Cami and the Cameo Appearance – 9

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Cami and the Cameo Appearance – 9



By JessicaC


“Kassia and Irenka, you be good girls, when he here as Cami, I want you, not Roy, responsible for her being happy,” said Mrs. Hargroote. “You come out Cami; my girls and I help with your hair and make-up.”

Cassie (Kassia) has given me a tan skirt, and a peasant blouse that barely made it to my skirt. The bra is lacy and sufficiently padded to give me a good shape. She has given me a new pair of panties that were to be hers. Luckily she has nice hips that made the panties just big enough to fit me, as Cassie is two inches shorter and in most ways smaller than me. They are all pleased when I step out. Well, I am not sure how pleased Roy is but he is accepting of me.

It takes fifteen minutes for the girls to do my makeup and Mama Hardgroote to brush and style my hair. Their Mama says, “Girls, you take Cami down to her house and show her momma. Tell her we're glad to know of Cami.” Cassie lends me a pair of sandals as they pulled me away from their mama and out of the house. “Thank you, Mama Hargroote,” I call back as I'm leaving their house.

My Mom knows Irena pretty well but has not yet to meet Cassie. Mom thought I look cute. All the while, knowing I am very uncomfortable with the short blouse and being out in public to come home. “You girls have Cami looking very pretty. What would you say if I treat you to an afternoon at the roller skate rink?”

Irena quickly responded, “With a thank you and a yes.”

=^..^=

Mom asks Jenn to call her friends. I am quite happy as Mom is coming too, a rare treat. I get a pair of white skates with pom-poms on them. It was something I had previously been envious of.

It is twenty minutes before a boy named Jeffrey asked me to skate during couples and pairs skating. Jeff says, “I wondered when your Mom would stop you from hiding as a ‘tomboy’.” I try to tell him I'm not a... until he kisses me. “If you were a boy, you wouldn’t have allowed me to kiss you?” He tells me, “Tricia called me when she knew you were here.”

I look around the rink as I had not seen Tricia yet, there she was waving to me. She and Bob Jansen skate out to us. Tricia took my hand and asks me to skate with her. “You boys can hold hands as you skate or you have to get off the rink,” Tricia says giggling as we skate away from the boys.

Tricia skates us over to my Mom and introduces herself. “I hope Cami can stay, she really does much better as a girl.”

My Mom giggled and asks, “How did you know, I thought Cami was a secret?”

“I sat next to Hal in Miss Robbins' class. Once he missed taking off a little makeup here and there. There also was a small curl he missed underneath his long hair. We also worked on a project together out of class. And his sister's friend Sandy had brought over a dress for someone to wear. I tricked him into thinking I knew it was his. That was how I finally met Cami.”

“You didn’t think it was strange or unusual for a boy,” “Mom asks?

Tricia has a big smile as she says, “Yea, I thought it was strange, unusual, and a few other things you don’t want to hear. But I was tired of the old Hal and I had become a friend of the new Hal. If old Hal shows up, I’ll take him home and dress him up again myself.”

Mom quizzed Tricia, finally asking, “What makes you think Hal is more of a girl?

“When Jeffrey just kissed her, she liked it.”

Mom looked at me and I sheepishly bow my head. “I didn’t mean too, Mom he caught me by surprise.”

=^..^=

The next day after summer school as Hal, I am called a pretty boy on the playground at school. One says, “We hear Tricia thinks she has a sissy boy sitting next to her.” I agree to fight the kid off the school grounds. We go behind a vacant house where I am soon fighting three boys instead of one. “This is to serve notice, Hal. We won’t hit your girly face this time.”

‘But I was beaten up because others thought I'm a sissy. Now I am just making sure I act like a guy. People might not like the old me, but he doesn’t get beat up.’ Once I'm home I hide that I was beaten up; as Hal, I'm ashamed and shaken in my thought of continuing as Cami. I didn’t change to be Cami. Since Mom isn’t home until 7:00 and Jenn is busy in her room or on the phone; things go unnoticed

The next day, I'm determined to be the old Hal. It includes being rude to Tricia, Miss Robbins and I'm again a foul mouth student. It lasts one hour into working with Roy in the afternoon. Roy stops me in the middle of a paint job. “I don’t know what’s up,” Roy says, “but I don’t appreciate the guy who showed up yesterday and less the guy today.”

I tell Roy what's happened thinking he’ll understand and show me some sympathy. That, however, isn’t the norm with our neighborhood and especially Roy and his family. They are often put down because his parents are immigrants and Polish jokes are commonly accepted. There is a discounting of them for speaking a foreign language. The truth is the parents can speak good English, but with a Polish accent.

Roy tells me, “Neither of us thought it would be easy Hal; did you think you would be readily accepted? Are you happier as the old you or you being Cami?” Roy knew the answer before he asks. "It’s going to take some time for your real friends to come forward. And I won’t be surprised if you have fewer real friends than you think.” Roy pauses, “You know it might be easier if Cami continues to be seen as a cousin who’s always been a girl. It would be easier on Sal as well.”

“But what if I become known here as Cami and guys like the other day still show up?”

Roy stops what he's doing and smiles, “Hopefully, I will be fighting with a girl on my side. Not everyone in the neighborhood might like you as Cami, but come, a fight they’ll be on our side. That's how the neighborhood is.”

“Won’t I be a chicken, if my Mom allows me to be her niece and I live here?”

“It will be a lot cheaper for your Mom than moving. I don’t think acceptance and being safe is coming any time soon for Hal being Cami.” Roy comes over to me, “Myself, I just don’t want to lose a good painter.” Roy put a smudge of paint on the tip of my nose.

=^_^=

That evening at our dinner table I share about the fight and the teasing I withstood at school. Mom thought I'm exaggerating until I lift my shirt and show her black and blue bruises in numerous spots. After dinner, Mom calls over a police friend who shares. “Mrs. Greene, I could tell you the police here will watch out for him… or Cami. The truth is we can’t always protect a kid who is picked on because he/she wears glasses, has a handicap, etc. Most of the crap that the Hargrootes and others put up with isn’t their fault. Roy was the one cited when he tried to fight back and if Hal fights back as Cami, I can’t tell you he won’t be the one charged.”

Mom is very upset and talking to my grandparents helps only a little. When I go to school the next morning as Hal; Mom asks, “Hal please be careful. I will be calling Dr. Davenport to consider your idea of being Cami. It would be a drastic thing to do and I need to know if it would be healthy for you being Cami even if you like the idea of being a girl.”

She says to me, “You might want to be Cami on the inside and not wreck your grades for the last three days of school. Do we have an agreement?” Mom pauses until I answer, “Yes.”

Miss. Robbins and my other teacher are both happy that Hal is back to his good attitude. We had a small quiz to help us know if we're ready for our exam the next day. Miss Robbins says, “Friday should be a celebration for all of you.”

I did very well on the quiz. Tricia and I still agree to study this afternoon for the exam.

Today after school I have another fight, but this time I stay at the school. It is with an even bigger kid named Brad. He doesn’t know anything more than I'm said to be a 'girly boy’, as he calls me. And except for the one time I back into one of his friends, it is mostly between him and me. Unfortunately, that one time led to two punches in my stomach while I was being held. After that it isn’t much of a fight; him punching and me being hit. I did get the last two punches in, but that is because Brad saw school security coming. He stopped hitting me and I was seen hitting back. I'm the one who got detention. Principal Jamison said, “Your kind have a way of asking for trouble.”

My punishment is supposed to be for a full week of detention even though school is out. But after Mom complains and come, Friday afternoon the other detention days are dropped.

< ~ O ~ >

Since Tricia only had one summer school class she is waiting for me to walk me to my house. My grade for my second subject is now as good as my History class with Miss Robbins which means with an A on each exam that would also be my grade for each class. It will be a nice way to finish up junior high school and eighth-grade with such good grades.

Tricia surprises me by once inside my house holding a skirt and blouse up in her hands. I yell, “Jenn, how dare you cooperate with her, I’ll pay you back. Is this the thanks I get for helping you?”

Jenn came out from the kitchen behind me, “I thought you would enjoy studying in style. Sandy has called and she’s hoping Cami is around this afternoon. They have their first playoff game tonight.”

I happily take the outfit from Tricia; I'm not doing anything I didn’t want to do. “I need to take a shower and change my look so it could take a while,” I tell Tricia.

Tricia smiles as she says, “After you’re decent I'll be happy to brush out your hair if you don’t mind.”

“This is not like counting at the door,” I reminded her. I was soon out of the shower, dried and dressed; the hair and makeup don’t need to take as long as they do. Tricia and I are just having fun. Once while brushing my hair, Tricia touches a sore spot on my ribs and I howled a bit. Tricia got to see a number of my bruises.

I confide with Tricia about the possibility of remaining as Cami. “I would tell you that is great,” says Tricia, “but I don’t like you being bullied to such a decision. I want to be Cami’s first best friend if it happens.

=^..^=

We make it through the first round of our notes and we're just beginning to quiz each other when the phone rings. “Hi Mom, no, Tricia and I are just quizzing for tomorrow’s exam in history. …Yea, it won’t be any problem as I’m already dressed as Cami. But Sandy wants me to go to their playoff game tonight. …I understand I’m lucky that Dr. Davenport is doing this. I didn’t say I have to be at the game. …Can Tricia come with us; it might be helpful to have a friend who understands some of what I’m doing.”

“Tricia, my Mom wants to know if your Mom might let you go with me to my doctor’s appointment in a little while?”

“Cami, my mother already knows about you. If I ask to go to your doctor’s appointment, my mother will probably want to go as well. She already plans to talk to your Mom.”

“Yes Mom, you heard right"… "My Mom says to ask you anyway, and if your mother is supportive the two of you will both be welcome… Mom says she understands if you can’t make it because it is short notice.” Tricia left to go ask her mom.

Mom is home in half an hour and Tricia and Ramona Hall are waiting for us at their house. Mom is impressed that both Tricia and her mother are coming. On the way to Dr. Davenport’s clinic, Mrs. Hall shares where her interest and sensitivity is coming from.

“I think Miss Robbins told Hal about a friend of hers in high school who did not fare so well. That young man was my oldest brother. I am not saying Hal is like him, but I am proud of my daughter being a friend of Hal and Cami.”

=^..^=

Mom is upset that I was in another fight. Dr. Davenport confirms my viewpoint on Principal Jamison. “It will be good that you go on record of not putting up with that type of behavior. The truth is he will either openly get away with it or he will be told away from your ears, not to say it in public again.” Dr. Karen Davenport said, “With civil rights and segregation becoming hot issues, homosexuals and others will become the new whipping boy.”

Mom says, “But this is a civil rights issue.” I look at Dr. Karen and ask, “But you’re saying others won’t see it that way.”

“Cami, I don’t see you as being a homosexual. In some ways, your issues aren’t even in most medical books. The issues that led to Christine Jorgensen becoming a woman may be more closely related to you. Honestly, I am not an expert in this area, but I am as open as any to be supportive to you and help you to be a healthy person.”

Before we leave the Halls, my Mom and I met again with Dr. Davenport. Dr. Davenport, my Mom, and I feel it is a godsend that the Halls and probably Miss Robbins will be supportive of me living as Cami.

Dr. Karen asks, “Before you go; I forgot to ask about Cami’s eyes being so watery and red at the corners.”

Cami says, “Don’t worry, I’ve just been studying and reading more because of summer school.”

She says, "If that is a case you might want to get her eyes checked. A pretty pair of glasses along with a little makeup could help change Cami’s appearance enough that others won’t see traces of Hal.”

“But I don’t want glasses; we call guys with glasses ‘four eyes’.”

Mom speaks up, “A skirt and glasses won’t change a stinking attitude like that. You better take a hard look at the rough time guys have shown you. How does it feel being on the receiving end of judgment like that?”

Tricia giggles, “Cami with glasses, kind of sounds like Superman running into an alley, changes putting on a skirt and cape, shakes out her hair and puts on a pair of glasses and we have Cami-girl!”

“Cami’s Mom is right,” Ramona Hall interjected, “Lipstick doesn’t make sick thinking any better. That didn’t sound like the Hal that Tricia sees in summer school, or Cami, Tricia describes a better picture of you to me. You better take a hard look at who you are.”

I'm shocked a little and begin to cry. Mom lifts my chin, “That doesn’t look like the Hal who doesn’t care. Cami, come here please,” Mom asks and stands up to meet me. “Your father won’t put up with insincere tears from you or your sister. Cami, you’ve impressed a lot of people. Are you ready to be the daughter, I know you can be?”

“You’re going to let me be Cami from here on and forever!” I'm so elated.

“Starting Friday after school, and I will invite Miss Robbins over Friday evening to celebrate. But forever, I'm not promising.”

=^..^=

The only information I have about Christine Jorgensen is from late-night radio. While people say she looks like an attractive woman, she’s often called a freak and a perverted person by others. One man, who called into a program said, “What kind of red-blooded American man would let his *bleep* be cut off and wear women’s underwear?”

It is hard to have good feelings about oneself with things like that being said of ‘someone who looks like I feel.’ It would be in August and many sessions with Dr. Karen before I am consistent in accepting me. It does not help in mid-July I go to Chicago and I'm to meet with Sal for a date. Sal did not show up for our date and when I call him he hangs up.

Days later I get a ‘Dear Jane’ letter: ‘He had his own issues and when he dated a girl it should be a ‘real girl’. He kind of complimented me that he was now more comfortable around ‘real girls’ because of me. And they really like him.’ I didn’t like that we broke up or the way he did it, but in my head, I say, 'It might be better for me in the long run.'

Except for a trip to Marshall Field’s department store downtown Chicago, it is totally a bummer of a day. Marshall Field’s is to Chicago what Macy’s and Gamble’s are to New York City. We look around and I enjoy trying on several pretty dresses. Mom would buy me one and probably two. But I don’t want to buy something that will remind me of Sal, so I wait until our next trip to Chicago. Then I buy a powder blue dress that goes down to mid-calf. It would be especially fitting for a special night out in Chicago.

Mom decides to take Jenn and me to the Chicago premiere of “My Fair Lady”. She takes us out first to a fancy restaurant. There were huge searchlights in front of the theater as Audrey Hepburn will be attending the grand opening in Chicago. She had been to the premiere in Hollywood two days before.

It is midnight when we get home and we're getting ready for bed. Jenn comes into my room and asks, “Do you still feel bad about Sal not going out with you?”

Mom is soon in the room telling Jenn, “Jenn that is cruel to ask tonight.”

“It’s okay Mom, Jenn and I have talked. She thinks I should hate Sal for how he dumped me.” Mom paused to see if I’d say more. “Dr. Davenport and I agree being Cami had to be much more than about a boy. Sal did help me feel good about being a girl. I like Jeffrey as much as I did Sal and the nice thing is Jeffrey goes to our school.”

“Tricia says, you won’t have any problems getting dates. And Dr. Karen’s excuse from the gym should help when you start back to school as Cami.”

Mom takes us to the Indiana Sand Dunes National Park for the last week of August. Rick comes by train to see Jenn. Sandy and Tricia come along at Mom’s invite. Becoming comfortable in a girl’s swimsuit is not easy, despite how much I like the look. But once I do, I truly enjoy being a girl at the beach.

Rick came on Monday to be with us at the beach. He tells Jenn, he would like to tell Sal what he's missing. Wednesday Rick calls and asks if Sal could come for Friday and Saturday. Jenn won’t answer for me; I have to tell Rick myself. Rick tells me, “Sal said he’d like to come and see for himself and have a good time.”

“If Sal is interested in dating me, he knows our phone number he can call when I’m home. I don’t want him to come here. Tricia, Sandy, and I have no trouble with boys when we want them.”

Sandy and Jenn are already experts at stripping down to their swimsuits on the beach. Tricia and I learn relatively fast. But they also have more developed bodies, so most eyes go their way.” That’s okay with me; I enjoy having a good time learning.

The End

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Comments

I know it says "The End";

I know it says "The End"; however, I do hope there might be a follow-up story later so we can see how Cami has progressed later in her new life. As Cami is "surfacing" right on the cusp of medical awareness of anyone being what is now known as Transsexual, followed a few years later as Transgender; how Cami fits into all this would indeed be very interesting.

I know it says "The End";

I know it says "The End"; however, I do hope there might be a follow-up story later ...I receive your thoughts and others as a high compliment. It would take inspiration that made the new story warranted.

JessieC

Jessica E. Connors

Jessica Connors

Ummm, end? really?

Or just for now? Let Sal beg to come back and send him packing! I think if the guys are going to bully Hal about being "girly" she should embrace the girl within and kick them as hard as she can where it hurts the most! Jess dear, will there be more sweetie? Loving Hugs Talia

The end? WHAT!!!!

Renee_Heart2's picture

Hun there is SOOOOOOO much more to this story to be written :(

Bullies are every where unforchintly even in congress... BUT this is about Cami it looks like some of the school folk are trying to KILL Cami before she even gets a good start but it's a good thing that she has good friends loving sister and mom and if Sal can't see what he had in front of him well then he's STUPID sending Cami the dear Jane letter that was COLD!

I'm glad that she has 2 Dr's that have agreed that living as Cami is the RIGHT thing to do for her future.

Love Samantha Renee Heart

It has been a sweet story...

...To continue it the time frame of the mid sixties and move forward would cause that to change. I could do it, but it would become another story. What do readers think?

JessieC

Jessica E. Connors

Jessica Connors

It is a sweet story

and it occurs approximately during in my timeline, being born in1950. I remember hearing about Christine Jorgensen in my last year of high school and felt so much confusion as that's when I first learned there were others like me. I would like more of the story but am satisfied where it ended too.

Kathleen

It's a wonderful story

I enjoyed the reading. Thanks, Jessica.