to take care of, then we'll be gone. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate all you've done for her, that's all."

I watched as she struggled to get up out of the chair and shuffled toward the door. "Thanks for coming," I said, "I'm so glad to meet you. Isn't there any way you can convince her not to leave?"

She turned to me. "I've been trying," she said shaking her head. "It's such a shame." She shook her head and walked out the door almost colliding with my mother who was just arriving.

"Good morning Sweetie. Who was that?"

"Brenda's Mom."

"Really?" She quickly turned around and practically ran out the door. I could hear her calling "Wait!"

Brenda was leaving. I had been upset all night long about her reaction to me being a boy again and now she was leaving me. I wanted to cry. I didn't get the chance though because the doctor came in to work on me.

They removed the packing from inside my nose that morning. It was wonderful to be able to breath through it again, but wow did it hurt taking that stuff out. Then it was down to my groin to change the bandages there. "Everything's looking really good," the doctor told me. "I want you to get up a bit today and move around a bit. Don't do too much though, please take it very easy. I don't want those stitches tearing. I'll have them remove the catheter in a little while."

I could move again. Quite frankly, I didn't feel like it, other than I wanted so badly to just pound on my pillow in frustration about Brenda. She couldn't leave me, she just couldn't!

Mom finally come back near the end of the doctor's visit and got all the latest directly from him. "Mom, Brenda's leaving."

"I know Sweetie. I'm sorry."

"But I don't want her to leave!"

"I know. I just don't see that you can do much about it. It looks like she's made up her mind."

I was in a total funk! It was interrupted though by a short visit from the police detective. It's amazing how busy a hospital room can be. He told me how sorry he was that I got hurt and wanted to hear my side of the story. Then he said he was sure I would never have to worry about those guys again. I hadn't been exactly worried about it. What I was worried about now was Brenda.

The nurses removed my catheter and made me get out of bed so they could change the sheets. Mom helped me drag around my IV stand while I slowly made my way out into the hallway. I paused at the door and read the small sign that announced who was in the room: "Stephen." I touched it fondly. But would it make me lose Brenda?

Walking was a bit painful. The pulling on my wound hurt with every step. I was glad for the pain medicine. I really wanted to be running out of there to find Brenda, to stop her. It was impossible. I wanted to pound my fists on the wall in frustration.

 

Right after lunch, I got a surprise visit from Diane and Courtney. "Everybody's talking about it," Diane told me. Great everybody knew, but did they all realize that it was a boy who got stabbed and not a girl? I didn't know or want to ask.

"So you're going to be Stephen now?" Courtney asked.

"Yeah, finally," I said proudly.

"It's going to be really strange. Nobody knows you as Stephen."

"That's for sure," Diane said. "I got used to thinking of you as a girl. Now I won't know what to think about you!"

"Don't worry," I said. "You'll get used to me. I'm still the same person no matter how I look. I've always been Stephen and Stephanie together at the same time."

"Well, it's just going to be strange, that's all," Courtney said.

 

Later in the afternoon I had another unexpected visitor. "Mom, this is Dr. Young, Brenda's psychiatrist," I said introducing the woman who had just walked in.

"Yours too, buster," she said to me as she sat down on the bed next to me. "I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner. I was away when it happened and didn't know that it was you who got hurt until Brenda told me a little while ago. I cancelled my afternoon appointments and rushed right over here. So how are you doing?"

"Fine, I guess. I hurt, but it's getting better – slowly."

She smiled. "At least it's getting better. But I want to know about the rest of you, the part that they can't simply sew up."

"That part of me is fine too, I guess."

"How much is what happened the other night bothering you?"

"It's not bothering me too much," I said. "I still keep seeing that knife coming down at me, but it's not too bad. Did Brenda tell you she's leaving, quitting school?"

"Yes, she told me."

"Did she tell you I'm going to be a boy again?"

"Yeah, she told me that too. I'm sorry it's not going to work out between you two. She's just not ready to handle it yet. She was close, but now that this has happened…"

"Can't you talk to her again? Convince her to stay?"

"I can't do that. It has to be her decision. But I'm here to talk about you! How do you feel about being a boy again?"

"Great, I guess. It's what I've really wanted for so long. And the way they came in and gave me the suitcase and everything, it was just super! But now I'm going to lose Brenda. I don't want to lose her."

"But Stephen, this isn't about Brenda, it's about you. Brenda is leaving and you're finally getting back to being yourself again, as a boy. You have to move on and get over her."

"I've always been myself. Even as Stephanie I was still Stephen. We're the same person. It doesn't matter how I look. I've always been just me and I'll always be just me."

"That's exactly right, but now you can let go of Stephanie."

I just looked at her. "Stephanie is a part of me now too… and so is Brenda."

"Stephen, Brenda can't handle men. You know that. Brenda is leaving. She's not going to be part of your life anymore. You have to accept that."

"I know," I said sadly. "But I thought about it all last night. Brenda was my best friend in the world. She was there to help me through everything bad that happened to me. She held my hand and loved me when things were at their worst. She showed me how to laugh and be happy again. I love her so much!

Bruce said that it took a man to do what I did to save her. He had it all wrong. I didn't save her because I was a man. I had to save her. I had to save her because I love her! I couldn't see her get hurt and I did everything I could to stop it. I love her, and I want her back again." There were tears starting to fall from my eyes. "I'll do anything to get her back again! Anything! If it means I have to be Stephie again, then that's fine! I don't care! I liked being Stephanie! Mom, you saw at Christmas that it was easier for me to be Stephanie than Stephen."

Mom looked at me with horror in her eyes. "Stephen, what are you saying?"

"Not Stephen, Mom. Stephanie! I'm Stephanie now, not Stephen! Brenda doesn't want Stephen. I want Brenda. Stephen can wait!"

"Stephen, stop that! Calm down," Dr. Young said to me. "You're Stephen, not Stephanie. And Brenda is leaving. She's not part of this anymore."

"Yes, I'm Stephen, I know that. But I'm also Stephanie. And Stephanie and Stephen both love Brenda! And if Brenda can only love me as Stephanie, then that's fine, I can accept that. What I can't accept is losing Brenda. Now I've got to call her and tell her. I've got to stop her!"

Dr. Young stood up with a look of almost horror on her face. She looked over at my mother who was crying in her chair. "Stephanie, are you sure about this?"

"Definitely!" I said.

"You're absolutely sure?"

"Like I said, definitely!"

Dr. Young just nodded her head. Mom cried. I had made my decision. I wanted Brenda back.

"I'll be back to see you tomorrow," Dr. Young said turning toward the door.

"Doctor," I said stopping her. "Would you do me a favor on the way out?"

"If I can."

"Will you stop at the nurse's station and ask them to put a new name card on the door?"

"I'll try," she said as she walked out.

"Sweetie, please don't do this." Mom pleaded with me.

"I have to Mom," I said. "I'm sorry, but I have to. You remember how hard it was for me to be a boy again? Well now I won't have to worry about that again." Mom cried.

I picked up the phone and dialed Aarons cell phone. "Aaron, I need you to do something for me really fast!"

 

I waited all afternoon in anticipation. Mom had stopped crying but I knew she wasn't the least bit happy. It didn't matter. I wished I could get a little bit of makeup or at least something prettier to wear, but all that was out of the question. I had done everything else that I could.

The sun was finally starting to go down when Brenda came back into the room. I was sitting up in bed. I could tell she wasn't happy about being there. I could see Aaron and Mark and her mother out in the hallway behind her.

"What do you want?" she said standing in the doorway with her arms folded across her chest.

"I want to talk to you. Brenda don't leave me. I love you too much."

"You're the one who's leaving me," she said unkindly. "If Aaron hadn't threatened to tie me up and drag me here I wouldn't be here at all. We'd be on our way home!"

"Brenda, did you look at the name on the door?"

She scrunched up her face totally uncertain about what I was talking about. Then she backed up a step forcing everybody behind her to move out of her way. She stared at the name. Her whole body seemed to change and transform itself. "Stephanie!" she screamed. "Stephanie, you're back!" The elation that showed in her whole body was one of the most wonderful sights I've ever seen.

"I'm back if you'll have me," I said.

She didn't say anything she just rushed over to me and jumped on me hurting me again. I didn't care. I held her and kissed her. I loved her.

 

 

 

INTERLUDE

 

Note from the Author:

 

This has been entirely a work of fiction. None of the events in this story actually happened. None of the characters are real. But I can tell you that…

 

Sharon didn't quit school. She decided to come back after spring break and keep trying. It seemed her nightmares didn't get any better just because she was home. She and Brenda and Stephanie remained good friends. Stephie tells me Sharon is now working in a children's clinic.

 

Aaron and Mark both graduated that year. Aaron worked for a short time for a firm in Atlanta, then quit to start his own consulting company. He and Mark remain in touch occasionally.

 

Mark got a job with a big company in Seattle. He remained very close to Stephanie and called to talk to her often. He arranged for Stephanie to have a summer job with his company during her last three years at school. Mark finally met Eileen, the woman of his dreams, in the Accounting department there. His nights weren't alone anymore. Mark hopes to eventually open up his own Networking company.

 

Jill, Melissa, and Bruce graduated the following year. During the first football game that next year, the sportscaster brought up the fact that Bruce was a hero and had saved the lives of three girls. At the end of that game, Bruce forced the quarterback to fumble the ball just as they were driving for the winning touchdown. He picked up the ball and carried it into the end zone. He was touted as being the hero of the game. The nickname stuck. From then on, Bruce felt obligated to live up to it and worked even harder at the game. He was an early second round draft pick for the NFL. He thanks Stephanie for that. Stephanie and Brenda can have tickets to any of his games they want. Stephanie loves the games. Brenda couldn't care less.

 

Melissa married Bruce right after they graduated. Stephanie and Brenda were there. Mark and Aaron showed up too.

 

After Jill graduated, Stephanie never heard from her again. She hopes she's doing well.

 

But I'm sure you really want to know what happened to Stephanie and Brenda. Stephanie healed well with no real problems. A bit of scaring that might have to be looked at later but that's all.

Near the end of that semester they both joined a women's self defense class being held in the school. Neither of them wanted to be afraid again. The next semester they joined a karate class together. They're still at it today. There seems to be some question between them as to just who can kick who's ass!

Stephanie eventually graduated with honors. The only time she didn't get perfect grades was when she had been hurt. Some professors just didn't understand. She legally changed her name during her Junior year so she officially graduated as 'Stephanie Lynn.'

She took a job with the same company Mark worked for and she had been working for during her summer breaks.

Brenda transferred to a school in the same city continuing her education. She wants to be a gynecologist. Stephanie thinks she'll be a good one.

Brenda and Stephanie got married right after they moved. Stephie says it was a real "hoot" trying to convince the preacher that he was really a boy and it was all legal. It was a small but very nice ceremony.

A year later, Stephanie had some facial surgery done to make her look and feel better. She's contemplating more radical surgery next. She says that there's still some of Stephen left underneath. There always will be. She doesn't want to lose him and she's sure that no matter what she does, she never will. "Like I said before," she told me, "We're one person, complete!"

 

Stephie once told me about the job interview she had for the summer job at Mark's company. The man interviewing her had asked, "Why did all this happen to you in the first place?"

She had looked down at the solid gold watch band that hung loosely on her wrist. It looked more like a bracelet than a watch. She held it up to show the man and smiled as she said, "I have skinny wrists."

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Jill sat out by her swimming pool behind her mansion reading the business news. She turned the page and her attention was captured by one of the headlines. "New Networking Company Goes Public." She looked at the blurred picture and the read the caption underneath it. "Mark and his wife Eileen. Stephanie and her wife Brenda." She looked closer at the picture trying to make out the faces better. She smiled. "There you are!" she said. "That's my project. I did that!"

  

  

  

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