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Eve Chapter 9

By Topsy 

"Annie, what else did you hear?" asked mum.

"This is all second hand, so I really don't know how true it is."

"That's ok, just tell me what you know."

"One of the boys, Joey Brown, said he'd overheard one of the office staff talking about how Simon was really Eve and that she'd been seen at the hospital this morning. He also heard them say that Eve was too pretty to have been a real boy."

"Did either of you say anything?"

"No" both Annie and Claire replied. Mum was satisfied with their response but continued.

"Thanks, please remember you can't say anything about Eve because of the legal case."

They both agreed, having done the same on Saturday morning. Claire turned back to me and kissed me again. No-one interrupted us, apart from a quiet comment about 'getting a room' that went unacknowledged.

I was alot calmer when we came up for air. I made a dash for the upstairs bathroom and, having had a pee, looked in the mirror. My eyes were red and my lipstick smudged. I grabbed a flannel and wiped my face clean, including my forehead. The flannel was streaked with foundation and lipstick and would need washing. I took off the wig and placed it on my bed before returning downstairs.

"Why did you take off your wig?" asked Claire.

"I was getting hot."

"Eve, you need to keep it on in case we have another visitor. If you're hot go back to the bathroom and give your head a wipe, be careful with the dressing. You should then put the wig back on. Your makeup also needs sorting, you smudged your lipstick. Leave off the foundation this time but redo the eye shadow. Go upstairs and try to do it now, like I showed you. I'll be up in a minute to help you, we really must get you your own set. Claire, before you go home I suggest you have a look in the mirror, you don't want any questions do you?"

I got up carefully. As I left the room Claire was returning from the mirror, with a tissue in her hand. She was no longer wearing my shade of lipstick on her cheeks or lips. She didn't wear makeup to school usually.

"Girls, hadn't you get home?" suggested mum. Annie and Claire reluctantly grabbed their school bags and said goodbye, not before Claire had one more peck at me.

I was more confused. As a boy, Claire and I had been good friends, but nothing more. Now, after one day in a frock I was being eaten alive. I knew now that I was falling in love with her, I just hadn't told her yet. Did I have to stay as Eve to keep Claire?

A few minutes later my makeup had been restored, I'd taken three attempts to get it right. Having done that we returned to the kitchen. Mum had me put on an apron to protect 'my' dress. I'd always helped in the kitchen before but this was the first time she'd put an apron on me. She told me she was baking a quiche and could I prepare some salad.

By six thirty we were fed and had cleared the table. The dishwasher was making the right sort of noise. I had just settled onto the couch when the phone rang. Mum answered it and quickly walked into kitchen, closing the door. I heard her getting angry but couldn't work out what was being said.

"I think that was a parent of one of your fellow sixth formers. They have accused you of being a fraud and getting into the boy's changing rooms to get your thrills. I told him where he could put his allegation and said he'd be hearing from my solicitor. He didn't believe me so I hung up. I dialled 1471 to get their number but it had been withheld."

I was stunned. This was turning nasty and was out of my hands. I still couldn't say anything to anyone, except Claire and Annie. What was stranger was that we weren't in the phonebook and I never gave my home number out to anyone at school, only my mobile. Of course the school office knew the home number.

"I'll speak to Mr Dixon when he comes here tomorrow evening. I promise I won't do anything in haste. I will speak to Claire and Annie's mum as well, they may be able to add to what we know." She was still angry but sat down with me and gave me a hug. "We'll get through this."

I"d missed the six o'clock news so watched the 7pm news on News24 instead, they wwere usually the same, almost. I tried to make notes for my coursework but couldn't think straight. I left the local paper where it had fallen, the headline read "Head Suspended."

By 8pm I was falling asleep so mum suggested I get to bed. Apart from two more antibiotics I needed no pills and quickly fell asleep.

I dreamt again that night. I was walking up the aisle with my bride Claire, and we were in matching wedding dresses. We kissed at the alter. The vicar was asking which of us was the bride. It didn't make sense to me but the vision was wonderful, until someone pulled my veil off and my hair fell out.

I woke at 7am as usual and lingered long enough to hear the radio news before dashing to the bathroom. Somewhat refreshed I walked downstairs where mum was filling the coffee pot.

"Good morning, how did you sleep?"

I mentioned I'd had a dream but otherwise it was a good night. She picked up my dream diary and handed it to me. "Now write about the dream" she said, emphasising the word 'dream'.

I wrote quickly and in as much detail as I could manage. Again I was surprised how much I had written, and the nasty ending. Mum took the diary back.

We had some breakfast, cereal and yoghurt today. Mum said she'd make an internet grocery order for delivery tomorrow afternoon or thursday. I was sent up to the shower. First I checked in the mirror, I still didn't need a shave. I was also only a little sore when I had a pee, obviously the antibiotics were working. After my shower I walked into my bedroom wearing a towel round my waist.

"Eve, thats not the way to wear a towel."

She pulled it off me and then wrapped it again, covering my chest as well. Once again I felt my chest itch against the towel, but didn't mention it. Why should I?

"That's better. Remember that for next time. Now take the towel off and get dressed.

On my bed was a long skirt and long-sleeved blouse.

"Mum, do I have to? I'm not sore now, Can't I put some underwear on?"

"Eve, you are to follow doctor's orders. No underwear before Friday."

Resigned to my fate I put on a half-slip, chemise and then the blouse and skirt she'd selected. She put a little makeup on me, my bruise was clearing up now. The wig went on last. She added a spray of perfume. I couldn't remember any doctor or hospital appointments today and asked mum why this was necessary.

"Your tutor will be here in two hours and you have to finish your assignments. Mr Dixon will be here after dinner and we can expect to see the girls again."

I first wrote my summary of the news presentation and then read the local newspaper. As I'd guessed the day before, I was the main topic. This time I had been named as Eve without reference to Simon. The journalist had tried to get a quote from the school or LEA without success and only managed to quote an 'unamed source' who got it mostly wrong.

I wrote my report as best I could but could not correct any mistakes in the articles. By 11am I had printed the two pieces, also saved to the memory stick. I was drinking a coffee, only my second of the day. Mum had a packet of oat cookies out and I wanted to pig myself but was told to only have two as I'd have to watch my figure. Figure?

Miss Scott arrived shortly after and took two more trips to her car to get my text books. She also had my coursework folders that had been submitted in June for the GCSE examinations. We sat down and she read through my assignments.

"What do you think of the way this newspaper story is written?"

"I didn't like it. The journalism was poor. The so-called facts were lies."

"How do you know this?"

"IT WAS ABOUT ME!"