Chapter 9

Glenn pulled into the driveway of a mid-century modern house on a wooded lot. Jackie accompanied him to the door and he rang the bell.

A slender woman in her mid thirties answered the door. “Hi Wendy,” he said. “Carla is expecting us. I hope we’re not interrupting anything.”

“Not at all, Glenn. You must be Jackson.”

“Jackie. I like to be called Jackie.”

“Pleased to meet you, Jackie. Come in.”

Carla stepped in from a back hallway. “Please, come and sit.”

Glenn and Jackie sat on a sofa and Carla pulled up a chair. “Pleased to meet you...”

“Call me Jackie.”

“ ... Jackie ... pretty name. Glenn said we were having a bit of an identity crisis.”

“Not any more,” Jackie replied. “Glenn and I had a long talk on the drive here. He said something that made it clear to me. He said it’s not what’s between your legs that matters — it’s what’s between your ears.”

Carla looked up at Glenn. “You said that?”

“I did.”

“Good one, cousin. I’m going to remember that one.” She turned to Jackie. “What brought on this identity crisis ... now that it’s resolved.”

“Some bullying,” Glenn replied.

“What did they do to you, Jackie?”

“One of them put his hand up my dress to prove I’m not a girl by birth.”

“Oh, you poor child. That’s ... criminal. But by no means the worst I’ve heard of. Jackie, there will be plenty of people who’ll want to hurt you for what you are. You’ll need to grow an extra thick skin and learn to watch your back. Jackie — I understand you’re a patient of Dr Langley.”

“Yes...”

“So am I. I’m on hormone therapy and will be for the rest of my life. You’re probably on histrelin.”

“That’s right.”

“You’re very fortunate to get therapy started as a pre-teen. I didn’t start reassignment therapy until I was in my twenties. Your results are going to be far better than mine. I had to have additional therapy to deal with male features the hormones wouldn’t eradicate, and I needed implants to have any sort of a bosom. I know I’ll never be pretty like you, Jackie; but, I can be feminine.”

“I think you look fine,” Jackie replied. “I’d never think you were trans if I met you on the street.”

“You’re very kind.” Carla pulled out her phone and brought up an image. “This is my friend Penny. She started therapy at about your age and look how she turned out. She’s also had reassignment surgery.”

Jackie regarded the image. “She’s beautiful ... Wait a minute — isn’t that Penny Sturges? She plays keyboard for Melonheads.”

“She is indeed,” Carla replied.

“I recognized the tattoo on her arm. You know her?”

“She’s a good friend of mine. I know all the band’s members.”

“I told you Carla is an artist,” Glenn added. “She does the cover art and posters for that band and others.”

Jackie regarded Carla in awe. “Wow...”

“Do you like Melonheads?” Carla asked.

“I love them. I had no idea Penny Sturges is trans.”

“What’s your favorite album?” Carla asked.

“Area Fifty-One. It’s their breakthrough album.”

“Indeed it is. That was the first cover I did for them. Did you know there was a limited edition release on vinyl of that album?”

“No, I didn’t,” Jackie replied.

“Wait right here.” Carla stepped into the back hallway and returned with a record album and a cardboard tube. “This is the vinyl edition.”

She presented the album, the cover of which showed caricatures of the four band members, each recognizable but with oversized bald craniums featuring prominent veins. Each played an alien version of their regular instruments.

Carla handed the album to Jackie. “Do you have a record player?” she asked.

“No. All I have is an old IPod. My mom downloads tracks and loads them onto it.”

“That album cover is a gate-fold. Go ahead and open it up.”

Jackie opened it. Inside the gate-fold was the same image as on the cover but continuing to show an outdoor venue on an alien world with a ringed planet hanging in the sky. Alien creatures of all sorts were in the audience, holding up lights, making hand signs, applauding and cheering. “This is amazing,” Jackie said. “I can’t believe it.”

“Believe it,” Glenn replied.

Carla removed a plastic cap from the cardboard tube. She tapped out a print rolled up with acid-free tissue and flattened it on the coffee table. It was the same image as the gate-fold album cover. “This is the artist’s proof of the cover art,” Carla explained. “It has my signature, here...” She pointed to the lower right corner of the print. Then she flipped it over. “Here are the signatures of all four band members, acknowledging their approval of the art.”

Jackie stared at the print, mouth agape. “Wow. That is awesome.”

Carla rolled the print up and slid it back into the tube. She handed it to Jackie. “You can have this, Jackie.”

“Are you sure you want to part with it?” Glenn asked.

“I’m sure. Besides — it’s sort of still in the family.”

“Thank you, Carla,” Jackie said. “Thank you so much.”

“Take good care of that,” Glenn added. “That will be worth some money someday.”

“You know Melonheads will be performing here in November.”

“Yeah ... My mom tried to get tickets but they were sold out.”

“I can pull some strings and get some complimentary VIP tickets — in the first five rows, if you would like.”

Jackie’s eyes popped and her jaw dropped. “We’d love it — wouldn’t we, Glenn?”

“And,” Carla continued, “I probably can get some backstage passes so you could meet the band in person.”

Jackie threw her arms around Carla. “Thank you so much.”

“I’m pleased to get to know you, Jackie. Welcome to the fight.”

“Thanks so much, Carla,” Glenn said. “We won’t disrupt your evening any longer.”

“Thanks again,” Jackie added.

“Any time. Don’t forget that print.”

Glenn drove to the shop and parked in back. He rang the bell and the door buzzed open. Jackie ran up the stairs. “Mom! Mom!” she exclaimed. “Carla can get us VIP tickets to the Melonheads concert ... and backstage passes!” She removed the print. “Look at this — artist’s proof of the cover art for Area Fifty-One. And it’s signed by the band!”

“I told her to be careful of that print. It’s a collector’s item and bound to be worth something someday.”

“I’m gonna change,” Jackie said and headed into her room.

Sierra gave Glenn a stone cold stare. “Well,” she said icily, “it looks like you two had a grand time with Carla while I was cooling my heels at the shop. Did she work some magic on Jackson?”

“We’re back to Jackie. She and I had a long talk on the drive over. I think Mrs Lipke gave her some well-intentioned but bad advice not to admit her gender status. I told Jackie if, when those kids accused her of impersonating a girl she had simply said, ‘that’s right, what of it?’ — it would have disarmed the situation. I told her not to lose confidence in herself and that she’s going to have a harder time than other girls but we know she’ll succeed and make us both proud. Then she said she’s going to tell Dr Coyne that she doesn’t want her to read the essay in front of the whole school — because she wants to read it herself.”

Jackie emerged wearing her culottes and the cropped top. “Oh, God — not that,” Sierra said.

“I need to feel like a girl right now and this makes me feel most like one. Now I’m going to listen to some Melonheads.”

Sierra regarded him. “Glenn — I’m sorry I popped off at you. You’re so good with her and in ways that I’m not. I am still angry with what happened and now I’m hungry.”

“You’re hangry,” he remarked.

“And I have nothing for dinner planned.”

How about carry-out from that Chinese place around the block?”

“From Ling’s? Fine. I’m ready to peel the wallpaper and eat it.”

He took out his tablet. “Their menu is online.”

She looked it over. “Number twenty-three.”

“Good choice.”

“Jackie,” Sierra called.

“She probably can’t hear — she’s listening to Melonheads.” Glenn stepped into Jackie’s bedroom and she returned with him to look over the menu.

“That,” she said.

“Okay — so it’s a number twenty-three, a number nineteen and a number thirteen. I’ll place the order and then go pick it up.”

“Can I go with you?” Jackie asked.

“Sure.”

“Mom — please don’t make me change my clothes. Not after today.”

“All right, but just this one time. This in no way sets a precedent. Understood?”

“Yes, Mom.”

Sierra stepped into the bedroom in her cotton nightgown. “I’m still red-hot furious with what those kids did,” she said. “I think we should press charges.”

“They’re juveniles ... juvenile boys ... juvenile boys from good families. I doubt you’d find the outcome worth the hassle.”

“Nonetheless that’s what I want to do.”

“They’re suspended until the school board meets, which is next week. Let’s see how the board adjudicates this and if the punishment doesn’t fit the crime — then we can go to the authorities.”

“Oh, all right. I’m still worked up. I’m sorry I’m in no mood for romance. I don’t know how I’ll get to sleep.”

“How about one of my full-body backrubs?”

“Have I ever had a full-body backrub?”

“I’m offering one now.”

Sierra slipped out of her gown and lay nude on her stomach on the bed. She lifted her arms, crossed her wrists and rested her forehead on them.

Glenn began caressing and massaging her feet and then working up to her calves. “You are just as beautiful from behind as from in front,” he said. “I think the backs of your knees are sexy.”

He continued up her legs, massaging the backs of her thighs and her buttocks. “Did I ever tell you what a gorgeous ass you have?”

“Probably ... but I don’t mind hearing it again.”