Charlotte's Tale part 11.

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“Glad you could make it Charlotte, I mean Christine,” said Mr King looking at his watch. Miss Daws looked at him and then at me in a very funny way, then she nodded.

“It is Charlotte, isn’t it?” she said.

“No, I’m Christine,” I felt myself visibly shrinking under her scrutiny.

Charlotte’s Tale 11.
by Angharad.

The rest of the afternoon seemed to fly past and too soon it was after five. I bought hot dog and a drink for us from the stall in the park, as Simon had paid for the cinema the other day. We ate and drank and Simon agreed to walk me to the school.

I had now been there several times since my ‘conversion’ and it still filled me with a sort of horror. I held on to his arm and he walked me down the corridor. The only people about were one or two kids attending after school clubs, one or two staff and the cleaners.

We bumped into the headmaster, who nodded curtly at us and looked as if he wanted to say something about us holding each other. I suspected Simon would be ‘spoken to’ at some point in the future.

“What are you going to do when he calls you into his office?” I asked Simon.

“What for?” he looked blankly at me.

“For dating a boy.” I blushed.

“Where? I can’t see any boys here I fancy, so it’s just as well you came.”

I squeezed his arm. “I like you Simon Astley.”

“That is quite a useful quality in a date.”

I looked up and down the corridor. “Gi’s a kiss,” and he did, until the loud coughs sounded down the corridor.

“Put her down Astley,” was one of the cat calls.

“If he’s too small, I’m ready and willin’ darlin’,” came another. The sweaty jockstrap brigade had just finished their work out.

“Kiss me as sexily as you can,” I whispered to Simon.

“What, in front of this lot?”

“Yeah, it will enhance your reputation no end.”

He was about to say, ‘Are you mad?’ when I pulled him to me and attacked his lips with mine. He joined in the spirit of it, and I began rubbing my body against his. He followed my lead.

“Oh wow! Let me get some of that!” said one of the jocks as they got closer.

“If I want somebody all sweaty, I’d rather they work out with me than chase around a gym after a ball like some demented puppy.”

“It increases stamina darlin’, you should try it sometime.” Said the Jock too thick to realise offence.

“Except in the one muscle I have an interest in.” I went back to kissing Simon, who was feeling very nervous with all these larger boys around. I felt okay, I’d have preferred not to be involved in verbal sparring with older boys, but I thought it would enhance Simon’s reputation and also show them I was not available.

Fortunately, the rest of the athletes mocked their friend, enjoying my put down of him and walked on, messing about, hitting and joking with each other as they went.

We walked on to the music room, “This is it, sugar I’m late, thanks for walking me here, gotta dash,” I said looking at my watch. I pecked him on the cheek and rushed through the door.

**********************************************************************

“Ah Mister Astley,” said the headmaster, “how are the exams going?”

“Dunno, Sir, alright I suppose.”

“You’re a friend of Charlotte’s are you?”

“That was Christine, Sir.”

“Yes, very well, you are a friend of Christine?”

“Yes Sir.”

“You know who Christine is, don’t you, Astley?”

“Yes, Sir, Christine Monk, she goes to St Margaret’s with my sister.”

“Please don’t play games with me Astley, I didn’t appreciate you were into boys.”

“I’m not Sir, Christine is a girl, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“I’ll ignore your insubordination this once Astley, but don’t get too cocky.”

“Sir, if you had done your job more effectively maybe Christine’s life here would have been more comfortable. If you want to make an issue of it, carry on, but I suspect her mother would have something very interesting to say to the school governors.”

“Are you threatening me, Astley?” the headmaster’s face darkened.

“No Sir, I’m stating facts. Here’s another one, I’m no more gay than you are stupid. Good evening, Sir.”

The headmaster was left spitting feathers as Simon walked quickly past him and disappeared around a corner, where upon he punched the air and said, “Yes, eat my shorts!”

********************************************************************

“Glad you could make it Charlotte, I mean Christine,” said Mr King looking at his watch. Miss Daws looked at him and then at me in a very funny way, then she nodded.

“It is Charlotte, isn’t it?” she said.

“No, I’m Christine,” I felt myself visibly shrinking under her scrutiny.

“Please don’t treat me as if I am stupid, I accept you’re no longer James, although I knew I recognised your voice. It has changed though, become more soprano.”

“The pills I expect.”

“So why didn’t you tell me?” Mr King went to intervene but Miss Daws, waved him away.

“I don’t know, I suppose I was too embarrassed.” Like I was now, my skin was on fire.

“James was scared of his own shadow, you have a bit more about you. You also seem more whole as a girl, does that make sense?”

“Uh huh,” I said nodding.

“When I first met the new you, I gave you a hard time, you had me pretty well fooled except the voice wasn’t quite right for a girl, too sweet. It changed during the practice because you fought back and I managed to pull another dimension out of you. You really can sing now.”

“You’re so right Miss Daws, my singing has changed. Did they tell you I won the karaoke competition here a couple of weeks ago, at the dance.”

“Oh that was you was it? I heard two girls slugged it out, the boys coming no where. So what did you sing?”

“Fields of Gold and Summertime.”

“I believe, we have them tonight don’t we?”

“We should do, I’m singing them in this concert. Plus the Schubert, that’s my favourite, it is sublime.”

“It is indeed Charlotte, do you mind me calling you that?” she asked me, Mr King stood watching us shaking his head.

“It’s my name now, officially I mean, Mummy and I changed it with her solicitor.”

“So you really are a girl now then, not that I didn’t think you were one the last time we worked together.” Now she was blushing.

“Yes, doomed to a lifetime of shopping and salons,” I exaggeratedly swept my hair back and she nearly fell off her piano stool.

“I think there might be just a little more to being female than that Charlotte.” She was still chuckling when Mr King did join the proceedings.

“Ladies, now we have no more secrets, and I am sure that Miss Daws will respect your confidence, can we please get on and do some music practice it is now half past six.”

That was it, we got straight into it, Miss Daws giving me a hard time for the quickest warm up I’d ever had, but my voice felt okay.

I got Mr King to drop me at Simon’s house, I wanted to know if the headmaster had waited for him, because I suspected he would.

“Yeah the bastard was waiting for me just outside.”

“What did he say?”

“He asked me if I knew who I was escorting. I told him yeah, so we argued about that. Then he asked me if I was int’a like boys, ‘n I told him to mind his own fuckin’ business, dozy twat!”

“I hope I haven’t got you into trouble Si,” I felt my eyes fill up.

“Nah, no prob, hey don’t cry.”

“Miss Daws guessed who I was tonight. Old Kingy, called me Charlotte.”

“Senile ol’ git,” he said putting his arm around me.

“No he’s not, he’s the only one in the school who cared about me.”

“Probably an old woofter.”

“Simon, he isn’t, his eyes nearly came out on stalks the first time he met Christine, and there was a bulge in his pants, so he isn’t gay.”

“So what did the piano woman say?”

“She was alright, told me I seemed more rounded as a person, she said she liked me more as a girl, because I seemed more real.”

“I won’t argue with that girl, gi’s a kiss.”

I spent blissful hour with Simon on his sofa before his mother wondered if I should be going home as my mother would be worried. She could have let me use the phone, but I took the hint.

“Is that Christine?” she asked Simon.

“Yes, that’s Christine,” he gave her a shit eating grin.

“I thought you were going out with Charlotte?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Isn’t that a bit unfair, going out with two girls?”

“Ah not really.”

“Well I think it is.”

“Well we’re not engaged or anything.”

“No but there is such a thing as courtesy and decency.”

“Oh yeah, I’m decent to both of them, and polite, open doors that sort of thing.”

“What happens if one of them finds out about the other, I don’t want them banging on the door making scenes here, Simon Astley.”

“I guarantee that won’t happen Mum.”

“It had better not young man, or you will be in deep trouble.” She walked off and he ran up to his bedroom and threw himself on the bed and laughed until he was nearly sick.

“You’re late Charlotte, I was beginning to worry about you,” my mother gave me a huge hug. “I’ve saved you some tuna sandwiches.”

“Oh wow, thanks Mummy.” I pecked her on the cheek, I love tuna except Mum won’t buy it too often she worries about the dolphins being caught in the nets and also the mercury which is supposed to be in some sea fish.

I sat down in the kitchen and found the sandwiches covered up on the table, Mum poured me a glass of milk.

“So where have you been?” she sat opposite me.
“I called into to see Simon,” I said in between munching the sandwich, it had salad too, yummy.

“You spent the whole afternoon with Simon.”

“Yeah, he walked me to school…” I took a bite of sandwich, “…and we bumped into Old Fart Face.”

“Don’t be crude, Charlotte, young ladies are supposed to exercise a little decorum. Who is ‘Old Fart Face’?”

I was drinking some milk when she asked that and I snorted it all over the table. That made both of us laugh. Mum wiped down the table with some paper towel.

“Well who is it?” she asked again.

“The headmaster, he nabbed Simon after and asked him if he was gay?”

“Why should he do that?”

“ ‘S obvious, ‘cos he was like, with me.”

“But you’re a girl?”

“Yeah, but old Fart Face doesn’t seem to recognise what one of those looks like. I think he’s been with boys too long.”

“I have a good mind to phone him up and give him a piece of my mind,” my mother’s face went quite red and I decided it was better to stay quiet for the moment.”

I finished my sandwich and said, “Simon told him to mind his own ff..lippin’ business,” Mum gave me an old fashioned look and I smiled at her, “ he also said that we could tell the school governors some interesting tales. Apparently Ol’ F.F. went pale at that.”

“Simon will have to watch his step and so will you. Officially, you’re not a pupil there any more, so you are a guest, please act like one. Your old headmaster will not like being threatened and may well try to get his own back, so be very careful.”

“What can he do, I’m a visitor?” I asked puzzled, thinking the old fart was just a bag of wind.

“He could make it difficult for you to go there, withdraw facilities or put pressure on Mr King or Miss Daws. He could talk to your new head teacher and make things awkward. He could also make things exceedingly difficult for Simon.”

“If he does then I will speak to the Governors.” I was in combative mood if someone was threatening my Simon.

“I think somehow, the Governors would be more inclined to listen to the headmaster than you.”

I felt gutted by this, life was so unfair. “Yeah, but they’d listen to you Mummy.”

“As I know two of them quite well, I suspect they might.” She winked at me, “If he gives Simon a hard time, get Simon to document it, chapter and verse and I’ll have a word with someone.”

“Wooo ooh! My mum, the avenger!”

“I think not Charlotte, shall we say, your parent and guardian.”

I hugged her, “My guardian angel,” I said and she hugged me back.

“We have to look after each other now, young lady."

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Comments

Another Wonderful Chapter!

jengrl's picture

I have followed this story from the beginning and I really enjoy it. I hope that the Headmaster eventually gets what he deserves. I think Charlotte's new life is the best revenge itself. She rose above all the abuse and is showing that she is a fighter. I look forward to reading more.

PICT0013_1_0.jpg

Good to see

It is good to see Charlotte and her mom laughing again. Please keep it up, I have missed this storyline

Hugs
Diana

That old dinosaur!

A fun chapter. Thanks. I'm wondering what new troubles will come Charlotte's way.

Charlotte & Simon

Make a very sweet couple. Simon is her Knight in Shining Armor. I love the way that Simon defended her and hoe she stood up for Simon. Will be interesting to see what happens next as Charlotte has blossomed into a sweet young woman
May Your Light Forever Shine

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Good on you, Simon!

Nice to have a non-tragic chapter in the poor girls life, Angharad!

Yes, one could hardly expect Old Fart Face to be *completely* ignorant,
especially when it comes to making someone's life more difficult.

Poor Christine

Gwen Oh, I know that everyone of us has had that "person in authority" whom we would have liked to say something witty and mean to. Considering, perhaps mom should have been to the Copers long before this. It could have been "Agravated Assault, Breaking and Entering, Assault with the intent to do physical harm, Burglery, and Malicious Mischief for starters. It's been a great tale but a girl needs a little support now and then.

Gwen Brown

Gwen, Mom's problem is...

That while "copers" can, "Coppers" can't (cope, that is).

These days, if someone's life is not in danger, then forget calling the plod. And "life in danger" usually means already so destroyed that the chances of reaching hospital alive are less than evens.

It's all the paperwork that overwhelms them, poor dears....

Xi

When this story first came

When this story first came out I almost didn't start it reading because I didn't really like the first 2 chapters now I can't wait for the next installment Keep up the good work.

Melanie

Love the way this story is

Love the way this story is unfolding and developing. Charlotte/Christine is emerging from her old life and blossoming into a very sweet and vivacious young woman. I also really like Simon, as he is willing to "go to bat" for her even up against his Headmaster. J-Lynn

Angharad, a blast from the past...

Oh do I remember Led Zepplin, attended their last ever concert in the USA, it was at the Madison Square Garden...

Now, to read all of your other seriers. Now that is a challenge! Oh, anything more to be posted at Maddy Bell's site? How about more of Snafu? You're a very prolific writer, and a very good one as well!

Huggles and fantastic writing as usual.

Angel O'Hare

"Be Your-Self, So Easy to Say, So Hard to Live!"

Sweet admonishment

Jamie Lee's picture

My opinion of Simon is rising with each chapter, his true character is being revealed with each chapter.

His true character showed in this chapter as he faced down "old fart face." It also showed as he stood up for both Charlotte and James. Should Charlotte's mom go to the governors, the Headmaster just might get the heave ho he deserves for letting the animals run wild. And if this happened, maybe some of the others who were prayed upon would then have the courage to come forward and tell their stories. Perhaps the next chapters will be so kind in this matter.

I again had to chuckle at the antics between Charlotte and her mom. Mom admonished Charlotte for calling someone "old fart face," not a phrase young ladies use, then turns around and uses it herself. That interplay was priceless.

From the rest of the dialog between the two women, it appears they are both more than ready to do battle should certain slime balls start to become aggressive in both Simon's and Charlotte's lives. Good, it's time they were told how the cow ate the cabbage.

The other wonderful thing about this chapter is the deepening of the bond between Charlotte and her mom. Seems the action will be needed in the near future.

Others have feelings too.