“Me next! Me next!” Dorothy squeaks, bouncing up and down with excitement as I put the finishing touches to the pink lipstick I’ve applied to Cassie’s mouth.

“Okay, okay, calm down!” I giggle, before kneeling down next to the six-year-old girl and carefully applying the sweet-tasting cosmetic to her lips. “Now remember, this is a one-time treat, okay? And you have to wash it off before you go to bed.”

“Aww…” Dorothy pouts, making me giggle.

“And no kissing Eddy either!” I chastise. “You’re lucky that mum and dad agreed to this!”

“We won’t, we promise,” Cassie says with a sly grin that tells me she’s probably not being truthful. “Ooh, ooh, maybe we could put some lipstick on Eddy?”

“I- I wouldn’t,” I grimace.

“But why not?” Cassie asks. “I know lipstick isn’t for boys, but you used to be a boy, didn’t you?”

“Well- sort-of yes and no,” I reply. “I’m not a boy anymore, true, but as far as I’m concerned, I never was. Deep down inside, I’ve ALWAYS been a girl.”

“Eddy might be a girl inside,” Cassie pleads, making me smile sadly- of all my siblings, Cassie probably had the happiest reaction to my transition and hasn’t been shy about saying how much she loves having another sister. And in truth… There’s a part of me that almost wishes Eddy could experience what I have- well, some of what I have, anyway. While the joy of being a girl has certainly outweighed the hardships I’ve faced, the rejection, the bullying… It’s been a long road, and one I wouldn’t wish on someone I love, especially not my little brother. Fortunately, I know my little sisters well enough to know that they’ll love Eddy just as much as I do, boy or girl.

“…We’ll have to let him tell us that first,” I say, hoping to ease Cassie’s disappointment with a gentle hug before standing up and examining myself in the mirror. I have indeed travelled a long road to get to where I am today, and the road has indeed been bumpy along the way… But by god, it’s been worth it.

Looking back at me from the mirror is a girl as beautiful as any I’ve ever seen. The pink lipstick on my lips is only the start of the look I've carefully crafted tonight. My face is covered in a foundation that matches the tan I've spent the last few weeks carefully cultivating, with just a touch of blusher on my cheeks, while my eyes are highlighted with a rose-coloured eye shadow, dark eyeliner and the heaviest false lashes I've ever worn. All twenty of my nails are coloured dark pink to match my make-up, while my shoulder-length hair has been curled and teased into the cutest style I've ever worn. And my dress...

The sparkly black dress I'm wearing was shop-bought but is still as beautiful as any bespoke dress I've ever seen on any model. It has a high neckline but is still form-fitting enough to show off my slender waist, and has short sleeves made of a billowy mesh fabric that delightfully tickle my skin. The skirt ends a few inches above my knee and is flared enough to generate movement with every step I take, making it look like I'm dancing gracefully with every step I take, especially when paired with the 3.5" heeled shoes that are attached to my feet. I almost can't believe that the beauty in my mirror is the same Ashley Moore that I've seen in the mirror for the last sixteen years- and in a way, it isn't. I'm not the same Ashley Moore- I'm a vastly improved version of myself.

Best of all, though, is what can’t be seen in the mirror- well, not yet, anyway. For the last two months, I’ve been flooding my body with oestrogen to try to wipe away the years of damage caused by unwanted testosterone, and while my physical changes haven’t manifested yet- my chest is still flat, my hips are narrow and my skin isn’t as soft as it could be- inside I can feel myself change. Before I began transitioning, I used to feel cold, almost numb about the life I was living. But now, I wake up and every day feels new. My feelings are more intense, both positive and negative- but even when I'm feeling upset or anxious, I know that I wouldn't be feeling this way if I wasn't the girl I truly am on the inside. Even when I feel like I'm losing, I can tell myself that I'm winning- and best of all, with each hormone tablet I swallow, I feel myself winning over and over again.

With each tablet, I beat Ryan and Sam Reid and their thuggish behaviour, and make my scars- both physical and otherwise- fade just a little bit more. With each tablet, I beat my dad, my maternal grandparents and all of my family, proving them wrong when they say that I can’t be a girl. With each tablet, I beat Melissa and her morons, and anyone at that school who tells me I can’t be a girl. Because it’s not just that I CAN be a girl, but I AM a girl. And yet… I’m still nervous about tonight.

All of my friends- not just the excellent eight, but George, Petra and many others- tell me I should think twice about tonight, that I don’t have to go, that I'll just be asking for trouble, but they’re wrong. After all, why should I be denied the experience of going to prom, just because I’m different to all of the other girls in my year? Sure, I’m anxious that there might be some trouble from people who have a problem with me, but if they do, it will be precisely that- their problem. I'm a sixteen-year-old girl and I have as much right to go to my prom- MY prom- as any other girl in my year.

As I’m touching up my already voluminous hair with another blast of hairspray, the doorbell rings, and I find myself almost hyperventilating with nerves.

“Good luck,” Bryony whispers, giving me a gentle hug as I give my look one final check before heading downstairs, where my ‘date’ for tonight is waiting.

“H- hey Ash,” George says, clearly taken aback by my glamorous look. “You- you look nice.”

“Thanks,” I whisper. “You look nice too.” And I’m not just being polite here- George genuinely does look handsome. Well, for a boy anyway. He’s as slim as I’ve ever known him, his hair is combed, his glasses are spotless and his smart suit is pristine. However, of course, nothing will ‘happen’ between us tonight despite the ‘prom night’ cliché- George is going out with one of my best friends, after all, and despite the influence of oestrogen on my brain, I remain totally uninterested in boys. Not that I've had any 'interest' with any girls since Lydia, anyway...

“Thanks,” George mumbles, before I blush and grimace as I hear a proud gasp come from the living room.

“Wow, don’t you look beautiful, Ashley!” Mum gushes, brandishing her phone, which I take as our cue for the two of us to pose for a photo.

“Thanks,” I mumble as mum takes her photos. As I glance across the living room, my eyes briefly meet those of my father’s, causing both of us to avert our gaze.

To say things have been tense between myself and my father over the last four years would be an understatement. His initial rejection of me hurt far more than any of the bullying- and not just the 'non-contact' bullying- that I had to endure at school, especially when it started affecting his relationship with his other daughters. Even though I knew consciously that it wasn’t my fault, and my mother, my friends and my counsellors always backed that up; I still felt guilty every time dad looked at me disapprovingly, or when Bryony responded to that disapproval with anger of her own, or when my grandparents argued with my parents, or the many, many other disagreements caused by my transition. Eventually, dad came to accept that I am now his daughter, rather than his son. I highly doubt that he likes it, and to be honest, I don’t think he ever will- but he now at least accepts me as his daughter.

“Are you sure you’re ready for tonight?” Mum asks, making me roll my eyes even though I know my answer isn’t going to be entirely truthful.

“Honestly, I’ll be fine,” I reply, hoping I sound convincing. “Besides, I’m going with my bodyguard, heh!”

“Thanks for this, George,” mum says, earning a light blush from my best male friend.

“It’s fine,” George says with a shrug. “Meg’d probably kill me if I went with any girl other than Ashley, heh. Or even if I, like, let Ash go by herself.”

“Like I said, ‘bodyguard’,” I chuckle.

“Well, hopefully you won’t be needed in that role tonight,” mum says, taking one final photo of me and George together before leaning in for a tight hug, which I am only too happy to give. “Have fun tonight, okay? You’ve more than earned that right.”

“Especially as you helped get tonight’s music!” George laughs, giving me a gentle pat on the back as he escorts me outside to the waiting car, where he gentlemanly holds the door open for me as I try to climb onto the back seat without wrinkling my dress too badly. “You don’t know how mental the rest of the prefects went when I told them you’d got Steph Abbott and Kayla Ford to agree to sing at prom. How did you swing that, anyway?”

“Meh,” I shrug, smirking despite my best attempts to appear cool. “It helps when one of your best friends is signed to the same agency as them, heh.”

“Even cooler,” George says with a nervous laugh, before frowning. “Ash, seriously though, are you- are you sure you want to do this? ‘Cause you know Melissa’s going to be a pain in the arse, and Meg told me last year that when Laura showed up at-“

“I want to do this,” I say firmly. “I’ve earned this, I deserve this. If I run away in fear… They win.”

“But would that necessarily be a bad thing?” George asks. “I mean, you’re never going to see any of them again, right, so what does it matter?”

“It matters to me,” I say firmly, before sighing. “Jamie-Lee Burke once told me that there’s only one way to truly beat bullies. It’s not by fighting back, running away or ignoring them. It’s being proud of who you are. That way, bullies will never win. Nothing they can do will ever make me stop being a girl, and they know it, and that’s why they know they’re all losers.”

“They won’t see it that way, though,” George cautions.

“Their problem,” I snort. “I plan on enjoying myself tonight, and I’m going to.”

“Well- okay,” George says. “You know I’ll support you, Ash.”

“You always have,” I say with a happy smile. “Thanks for being my friend these last five years.”

“Yeah,” George says, fidgeting uncomfortably. “You might be a girl but I’m still not, you know, into the whole soppy shit thing.”

“BOY,” I say with a snort of laughter that makes George smirk and roll his eyes. “It’s okay. I can do the whole ‘soppy shit’ thing for both of us, heh!”

“Good,” George snorts. “Though I do kinda wish you’d been a prefect this year as well.”

“Yeah, well, for that you need a spotless discipline record,” I sigh. “Which I don’t. And Melissa and her morons would’ve made my life hell from day one, probably.”

“Yeah, well, you’d have had better friends, that’s for sure,” George says. “You know Allie, Allie Gresham?”

“Yeah,” I whisper with a grimace and a nod- the reason I know Allie so well is that for most of the last school year, she was Melissa’s favourite verbal punching bag. Well, before I took over, anyway…

“She was a prefect too,” George explains. “She was telling me and the others how she enjoyed hanging out with you and Laura in cheerleader club, and she kinda wished she’d got to know you and the others- like, Laura, Meg and the other girls- a bit better when she had the chance.” I avert my gaze as George talks so that he doesn’t see the shame in my eyes- even though I didn’t believe what I was saying, that didn’t stop me from joining in with Melissa's verbal beatdowns of the poor girl.

“Yeah,” I whisper. “Do you- do you think she’ll be there tonight?”

“Who, Allie?” George asks. “Well, she DID help to organise it, so, well, yeah.”

“Yeah,” I whisper again. “And, of course, Melissa will be there too…”

“Ugh, yeah,” George sighs. “Teachers said they couldn’t really take a huge donation from her parents to help fund the prom and then ban her from it, especially as most of that money’s going to pay the singers’ fees.”

“Ugh, and she’ll probably try to take the credit for that too,” I snort.

“Well, like you said, who cares about her, right?” George asks. “We- you and me- are there tonight to have fun. So let’s just stay miles away from her tonight, we can hang out with the other prefects, everything will be okay. You’ll see.”

“Well- okay, if you say so,” I reply, smiling as George gives me a gentle, reassuring pat on the shoulder.

A few minutes later, our car pulls up outside the fancy hotel where our prom is being held. I giggle with a mixture of excitement and nerves as George holds the door open for me and I elegantly slide off the back seat, shaking slightly on my heels before we walk confidently through the main entrance. I’m suddenly reminded that last year, Laura and her friends were ambushed outside the venue by a bunch of idiots determined not to let them enjoy their big night. This year, though, George and I walk straight in without any problems- though I’m not sure whether this makes me less nervous or more…

“Hey,” George says, giving me a gentle nudge that derails my train of thought and brings me back to the present. “You okay?”

“Hmm?” I reply. “Yeah, I’m fine, why d’you ask?”

“We can still turn around and go home if, well, you know…” George mumbles.

“Why would I want to do that?” I reply. “This is MY prom, and I’m going to enjoy it!” I force a smile on my face despite my nerves, though the smile soon becomes genuine when we’re approached by a group of six other teenagers- ones I know for certain haven't bought into Melissa's brand of bullshit.

“Hey, you two!” Allie Gresham says, a wide grin spread across her face as she approaches us hand-in-hand with her date, a guy called Declan who I also know is the school’s head boy. In her knee-length strapless blue dress, she looks just as gorgeous as any of the other girls here tonight- which I quickly realise includes me.

“Hey Allie, hey Dec!” George replies with a genuine smile. “How are things going?”

“Meh, they’re good!” Declan replies with a shrug. “Pretty much everyone’s here already, we’re going to eat in a bit, then get the photos taken before the first dance. The decorations look really good, too.”

“But of course, that’s not what you’re REALLY asking about, is it?” Allie teases with a sly grin. “So to answer your next question- Ash- they got here about twenty minutes ago and they’re getting changed as we speak, hehe!”

“It is pretty cool that you got Stephanie Abbott and Kayla Ford to sing at our prom,” Declan says.

“Umm, it’s more than just ‘pretty cool’,” Allie chastises her date. “Weren’t you paying attention at AngelCon?”

“You- you went to AngelCon?” I ask.

“Umm, yeah?” Allie replies matter of factly. “Like I was going to miss it? I had selfies with, like, ALL the Angels. Were you there too?”

“Yeah, I- I went with, umm, Laura, and my other friends…” I mumble, barely able to meet Allie’s gaze after spending most of the last year treating her like shit behind her back.

“…Fortunately, Meg and the others didn’t ask me to go,” George says, ending a brief awkward pause and making me and Allie both roll our eyes.

“BOY,” Allie and I snort, before sharing a girlish giggle.

“Go on, get inside,” Allie commands. “Me and Ash will catch you guys up.”

“Okay,” George says softly, before smiling supportively at me. “I’ll, umm, I’ll be just inside.”

“Okay,” I say, before trying to smile and trying not to flush with embarrassment as Allie turns to me.

“You know,” the brown-haired girl says to me, “even after two years on the cheer team together, I don’t think we’ve ever really talked?”

“Yeah,” I grimace.

“And I think I know why,” Allie says with a tired-sounding sigh.

“…Yeah,” I mumble, before feeling myself relax as Allie smiles at me sympathetically.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Allie says. “I used to hang out with her too, I know what a temper ‘she who must not be questioned’ has. But, you know, whatever, right? She might have been the queen of the school, but we’re not in school anymore, so who cares, right?”

“That’s what I’ve been thinking over the last few months,” I chuckle. “Even after all the idiots dumped flour all over my head. And spat on me…”

“Well, that’s not happening tonight,” Allie insists. “You’ve got as good a chance as Melissa has of being the prom queen, and I’ve heard a few rumours that you might be one of the favourites, too!”

“…Really?” I ask, my excitement levels rising.

“I’d vote for you,” Allie shrugs.

“Really?” I ask, unconvinced by the other girl's reassuring tone. “I was, you know, not nice to you all the time…”

“Yeah, well, unlike SOME people, I prefer not to hold a grudge,” Allie says with a friendly giggle. “Besides, I’m actually going to the same college as Laura White next year, so if you could, you know, properly introduce us, I’d be grateful.”

“Really?” I ask for the third time in a row. “I didn’t know you were into performing arts, I mean, you were never in drama club when I was…”

“I’m not much of an actor,” Allie says. “I prefer dancing a lot more. I’m actually starting in Krystie Fullerton’s elite class over summer too.”

“Oh- wow!” I chuckle. “I didn’t even know you did ballet?”

“Since I was four,” Allie giggles. “I was on the waiting list for, like, AGES, but then Melissa took back her referral and… Yeah.”

“Yeah,” I whisper. “Heh, I really wish we’d become friends earlier.”

“Meh, no reason why we can’t now, right?” Allie asks, bringing a wide, genuine grin to my face.

“Nope!” I reply, giggling as Allie leads me into the main hall.

“Though just so you’re aware,” Allie says with a teasing grin, “I’m only interested in dancing with BOYS, hehe!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I retort with a happy giggle. My giggle quickly changes to an awestruck gasp, though, when I see the room that’s been laid out for us.

The whole room has been decked out in gold and silver streamers, with over a hundred balloons of the same colour hanging from the walls. Rows of tables have been set out with expensive-looking china and cutlery, while a large dancefloor has been cleared on the opposite end of the room. Just above the dancefloor is the stage, where two large banners have been erected- one that bears the logo of my favourite band, and one that simply reads 'Good luck class of 2019'. And, of course, all of the boys are decked out in their smart suits, while the girls are all wearing fancy dresses, shoes and make-up. Girls that include me, I think to myself as I realise that this is where I truly belong- in with all of the other girls. Well, maybe not ALL of the other girls, as I’m reminded when my short walk toward where George is stood is accompanied by the usual whispers and giggles…

“Hey Ash!” George says with a grin as he places a supportive hand on my shoulder. “Finished gossiping, then?”

“BOY,” Allie and I reply simultaneously.

“Though you did a really good job with this,” I say as I gesture to the extravagantly decorated room.

“Well, the best is still yet to come, hehe!” Allie giggles excitedly as we're escorted to our seats for our dinner.

After dinner, which is spent mostly gossiping with Allie and a couple of her friends about AngelCon and Out of Heaven (the latter of which earns me a lot of kudos with them), George and I have our photo taken together, before he leads me onto the dancefloor with all of the other couples. At first, our dancing is awkward, despite both of us having taken dance lessons in the past. It quickly dawns on me that the reason for our awkwardness is that I'm still on edge- I'm still expecting a flour bomb to be hurled at me at any second, or for someone to come up behind me and pull my dress down, or kick me to the floor... But as the night goes on, I soon realise that none of that is going to happen. I am just an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl at prom with her best friend- just as I've dreamed about for as long as I can remember.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the emcee announces into the microphone. “We’re taking a quick break now, so catch your breath, grab a drink and get ready, because when we return, one half of Out of Heaven will be singing for you!” Needless to say, this announcement earns a loud cheer from the crowd- a cheer I happily join in with!

“Ahh, this is going to be so cool!” I squeak, bouncing up and down in my heels with excitement.

“Yep!” George says, looking increasingly flustered, and not just because of my excitement.

“Are- are you okay?” I ask. “You’re looking kind of, you know, hot- as in, you know, ‘too warm’.”

“Well- yeah,” George replies. “I’m wearing a shirt, a waistcoat and a jacket, it’s the middle of summer and the aircon in this place is shit.”

“Yeah… It- it’s not just that though, is it?” I ask.

“It- ugh, I dunno,” George sighs. “Guess I’m just not a ‘prom guy’, heh. God knows you’re a ‘prom girl’ though, heh. You seem a lot happier than when we first got here, though.”

“I am,” I say happily. “This really is so cool. It’s like- I dunno. But I am glad I came today.” And glad that I went to school that first day wearing a skirt, despite what happened, I think to myself. If I hadn’t had the courage to stand up to my parents and tell them about the ‘real me’, I might well be sweating along with George right now, instead of feeling my dress swish around my legs with every step I take, or smelling the perfume on my skin, or even the mere feel of my hair brushing against my shoulders. And while this may be the end of my school life, it’s not the end of my story- not by a long shot. It’s been tough at times, but it’s most definitely been worth it.

“I’m glad too,” George says, before sighing as I give him a gentle hug. “…I’m going to get a drink. D’you want anything?”

“Ah- no,” I reply as I start to squirm. “Kinda, heh, kinda got the, you know, ‘opposite problem’.”

“Ah- okay,” George says. “I’ll be right here when you get back.”

“Thanks,” I say with a giggle as I sneak out of the room and head down the corridor toward the toilets.

Without giving it any further thought, I head into the ladies’ toilets and pick a cubicle, arranging my dress carefully before relieving myself. When I exit the cubicle, though, I immediately discover that I’m not alone. This is going to suck, I think to myself, taking a deep breath as I turn to face the newcomers. As anxious as I am, though, I know one simple fact- nothing they can do can stop me from being who I am, as long as I don’t let them. Even if they are the most popular girls in the school…

“What are YOU doing here?” Melissa sneers, flanked by Cameron, Lucy and Lydia- the latter of whom seems the angriest of all to see me.

“Taking a piss, what does it look like?” I reply with a sneer of my own.

“BOYS go in the BOYS’ toilets,” Melissa shouts as I feel my legs start to wobble. I can be as determined as I want, but it’s still four against one, and I still have nightmares about the last time Melissa and her cronies confronted me in a toilet block. I shouldn’t have come here today…

“…We- well, obviously I’m not a boy then, am I?” I retort, my voice growing feebler with every word I say.

“We’ll just see about that,” Melissa says with a smug grin as she lunges forward and grabs my dress by the neckline, tearing the fabric around the neckline with a single yank. Not a third time… I think to myself, my mind racing as I try to figure out how I’m going to explain my damaged dress to my parents- or to the 200 people I’m going to have to face…

“Get her arms!” Cameron yells, and before I have time to react, she and Lucy have my arms restrained behind my back, and Melissa is approaching me, a look of sheer triumph in her eyes- though that pales in comparison to the look in Lydia's eyes as she records my humiliation with her phone.

“Now you know, you pathetic little boy,” Melissa sneers. “I’m one of life’s winners, and you’ll ALWAYS be a loser.”

I close my eyes as I await the inevitable humiliation, wondering if this is my life from now on- to be the world’s punching bag simply for being who I am. Even though I’m leaving school, in September I’ll be going to college, where there’ll inevitably be plenty of people who’ll hate me just for being me- and I know for a fact that my fake ex-girlfriend, who's watching on with sadistic delight in her eyes, will be one of those people. After that will be university, and while I might be able to join an LGBT society, I'm still going to be in a minority. I'll ALWAYS be in a minority, no matter where I go. Even when I get a job, it’ll be the same thing, over and over again for eternity. Why must I be condemned to suffer my whole life, just because everyone else can’t accept the fact that I’m a girl?

I shudder as I feel Melissa’s fingers scratch my skin, and as she gets ready to pull on my dress again, I desperately try to free myself from Lucy and Cameron’s hold, but despite being bigger than either of them, their hold is too tight. I find myself thinking that I really should’ve taken George up on his offer of going to martial arts class with him as I hear the stitches of my dress start to tear, before Melissa suddenly stops- and when I open my eyes, I immediately realise why.

“Leave her alone,” Allie says in a commanding voice, not flinching as the other four girls all turn and laugh at her.

“Oh, look who it is, everyone!” Melissa says with a condescending laugh. “It’s the school’s favourite cock addict. How many guys have you blown tonight, hmm? Twenty? Fifty, maybe?”

“You’d know all about THAT, wouldn’t you?” Allie retorts.

“Why do you care about HIM, anyway?” Lydia scoffs. “Unless… Are you a tranny as well?”

“That’d explain why she loves cocks so much,” Cameron laughs, even though Allie’s face remains completely stoic.

“Tell you what,” Melissa says. “If you care about Ashley so much, you can join him!” I frown and try not to cry as Melissa lunges for her former friend, mentally urging Allie to run, or fight back, or do anything to avoid sharing my fate- but before Melissa can reach Allie, she’s stopped by another girl entering the toilet- the last face I expected to see right now.

“Do not,” Petra says, pushing Melissa’s hand away and standing between her and Allie.

“…So it’s four against three,” Melissa shrugs. “Still think you can win?”

“It is not four against three,” Petra replies, smiling as more girls enter the toilet area- two, then four, then six… Before long, there are over twenty girls crammed into the toilet, and Melissa and Lydia, along with Cameron and Lucy (both of whom were very quick to release me from their grip) are surrounded on all sides.

“Who the fuck do you all think you are?” Melissa asks, though her voice wavers enough to tell me that the confidence she had when it was just me has completely vanished. “You’d really side with HIM over me?”

“You’re the one forcing us to take sides,” one of the girls replies- something even Melissa can’t (and doesn’t) argue.

“I think you should leave now,” Allie says, and despite a brief look of defiance in her eyes, Melissa snarls and skulks out of the toilet.

“I won’t forget this,” Melissa growls, unable to look any of us in the eyes.

“We will,” one of the girls snipes back. Before the four girls depart, though, the one bringing up the rear turns to face me, the sadistic look in her eyes having been replaced by one of sheer panic.

“Oh please, please Ash!” Lydia begs. “You know I liked you really, please tell them we had fun together? We CAN be together again, if that’s what you really want…”

“You- you just don’t have ANY shame, do you?” I spit back, causing my fake ex’s face to change from desperation to an all too familiar look of anger.

“Oh, I don’t have any shame, do I?” Lydia snorts. “Then what does that make you, a boy in a dress? What do you think you look like, anyway?”

“Better than you,” I retort. Unable to respond, Lydia simply huffs and followers the rest of Melissa’s ‘posse’ out, though the second they’re gone, I can feel my legs start to wobble and tears start to form in my eyes.

“Ash, are- are you okay?” Leah- one of the girls who came to my defence- asks softly, sighing as I shake my head and slowly start to weep.

“What- what am I even doing here?” I moan.

“You are a girl at her high school prom,” Petra replies with a shrug. “The same as everybody else.”

“Yeah, but I’m not though, am I?” I sigh. “The same as everybody else, I mean.”

“Neither am I,” Petra shrugs. “Everyone else in here has an English accent.”

“Well- true,” I mumble, unable to counter her argument.

“You have as much right to be here as any of us,” Leah reassures me as I slowly start to regain my composure.

“How- why- how did you know to come in here, anyway?” I ask.

“I saw you heading to the loo,” Allie explains. “Then I saw those four idiots follow you and, well, it was kinda obvious what was happening.”

“Ugh, in future I’m just going to cross my legs whenever I’m out,” I spit.

"Or ask one of us to go with you," Allie shrugs. "Yeah, I know, it's a cliche, girls going to the loo in groups, but if you need it, all you need to do is ask."

"Absolutely," Petra says with a smile as my feeling of guilt overtakes my earlier feeling of shame- after all I've said about these girls behind their backs, for them to support me like this... It's more than I deserve.

"Maybe I should just go home," I sigh.

"No," Allie says firmly. "Uh-uh. No chance. Do NOT let those bitches win, Ash. You deserve tonight. And if we have to watch you while you're taking a leak, well- whatever."

"...Thanks," I whisper as I slowly start to shake the negative thoughts from my mind.

“Anyway, we’d better get back,” Leah says. “Out of Heaven will be taking the stage soon!”

“Well- half of them,” Allie corrects her friend. “But that’s still WAY better than none, hehe!”

“Yep!” Petra beams. “I have never seen them live before, so this will be excellent!”

“…Yeah,” I say, allowing myself a light chuckle before moaning again as I take one step forward and my damaged dress nearly falls off my shoulder. “Ugh, maybe not, then. My parents are going to kill me…”

“They will kill Melissa first,” Petra says. “And I think not for the first time.”

“Yeah, I guess,” I say with a sad, heavy sigh. “Guess that's my decision made on whether or not I'm staying, then. I'll call my parents in a bit. Unless any of you happen to have a spare dress in my size?”

“If we did, we would let you wear it, no questions asked,” Leah says, and I can tell that she is sincere in her offer, as are the other girls who are all nodding.

“Ah,” Allie says, her eyes widening, before she takes a deep breath as though to steel herself. I really, really hope she isn’t going to confront Melissa or any of the others…

“Allie?” Leah asks.

“Don’t- don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back!” Allie says in a voice approaching a squeak as she darts out of the toilet.

“…Whatever that was about,” Leah says. “Ash, do you need anyone to stay with you until your parents get here?”

“Nah, I- I’ll be okay,” I sigh. “They won’t try again, heh.”

“They’ve probably already been thrown out,” Leah says with a smile. “And if they upload that video they were making anywhere, well, I’m sure the police will be interested in watching video evidence of an assault.”

“Well- I guess,” I sigh. “I- I need to make the call now.”

“Sure,” Leah says, ushering the other girls out of the toilet as I try not to blush with not just embarrassment, but shame. At any point during the last year, I could’ve kicked Melissa to one side and befriended any of them, and they’d have accepted me as one of the girls, just like the Excellent Eight did all those years ago. And yet, I’d bought into Melissa’s popularity myth so deeply that the concept never even occurred to me. I guess the old saying is true, after all- it’s nice to be popular, but it’s much better to simply be nice. But still, just because I’ve made mistakes in the past, it doesn’t mean I can’t be optimistic about the future- something I discover when Allie returns just after the last of the girls is about to leave the toilet.

“Ash, come with me,” Allie says, grabbing my hand and barely giving me time to keep my dress from falling off as she drags me down a side corridor- thankfully, one that leads away from the main hall.

“Where- where are we going?” I ask.

“You’ll see,” Allie replies with an excited grin. Seconds later, we stop outside what looks like any other door in the corridor, and I frown in confusion as Allie knocks on the door… Only for my jaw to drop when it opens to reveal the face of none other than Stephanie Abbott herself.

“Hi Ash!” Stephanie says with a wide grin. “Come in, come in! You too, Allie!”

“Th- thanks,” I say, my head spinning as I step into the plush hotel room. In less than five minutes, I've gone from being about to be publicly humiliated to hanging out in the dressing room of two of the most famous singers in the whole country. To say the situation is surreal would be putting it mildly.

“Hey girls!” The petite figure of Kayla Ford says from the opposite side of the room as she finishes attaching her expensive-looking high-heeled shoes to her feet.

“H- hi,” I say, waving nervously with one hand while trying to keep my dress on with the other. “S- sorry about my dress…”

“Oh- why are YOU apologising?” Stephanie asks, making my face instantly redden.

“Sorry,” I mumble again.

“Seriously, you don’t need to apologise,” Kayla insists, and I only barely override my natural instinct to say ‘sorry’ again before allowing the famous singers to continue.

“Allie filled us in on what happened,” Stephanie explains. “After we heard what those girls did to you, we were nearly ready to just turn around and go straight home, like, as a protest.”

“Yeah...” I grimace. “Reckon I’d probably have got the blame for that, too…”

“We came to the same conclusion,” Stephanie says with a gentle smile. “It’s not a million years ago that we were both teenagers, and- well, my experience of being at school is, well, kinda different to yours.”

“Well- yeah,” I say, my blushes fading slightly as I remember that as hard as it’s been for me, I am privileged to have been able to transition from as young an age as thirteen. Stephanie was nineteen when she started very publicly transitioning, meaning she had to go through the whole of school as a boy- no prom dress, no school skirts, no nothing. And if I was forced to choose, even despite the bullying I've had to endure from Melissa and her morons, I would take the three years I had as a schoolgirl over spending even one more day as a schoolboy. Though at the end of the day, a ruined dress is hardly any better than no dress at all…

“The point Steph’s trying to make,” Kayla says, “is that we remember what it’s like to be at school, with the cliques and stuff…”

“It WILL get easier,” Stephanie reassures me. “Trust me. Ugh, this’ll make me sound REALLY old, but- well, kids, as in, like, people your age, who are at school, they- they think they can get away with a LOT more than they actually can.”

“If anyone did to, like, an adult what they did to you,” Kayla says, “they would be arrested and charged with a crime. No exceptions."

“I’m going to call the police anyway, later tonight,” Allie says, making me cringe. If the police get involved, I’m going to have to give a statement, and be interviewed, and if the case goes to trial- and god knows Melissa will never admit any guilt- I'll be questioned on the witness stand for the whole world to see...

“No, please- please don’t,” I moan.

“No, they need to pay for what they did,” Allie insists. “Even if it’s just, like, literally paying to replace your dress.”

“…Fine,” I say, sighing again at the torn neckline of my dress. “I- I don’t suppose I could stay in here, you know? Like, for the rest of the evening?”

“Well- you would kinda be here by yourself,” Stephanie chuckles. “Not that I don’t trust you with our stuff, like, but- wouldn’t you rather be out there, with your friends?”

“Not really an option?” I reply, gesturing again to the damage done to my dress.

“Well…” Stephanie says, triggering an awkward pause that lasts for almost a minute before being broken by a knock on the hotel door.

“I wonder who THAT could be?” Kayla asks with a teasing grin as she opens the door to reveal the last person I expected to see tonight.

“Ah, bonsoir Mademoiselle Ford, Mademoiselle Abbott!” Madame Renou-Briggs- my old ballet teacher- says as she enters the hotel room, followed by a woman in her late twenties who I recognise as her genderfluid spouse, but who I've never personally met before outside of a couple of 'hello's at the coffee shop where she and Laura work.

“Hey Zoe, hey Nat!” Stephanie says as she and Kayla exchange gentle hugs with the two women.

“Evening, you two!” Madame Renou-Briggs’s spouse says in her androgynous northern accent, before hanging three large garment bags up on the coat rack. “And hello to you two as well!”

“H- hi,” I say with a nervous wave.

“Thanks for coming on such short notice, you two,” Stephanie says. “I would’ve normally called Nikki first, but she’s up north with Hannah and Viks tonight, so, well, yeah.”

“Lucky her,” Madame Renou-Briggs’s wife chuckles while she fiddles with the garment bags.

“It is absolutely no problem at all,” Madame Renou-Briggs replies with a smile. “I had just finished my class for the night and was on my way home when Natalie called and explained and asked me to pick her up. I could not say no when you said that one of my best students for the last few years needed help!”

“Th- thank y-“ I say, before giggling and sighing. “Merci, Madame Renou-Briggs.”

“De rien,” the French dance teacher replies. “And you now may call me Zoe! You, on the other hand, shall still call me Madame Renou-Briggs.” I can’t help but smirk as Allie blushes. “And you had better be looking after those beautiful feet of yours as well!”

“Oui, Madame Renou-Briggs,” Allie replies with a giggle.

“Okay,” the northern woman says with a grin. “Whenever you’re ready, just whip your dress off and we can get started.” I frown in confusion at the highly unusual instruction, as do the other women apart from Madame Renou-Briggs, who simply rolls her eyes.

“…English is not even my first language and even I know that is not something you say to one who is sixteen,” Madame Renou-Briggs chastises her spouse, who simply giggles and shrugs.

“Yeah, I know, I was just having a bit of fun,” Natalie replies, giggling as her wife rolls her eyes before unzipping the garment bags to reveal three very beautiful, very grown-up looking dresses. “Okay, we’re pretty much the same size, so any of these three should work. Just let me know which one you like best?” I frown in confusion as five pairs of eyes turn expectantly in my direction.

“I- I don’t understand?” I stammer. “What- what’s happening?”

“What is happening, Mademoiselle Moore,” Madame Renou-Briggs says with a grin as wide as I’ve ever seen on her, “is that you shall go to the ball!”

“Well- back to the ball, anyway,” Allie chuckles nervously.

“Wh- you- you’re lending me a dress?” I ask.

“Yes, emphasis on ‘lending’ and not ‘giving’,” Natalie says, smirking as Stephanie sighs and shakes her head.

“Tch, northerners,” Stephanie chuckles. “But yes, we’re lending you a dress so you can go back to the prom. Because you deserve to enjoy it just as much as any other girl.”

“I- I don’t know what to say,” I gush as tears start to form in my eyes. “I mean, thank you, of course, but I- I don’t know how I’ll be able to repay you…”

“You don’t need to!” Stephanie says with a friendly laugh. “If you really want to make it up to us, though, don’t pay it back, but pay it forward.”

“Umm, I’m sorry?” I ask.

“Pay it forward,” Natalie echoes. “Me and Steph are lucky that we’re in a position to help girls like you- girls like US. You’re not at the moment, but in the future, you will be. Girls like us need to look out for each other, ‘cause there’s a lot of people out there who won’t.”

“Okay, incoming politics lecture in five…” Stephanie teases, giggling as the northern woman rolls her eyes.

“Not tonight,” Natalie retorts. “Not when my wife’s installed a ‘Boris box’ in our kitchen.”

“Into which you must put one pound for simply mentioning his name!” Madame Renou-Briggs says triumphantly, making her wife sigh.

“…You can have three quid, Brexit’s an utter shambles and an upside-down toilet brush would do a better job than him,” Natalie grumbles, before turning to me and smiling again. “And I wasn’t referring to the government. For once, admittedly. I was referring to the idiots you see on the street, or in pubs, or- or even at a school prom. Those who think they’re better than you just because you’re trans and they’re not. Well, what they’re ‘not’ is better, not even remotely. And another thing they’re not is in a majority.”

“Yep, I- I found that out tonight,” I chuckle as I carefully examine the three dresses in front of me.

If tonight (and indeed, the last few months) has taught me a lesson, it’s that I am not alone- never alone. I have family who love me, best friends who’ll look out for me and more friends and allies than I knew I had. Without expecting anything in return, Stephanie took time out of her day to call a friend and source a replacement dress for me. I will of course pay this favour forward if I’m ever in a position to do so, but it’s sad that I expect to be in a position to need to.

Natalie’s right when she says that jerks like Melissa are in a minority- tonight has conclusively proved that. However, that doesn’t make her insignificant, especially when she’s shown she’s willing and able to do me harm simply for being who I am. Of course, it’s possible that Melissa and her morons aren’t really transphobic (or at least, doesn’t think of themselves as such), and are only using my ‘status’ as a weapon against me for the ‘crime’ of turning my back on them, but the effect on me is still the same. And it’s not like Natalie or Stephanie can be available 24/7 like some kind of transgender Batwomen, and nor can Laura, or the aforementioned Nikki, or any of my other friends and allies. But if I ask for help, even if it’s just to be picked back off the ground (hopefully only in a metaphorical sense), I have friends who will help me. And there is no shame in asking if I am in need. And no matter what anyone says, or how many people try to say it, there is absolutely zero shame in living my life as the girl I was always meant to be. I am proud to be MISS Ashley Moore. And when I walk back into the hall with all of the other kids from my school, I will have my head held high. Not least because of the dress I’ll be wearing.

“…This one,” I say, pointing the middle of the three dresses.

“Good choice!” Natalie giggles as she takes the garment off of its hanger.

“We’ll give you some privacy, we’re about to be due on stage anyway,” Stephanie says with a kind smile. “Nat, if I give you the key, can you lock up after us?”

“Sure,” Natalie replies with a shrug. “Got nowhere else I need to be tonight.”

“Thank you, thank you again for this, this- this is so awesome,” I gush.

“Us girls have to stick together, don’t we?” Stephanie asks with a giggle as a knock comes from the door. “That’ll be us, then. We’ll see you out there, ‘Princess Ashley’!”

“Thanks!” I squeak as the four adults leave the room, leaving just me and my newest friend, who has a wide grin on her face. “…And thank you too, Allie. You- you set this up, didn’t you? When you left just now, you came and asked for a favour on my behalf, didn't you?”

“Maybe,” Allie replies with a smug grin, before giggling. “Okay, yes, yes I did. I just figured- well, you know that you deserved, like, a ‘win’. And to show, you know, that not everyone thinks- well, thinks the same as Melissa.”

“I never assumed that everyone did,” I retort, before sighing. “Okay, maybe I HAVE thought that a few times, heh. It’s certainly felt like that sometimes.”

“Yep, I know THAT feeling too,” Allie says, making me cringe- I can never change the fact that I am, and always will have been part of the reason Allie knows what I'm going through.

“Sorry,” I mumble.

“Meh, it’s okay,” Allie shrugs. “Steph was right, though, us girls do need to stick together. And not, like, you know, girls like, umm-“

“Trans girls?” I ask, smiling as Allie nods.

“But ALL of us,” Allie continues.

“I couldn’t agree more,” I say with a warm smile. “Now, umm, can- can you help me into this dress?”

“Of course!” Allie giggles. “As long as you hurry up, I don’t want to miss them singing!” Allie and I share a girlish giggle as I finally let my ruined dress drop to the floor, before squeezing myself into the one kindly provided by Natalie.

For so long at school, I thought that if I wanted friends, I had to conform- whether that was with Laura and the rest of the X8, or with Melissa and her gang. I thought that was simply what girls did. It turns out that, obviously, I was wrong. I’d much rather have less popular but more genuine friends than insincere bitches like Melissa and her cronies- like I said, it’s nice to be popular, but it’s much better to simply, well, be nice. If I was still hanging out with Melissa, or even going out with Lydia, I probably wouldn’t have a ruined dress, but I wouldn’t have a new friend in Allie either. I might even have participated in humiliating her the way Melissa tried to humiliate me- and worse yet, I might have gone along with it willingly, out of the deluded belief that that was ‘what girls do’. One thing’s for certain- ultimately, I’d have been utterly miserable, as I’d have known that I no longer had any real friends.

Ten minutes later, after Stephanie and Kayla have finished their second song of the evening, I sweep back into the function room, smiling proudly as several heads turn to follow me every step of the way.

“Wow, Ash,” George says, his eyes widening as I approach him and do a slow twirl to show off my loaned dress. It's very different from my previous one- it's made out of a shiny bronze-coloured fabric and has a much lower-cut neckline, while still being very form-fitting. The bodice hugs my curves tightly, before ending in a long, billowy skirt that causes the fabric to glisten with every step I take.

“Thanks,” I giggle. “I assume you were going to follow up with ‘you look great’?”

“Well, umm, yeah…” George mumbles, blushing as I giggle.

“Good enough,” I say with a smile. “For a BOY. Come on, let’s dance!” I giggle excitedly as I lead George back to the dancefloor, where we dance together for almost the next hour.

Eventually, the music stops and the 200-plus of us gather on the dancefloor, eagerly awaiting the singers' next announcement- the moment many of us have been waiting for for weeks.

“Thank you, everyone!” Stephanie yells into her microphone, triggering an excited scream from everyone present- myself included!

“There’s just one more thing we need to do before the night comes to an end!” Kayla announces, raising the excitement level even further. "Tonight, you have all been voting for your prom king and queen, and I can now reveal that your 2019 prom king is... Jake Cassidy!" I smile as I cheer and applaud our 'king'- while I obviously voted for George, I know Jake to be an okay guy- he's a midfielder on the school football team but (unlike many on that team) he's never had anything unkind to say to me.

“And your prom queen for tonight is…” Stephanie announces, her eyes lighting up as the anticipation in the room reaches fever pitch. “…Miss Ashley Moore!” My jaw drops and I feel my chest tighten as not only is my name called, but the entire hall erupts in cheers- cheers loud enough to drown out any jeers or boos, assuming there were any at all. My legs turn to jelly as I’m slowly guided to the stage by George, Allie and Petra, where a fancy plastic crown is placed on my head and a pink sash draped over me with my new ‘title’ emblazoned on the front.

“Oh my god, thank you all so much!” I squeak as I’m led to my ‘throne’. “This- this doesn’t seem real…”

“I assure you, it is!” Stephanie giggles, stealthily letting me see the card she was holding, which shows that I indeed received 53 votes for prom queen- enough, as it turns out, to win.

Though the only reason that 53 votes was enough to win was because the 98 votes cast for Melissa were all disregarded, as evidenced by the line through her name (and her ‘score’) on Stephanie’s card. But that doesn’t matter to me, not anymore. So what if 98 people still supported Melissa after what she’s done to me all term? 53 people thought highly enough of me to vote for me to be the prom queen. And even though that is technically a minority, it still means there are potentially over fifty friends here today that I never knew I had- and if tonight has taught me anything, it’s that despite Melissa’s efforts to make me the outcast, I have many, many more friends than I realise. Friends I never even knew I had, who think nothing of giving up their Friday evening to lend me a dress and help me out in my time of need. REAL friends. The best, if not only kind of friends. I’d almost forgotten what it was like to have friends like that, but I won’t forget tonight. Not for what Melissa did, but for what Allie did, for what Petra and the other girls did, and for what Stephanie, Natalie and all of my other friends did. And what they’re continuing to do right now. I always thought of myself as being naturally unlucky, but now I realise the opposite is true- I am truly blessed to have as many friends as I do. There are many transgender girls who aren't nearly as lucky as I am...

“One last song,” Stephanie whispers to me excitedly. “This one’s for you, Ash.”

“Tonight,” Stephanie and Kayla sing in perfect harmony. “I’m gonna have myself a real good time,
I feel ali-i-i-ive
And the world I'll turn it inside out, yeah
I'm floating around in ecstasy
So, don't stop me now...
Don't stop me
'Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time
I don't want to stop at all...

Eventually, the night comes to an end just before 1am and we all head out to our various lifts home, which in mine and George’s case is his mother. Before we leave the venue, though, I head back to the hotel room where my ‘Cinderella moment’ took place, where all five of my ‘fairy godmothers’ are waiting for me with wide grins on their faces.

“Hi Ashley!” Stephanie says with a giggle. “Or should that be ‘your majesty’?” I let out a loud squeak of laughter as the five women all playfully curtsey to me.

“Aww, thank you, thank you all so much for tonight!” I sigh happily. “Tonight has been SO awesome- well, the second half of tonight, anyway, after- well, yeah…”

“Yeah, no need to say any more,” Stephanie chuckles. “I’m just happy we could make a difference tonight.”

“Oh, you did way, way more than that!” I say. “And I will, you know, ‘pay it forward’. I promise.”

“I know you will,” Natalie says with a friendly smile. “Though I am gonna want that dress back, please. Don’t worry about washing it- I’ll get it cleaned myself. And I’ve already got in touch with a friend of ours who makes clothes for a living and a hobby- she’ll get your dress fixed up and back to you soon, no charge.”

“Yeah… Not going to be fun wearing the damaged dress home, though,” I sigh.

“Just cover up the damage with that sash of yours!” Natalie teases, making me giggle and blush. “But seriously though, it’s been our pleasure to help tonight. I probably shouldn’t say this, but Laura’s talked a few times about how she’s worried about you, being at school without the rest of your gang.”

“Yeah, well, now I know I have more friends than I realised,” I giggle, before frowning with confusion. “…Did Laura really say that?”

“Yeah, when we were working at the coffee shop together,” Natalie replies. “Emphasis on ‘were’ as she’s now chucked the job in to be a famous model and actress, heh. Don’t suppose you’re on the market for a Saturday job are you, Ash?”

“Oh- umm, well, maybe,” I stammer in reply.

“If Ash doesn’t want the job, I’ll take it,” Allie says with a smug grin that fades when Madame Renou-Briggs shoots an angry glare in her direction.

“And skip on my elite class?” The French dance teacher asks. “I should expect not!”

“…Non, Madame Renou-Briggs,” Allie mumbles, before giggling tiredly.

“I- I guess I’d better get changed, then,” I sigh as I follow the other five women into the small dressing room. “You can wait outside, George. Girls only from this point forward!”

“Yes, yes, okay,” my tall friend sighs, before flinching as I stand on my tiptoes to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek. “And yes, okay there too!”

“I just wanted to say thanks,” I say softly. “For being such a great friend over the years.”

“Yes, okay, GIRL,” George retorts, making me giggle. “Go and get changed already!” I giggle excitedly as I rush into the room, before sighing sadly as I catch sight of my damaged dress on the bed where I'd discarded it.

“They will be able to fix it,” Stephanie reassures me. “Sarah’s an expert at this sort of thing, she’ll probably make it better than it was brand new, heh!”

“Heh,” I chuckle as I reluctantly step out of Natalie’s dress and back into my own one, arranging my sash so that it hides most of the damage done by Melissa and her morons. “Thank you again for everything, seriously. I mean, you didn’t NEED to do this, right?”

“Well… I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if I didn’t,” Stephanie replies. “God knows I wouldn’t be able to be the woman I am today if I didn’t get a lot of help from others.” I smile and sigh happily as Stephanie gently links her fingers with Kayla’s- it certainly came as a surprise to me when the two of them revealed they were in a relationship earlier in the year. Not that it was an unpleasant surprise, though- it reminded me that being transgender doesn't mean there's no one out who'll love me for who I am, just as Kayla clearly loves Stephanie.

“Ash?” George yells as he knocks on the door, spoiling the moment. “Are you nearly done in there? My mum’s getting impatient…”

“Yes, okay, keep your hair on, BOY!” I reply in a teasing voice, eliciting giggles from all five of my new friends.

“You take care of yourself, okay?” Stephanie says, before giving me a gentle hug. Further hugs follow from Kayla and the married couple, before Allie approaches me with a wide, happy grin on her otherwise exhausted face.

“Thanks again for tonight,” I say to my newest friend, who simply giggles and blushes. “Seriously, I really don’t know how I can repay you-“ I pause as I suddenly remember something Allie said to me earlier this evening, which suddenly sparks an idea in my mind. “…Are you doing anything tomorrow?”

“Umm, no,” Allie replies. “Elite class doesn’t start until September. Why, exactly?” My new friend frowns in confusion as my smile widens, remembering the saying made famous by Jamie-Lee Burke.

The following morning, I have a smile on my face as I stretch out my body on one of the sun loungers in Priya and Suri’s garden. All I have covering my body is a modest red bikini top and a short denim skirt, easily enough to make me ‘blend in’ with the other girls… All eight of them.

“Seriously, you should’ve seen the dress that Ash’s friends brought for her,” Allie says, effortlessly slotting into the conversation with the Excellent Eight like she’s always been one of the gang- which in hindsight, she should’ve been. The ease with which the other girls accepted Allie warmed my heart, though I can’t help but wonder whether the last year at school would’ve been different if they’d accepted Petra just as easily when I’d suggested that she join the group. However, I’ve long since learned that there’s no sense in dwelling on what could’ve been- especially when what is is so positive right now.

“Aww, you should’ve called one of us!” Nicole insists. “We’d have been round in a shot with our dresses- our actual dresses that we wore to our prom last year, wouldn’t we?” I giggle and blush as my seven friends all nod in agreement, wide loving smiles on their faces.

“Well, those of us whose dresses would fit you, anyway,” Suri says, before grimacing. “Ehh… By which I mean that as a short joke on me, not- well, you know…”

“I get it,” I say with a smile. “And I know you’d have all helped out in a second, god knows I’d drop everything if one of you needed my help.” Needless to say, this earns ‘aww’s from all my friends and me a tight group hug.

“I know you would,” Laura says with a beaming grin. “But I’m not surprised Natalie did either- she is a really cool person, and you will have fun working at the coffee shop. Assuming you take her up on her offer, anyway?”

“Well… My parents would probably kill me if I told them I was offered a Saturday job and DIDN’T take it up, hehe!” I giggle. “God knows they weren’t happy about me coming back with a damaged dress, given how much they paid for it.”

“Oh- did they yell at you for that, Ash?” Megan asks.

“Not at me,” I reply. “They’re going to tear Melissa and her cronies- and her parents too- a new one when they see them. As if they weren’t pissed off enough about what they did to my uniform, heh. Next time I go anywhere by myself I’m just going to use the disabled toilet. Or cross my legs, heh.”

“Or go with one of us,” Harriet shrugs. “I’m serious, Ash. No reason why you shouldn’t, I mean, sure, it's a stereotype about girls going to the toilet together, but needs must, right?”

"I said the exact same thing to her last night," Allie says, making me grin as the other girls all nod in agreement.

“Though you really aren’t going to have the same kind of problems at our college,” Mia reassures me. “We’ll all make sure of that.”

“And don’t-“ Nicole says, before I interrupt her mid-sentence.

“Don’t worry about being ‘left alone’ for the second year of college, I know,” I say with a smile. “Another thing I found out yesterday is that I have a lot more friends than I thought I did, heh.”

“And you can never have too many, right?” Priya asks as she gives Allie a playful hug.

“Right!” The nine of us all cheer.

“All of the girls at college will be BEGGING to be your friend, Ash,” Laura reassures me. “And not just because you’re friends with Angels, or Out of Heaven, or- well, or me, hehe!”

“Show off,” Megan teases her best friend, who giggles in reply. “What Laura was trying to say is that you’re a cool girl in your own right, and anybody would be lucky to call you their friend.”

“Aww, girlies…” I half-giggle and half-moan as I fan my face with my hands. “Thank god I didn’t wear too much make-up today, heh. But- ugh, I dunno. Part of me still wishes I hadn’t bothered with the prom yesterday, then I wouldn’t have had the stress of dealing with Melissa’s morons and- well, everything, heh.”

“And you wouldn’t have won- no, not won, EARNED this either?” Allie teases as she picks up my ‘Prom Queen’ sash from where I left it and ceremoniously drapes it on me.

“Long live the queen!” Nicole says, making me giggle as I strike a ‘regal’ pose while my friends all playfully curtsey.

“Thanks, all of you,” I sigh happily. “And you’re right, I’m tired of regretting everything I do. I’ve got the best friends in the world and I’m a prom queen. What’s there to regret about that?”

“Atta girl!” Mia cheers.

“I think we should toast that,” Priya says. “By which I mean yes, I’m thirsty, hehe!” I giggle as the nine of us head to the cooler at the side of the garden to each grab a can of Diet Coke. As I drink my beverage, I can’t help but reflect on how lucky I truly am to have the friends I do have- something that doesn't go unnoticed by the girl without whom I definitely wouldn't be standing here today as the girl I am.

“Hey,” Laura whispers as she slides up next to me. “You okay?”

“Hmm?” I reply. “Umm, yeah, I’m fine, why do you ask?”

“You looked kinda lost in thought,” Laura says. “I know I kinda would be as well if I had to put up with the shit you put up with this last year at school.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t really do myself any favour-“ I say, only to be stopped by my friend holding her hand up in my face.

“Don’t, just- just don’t think like that, Ash,” Laura says in an almost cautionary voice. “You didn’t do anything wrong, it was Melissa and those other bitches who are in the wrong for the way they treated you. Not just at prom, like, but all year, like- well, you know what I mean.”

“Well- yeah, I guess,” I sigh.

“You wanted friends,” Laura shrugs. “Who doesn’t? In hindsight, I now know that we should’ve, you know, extended the ‘Excellent Eight’ to include a few of the cooler girls from your year, like Allie.”

“…And Petra?” I ask, fidgeting as Laura frowns.

“I guess,” Laura shrugs. “Either way, you wouldn’t have been, you know, alone.”

“Thanks,” I whisper. “I wasn’t really alone, though, I mean, I had George, and Bryony and her friends too, you know?”

“Yeah, well- ugh,” Laura spits. “This is going to sound SO selfish, but- I just wanted my friend back, you know? You don’t know this, but when you- when you came out, even, like, privately, the first time to me and Suri, I- I was over the moon. Seriously. Before that, I’d always felt, you know, like an odd one out, but when you-“

“You thought we could be the ‘odd two out’?” I ask.

“No, not like THAT,” Laura says. “It- ugh. The best way I can put it is that it made me feel normal. Like, it was nothing out of the ordinary for me to want to be a girl, or to live my life like a girl… I mean, all of the other girls were great, SO supportive of me in year 7- well, mostly, anyway-but I still feel like an imposter sometimes. Having you around, I- I didn’t feel like I didn’t belong. I owe you a lot more than you know.” Despite my best efforts, tears slowly start to stream from my eyes as I give my friend a tight hug, which she happily reciprocates.

“I still think I owe you more,” I say, making Laura giggle. “If I hadn’t met you I certainly wouldn’t be a prom queen, heh. I wouldn’t be stood here wearing a bikini and a skirt- heh, I’d probably never have had the chance to even wear a skirt, like, ever.”

“Meh, you’d still have been a girl, though,” Laura says, making me frown in confusion. “I’m serious, Ash. Even if you’d, like, spent your whole time at school as a boy, or become the prom king instead of queen, you’d still have been a girl on the inside.”

“If you say so,” I shrug. “Doubt I’d have felt like one, not getting to do all the things girls do…”

“Well, that’s the secret,” Laura says with a smug grin. “Don’t concern yourself with ‘what girls do’. We are girls, end of story. Therefore, what we do is what girls do.”

“…Yeah,” I say, a wide, genuine grin spreading across my face as I give my friend another hug. “Thank you for everything, literally everything you’ve done for me over the years.”

“Well, I don’t plan on stopping,” Laura giggles as she returns my hug, before skipping off to talk to Megan. With a smile on my face, I head toward a shaded corner of the garden, where two more of my friends are cuddled up on a sun lounger, both cheering as I approach.

“Woohoo!” Harriet playfully cheers. “Lesbian corner is complete!”

“Hey Harriet, hey Mia,” I say, giggling as the two girls share a tight hug. “You don’t fancy lounging in the Sun, then?”

“Umm, with this skin?” Mia replies, gesturing to her milky complexion.

“And these freckles?” Harriet replies, before the three of us share a giggle.

“I’m pale and freckly too, you don’t see me complaining,” I tease, giggling and nearly choking on my Diet Coke as my two friends playfully jeer me.

“Meh, you’re cute enough without a tan,” Mia shrugs. “Though you may want to adjust your sash so that your tan isn’t lop-sided, your majesty!”

“Good point,” I say as I remove my sash and carefully lay it on the grass. “Should probably take off my skirt too, heh. Even though I really like this skirt, hehe!”

“You do look cute in it,” Harriet says, rolling her eyes as her girlfriend pouts. “What? If you can say Ash looks cute, then so can I.”

“Fair enough,” Mia giggles. “And we are both right, hehe!”

“Thanks,” I chuckle. “Even if not many girls agree with you, heh.”

“Not even Allie?” Mia asks, sighing sadly as I shake my head.

“Straight,” I reply, earning playful sneers of disappointment from my friends.

“That’s a pity,” Harriet shrugs. “You won’t be single for long at college, though- I can guarantee you that, hehe!”

“Well, we’ll see,” I chuckle. “Though it’s kinda a compliment, you know? Straight girls not being attracted to me?”

“I kinda get that,” Mia says. “Like, they’re showing that they actually see you as a girl, and not just a boy in a skirt.”

“Even if a skirt is a symbol of strength?” I ask, making Harriet smirk at one of her favourite quotes.

“And courage,” the ginger-haired girl says with a smile. “Especially courage, for girls like you and Laura. I mean, I’ve had a taste of what it must be like for you and Laura to tell your family who the real you is, but for you to wear that skirt every day… You should be SO proud of who you are.”

“I’m starting to be,” I say with a smile. “A little more every day. It’s just a pity a skirt HAS to be a symbol of courage, like, clothes are clothes, why should people say that only one gender can wear a particular type of clothes?”

“Even if that was the case, there’d always be something,” Harriet says. “Bigots would always find a way to be arseholes. Like, if skirts were men-only and trousers were women-only- which, let’s face it, would make much more sense- then trousers would have to be a symbol of strength. As it is, they’re just symbols of stupidity. Well, when men wear them, anyway.”

“Which you’re not,” Mia says with a grin. “A man, that is. I guess you can say a skirt is a symbol of intelligence, too!”

“I won’t argue with that!” Harriet cheers.

“Me either,” I say. “I think of it most as a symbol of friendship, though.”

“Well, we definitely can’t argue with that!” Mia giggles before cuddling up even closer to her girlfriend, which I take as my cue to head off and talk to some of my other friends. I smile as I approach Nicole, Megan and Priya in another corner of the garden, before rolling my eyes as they all playfully curtsey to me.

“Oh- stop it…” I mumble, blushing as the three girls giggle.

“All hail Queen Ashley!” Nicole cheers as I roll my eyes. “Oh, come on, you know you love it really!”

“…Maybe a bit,” I say, sharing a giggle with my three friends. “So, what are you three commoners talking about?” I smirk as my playful jibe gets an ‘ooh’ from my friends.

“About how we’re going to miss Priya in September,” Megan says, giving the older (but much shorter) girl a playful hug.

“Are you definitely off to Durham then?” I ask, smiling sadly as Priya nods.

“No way I can turn down this scholarship,” Priya replies. “Though I’m almost certainly going to be working in London after I graduate.”

“Fortunately, we’ve at least found a good replacement to sit with us at lunch,” Nicole says.

“Who’s that?” I innocently ask, before blushing as three pairs of eyes turn in my direction.

“You, of course!” Megan giggles. “Though we will need to find a bigger table so we can have George sitting with us as well. And any friends you make next year too, obviously!”

“Like, maybe, Petra, if you want,” Nicole says.

“Maybe,” I say. “She was, you know, on my side last night, but I- I think I’m going to need some time before I can- well, you know…”

“I get it,” Priya says with a smile.

“Though I am really excited about starting college,” I say.

“What subjects will you be doing?” Megan asks. “George has said you’ll be doing French and German, anything else?”

“Sociology and psychology,” I reply. “Okay, so maybe not THAT exciting, heh.”

“You’ll find that about college, actually,” Nicole says. “It seems exciting at first ‘cause everyone’s over sixteen, but it’s really just school with less strict teachers and no stupid uniform.”

“Yep, I’m not going to miss the uniform, hehe!” I giggle. “As desperate as I was to wear it at first, heh.”

“Yeah, compared to your last three years at school, college will probably be relatively boring, heh,” Nicole chuckles.

“Believe me, after this last year, I’ll take ‘boring’,” I say. “Though it’s hardly going to be boring with the three of us, is it? And Harriet and Mia, and Priya when she returns from the north pole, heh!”

“Too right it’s not!” Megan giggles. “Though we are going to keep to our promise of not going to any nightclubs or any festivals or anything like that until we can ALL go, all eight- well, now nine of us, heh!”

“Summer 2021 is going to be INTENSE!” Nicole says in a teasing voice. “Not that summer 2019 isn’t, either- you’re still coming to Brighton with us next weekend, aren’t you?"

“Try and stop me!” I reply with a teasing voice of my own. “Pity that, you know, we’ll never have all eight of us back together at like, school, or uni or work, sort of thing.”

“Doesn’t mean we’ll stop being friends,” Megan says. “God knows I’ve missed Laura at college this year, but we still chat every evening.”

“And those chats had better not stop when I’m in Durham,” Priya cautions. “I want to stay in touch with all my friends while I’m up there. ALL of them. I’m not making THAT mistake again.” I smile and blush as Priya glances in my direction, reminding me that while we may not have always got along in the past, she now considers me one of her closest friends- just as I do her.

“Even if those chats might have a few ‘guests’?” Nicole asks, gesturing to where Allie is talking with Laura and Suri.

“…Nah, not ‘guests’,” Priya shrugs. “Just more friends. And you can never have too many friends, right?”

“Right!” Megan, Nicole and I all cheer, before I take my leave and head over to where the aforementioned three girls and chatting, smirking as I go.

Of all my friends, Laura and Suri are easily my oldest and closest- they’re the ones I first told about the ‘real me’, after all. They’re the ones who would secretly slip me old clothes to wear, and who pretended to be my girlfriends as ‘cover’ back before I could live my life openly… And they’re chatting with a girl who’s been my friend for less than 24 hours (and been their friend for even less than that) but who they're chatting with as though they've known her their whole lives. I actually have to bite my lip to prevent myself from crying as I approach the three girls- the last few months have proved that my life could’ve gone down a very different path if I’d fallen in with friends who weren’t as loving and accepting as the Excellent Eight- or, I suppose, the Excellent Nine, as we’ll now have to be called. Melissa had a policy of ‘one in, one out’. We, on the other hand, seem to have a policy of ‘one in, and the more the merrier’. And I couldn't be happier about this arrangement.

“Hey girlies!” I say, with a happy giggle. “What’cha talking about?”

“Just giving Allie a few pointers about next year,” Laura replies with a grin.

“And being SUPER jealous that she’s in Ms Fullerton’s elite class!” Suri says with a mock pout, before letting out an excited giggle. “Seriously, though, we’re just talking, I mean, we’ll be hanging out a lot at college next year, hehe!”

“I hope we do, anyway,” Allie chuckles nervously.

“I’m sure we will,” Laura says. “Though if I’d known you were coming today, I would’ve asked Phoebe and Rachel if they wanted to come round, I still can’t believe you all haven’t met them yet!”

“Yeah, sorry if I, you know, wasn’t supposed to,” I mumble.

“Oh- don’t apologise for introducing us to a new friend!” Suri chastises. “If anything, it’s our fault, I mean, six months together in cheer club and we exchanged, what, ten words in total?”

“Yeah,” Allie mumbles. “I- I always wanted to chat more with you guys, but I figured as Melissa was already on my back- well, yeah…”

“That girl has a lot of karma heading her way,” Suri spits in a dark voice. “But who cares about her, anyway?”

“Not me!” I reply, earning giggles from all three of my friends. “I only care about REAL friends.”

“Too right,” Laura says, sharing a smile with me as we continue to soak up the sun, with me once again feeling like the luckiest girl in the world to have as many true friends as I do. So what if there are morons in the world like Melissa who don’t like me, or see me as something to make fun of? They’re irrelevant. They’ll never stop me from being a girl, and they’ll never stop my friends from being my friends. Why waste any energy dwelling on hate when I’m surrounded by so much love?

The nine of us stay in the garden until late afternoon, when Priya gives me, Laura, Allie and Megan a lift back to our respective homes. After bidding all of my friends (old and new alike) goodbye with a hug each, I head into my home, where I’m immediately greeted by the sound of loud, raucous laughter from the living room- a sound that instantly puts a smile on my face.

“Hi Cassie! Hi Dorothy!” I say to my two younger sisters as I enter the living room, only to be instantly ambushed by hugs from the two small but constantly growing girls.

“Hi Ashley!” The two girls say simultaneously.

“Did you have fun today with your friends?” I ask, giggling as my two sisters nod.

“We went round to Daisy’s house where we made bracelets!” Cassie squeaks excitedly as she and Dorothy show off the new 'jewellery' on their wrists. “And guess what happened to Dorothy?”

“Umm… I dunno?” I reply.

“I lost my first tooth today!” Dorothy squeaks happily, pulling down her bottom lip to show the brand-new gap in her teeth. “I brought it home so daddy can send it to that place to make it into a special thing like he did for you and Bryony and Cassie!”

“Cool!” I giggle, briefly glancing over to the mantelpiece where three ornaments take pride of place, along with photos of all six of us.

“And then when Eddy and Felicity love their first tooth, we’ll have the full set!” Cassie giggles.

“Yep!” I say, before letting my sisters get back to the TV show they were watching along with my brother, who seems more interested in his toy cars than the show- or me, even when I sit down cross-legged next to him. “Hi Eddy! Have you had fun today?”

“Hi Ashley, yes I have!” Eddy replies before getting back to his toys, making me giggle as I jump to my feet and head over to where my youngest sister is sat in her play pen playing with her favourite Minnie Mouse plush toy- a toy that was previously a favourite of Bryony, Cassie and Dorothy, but was never mine for obvious reasons. But still, as I’ve learned this weekend, I shouldn’t dwell on the past and what might have been (or even what should have been), and my smile remains on my face as I give Felicity a gentle kiss on her forehead before heading through to the kitchen.

“Hi Ashley!” Mum says as she prepares dinner (which as you’d imagine, takes a lot of work for six kids). “Did you have fun today?”

“Yeah, it was great!” I reply with a grin. “Is dad not in?”

“He’s working until 8pm tonight,” mum replies. “Which, hopefully, you will be soon!”

“…Well, maybe not THAT late,” I mumble. “But yes, I am going to text Natalie and tell her I’m going to accept the job, heh. Though I want to enjoy SOME of my summer first, I mean, it’s not like I didn’t earn it…”

“Well, I can’t argue with that,” mum chuckles. “And no, I don’t just mean last night, or the last few months, or- or even since you started living as, well, a girl.”

“As the real me,” I correct my mother, who simply smiles and nods.

“Yep,” mum says. “You know, I- I’ve talked to a lot of other parents. Of transgender children, I mean. One thing a lot of them say is that they wish they’d known- well, ‘known’ sooner… I definitely count myself in that.”

“I doubt it’d have made much of a difference if I started transitioning when I was younger,” I shrug. “Not where the idiots at school were concerned, anyway. Heh, I doubt it’d have made much of a difference to my friends, either- but in a good way, you know?”

“Yeah,” mum says with a smile. “You definitely landed on your feet by making friends with Laura and the others.”

“I did,” I whisper. “I guess I landed on my feet with the family I have, too.” Needless to say, this makes mum pause, before reaching for me for a tight hug that I am only too happy to give.

“I love you, daughter,” mum whispers, immediately bringing tears to my eyes.

“I love you too,” I whisper back, before we release each other and both take several deep breaths to compose ourselves. “Ah, heh. Is- is Bryony home yet?”

“Well, her friends came round here today, so I’d guess ‘yes’,” mum says, smirking as I roll my eyes. “She’s up in your room.”

“Thanks,” I say, turning to leave only to be stopped by my mother.

“And Ash?” Mum says. “Things are going to be okay. If you ever doubt that, just come to me, and I’ll make sure everything is alright. And so will your dad. He truly does love you as his daughter, Ash. Believe that.”

“I will,” I whisper. “Thanks, mum!”

“Thank you for being a great daughter,” mum says with a smile as I head out of the kitchen and skip up the stairs to mine and Bryony’s attic bedroom, where I find the door open as usual, and my 13-year-old sister laid on her bed texting on her phone- also as usual. With a smirk, I sneak into the room before sitting down on her bed, giggling as Bryony yelps and nearly drops her phone.

“Oh- Jesus Christ, Ash!” Bryony spits. “Do you want me to wet myself or something?”

“Not when you’re wearing one of my old skirts,” I reply, smirking as my sister rearranges the light, floaty garment before sitting up on the bed and turning to face me. Even though she’s only just turned thirteen, it surprises me how grown-up Bryony already is. It won’t be long before she’s as tall as I am, though I certainly won’t complain- having a sister I can swap clothes and make-up with would literally be a dream come true. And whether she admits it or not, I know Bryony feels the same way.

“What do you want, Ash?” Bryony asks.

“I just wanted to say thanks,” I reply. “For being such a good little sister!”

“’Little’,” Bryony snorts, before going back to her phone, only stopping when I wrap her in a tight hug. “Yes, yes, okay! I AM trying to talk to Sabrina, you know?”

“She was literally just here, what, half an hour ago?” I retort.

“So?” Bryony shrugs. “She’s my best friend, I’m gonna want to talk to her…” I frown as my sister’s voice trails off.

“…Bryony?” I ask. “Is- is everything okay?”

“Oh- yeah, fine,” my sister replies with a nonchalant shrug. “I just- meh, not important.”

“Okay, if you’re sure,” I say, “You know, you can talk to me about anything, right? Even- no, especially girl stuff. Though I get how that might be a bit, you know, awkward…”

“It’s not awkward,” Bryony shrugs. “Why would it be? You’re a girl, why shouldn’t we talk about girl stuff?”

“…You’re exactly right,” I say with a wide, genuine smile.

“I know,” Bryony says with a smug smirk of her own. “And I- I am happy you’re my big sister. Instead of, you know, my big brother. I know it’s selfish, but I was, you know, actually happy when you came out, like, it meant we could be closer, you know?”

“I think I get it,” I say. “And, you know, it’s probably the best thing about being a girl- that I can be best friends with my sister.”

“God, how sad are you?” Bryony says with a playful sneer. “When your best friend’s your sister?”

“I’m not sad at all,” I retort. “I’m completely the opposite, in fact.” For the first time in a long while, I am truly happy. And I intend to only get even happier as my life goes on. I am the girl I always wanted to be. All of my stress, all of my anxiety- all of my bullies are things of the past. And while I don’t doubt that I’ll face more stress, more anxiety and possibly even more bullies in the years to come, I know I don’t ever have to face it alone. I have the best family a girl could ask for, the best friends a girl could ever ask for and more supporters than even I thought. Whatever the future has in store for me, WE will be ready for it.

__________

FOUR YEARS LATER

__________

“You ready, Ash?” Danni- my supervisor- asks me in her thick London accent. I smile as I check my reflection in the mirror to ensure that my make-up is immaculate, before straightening my translucent black tights and my straight blue skirt, followed by my smart blue pillbox hat.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I reply, smiling as I’m suddenly brought back to that first day I walked into school wearing a skirt- though obviously, there are a lot of differences between then and now.

For starters, back then my skirt was stiff and pleated, rather than the elegant pencil skirt I’m wearing today, and the tights I wore were thick, grey and opaque, instead of the silky-smooth black pantyhose I’m wearing now. My shoes back then were plain and flat, rather than the high-heeled designer shoes I’m wearing today. And, of course, my underwear was very different, too, consisting of a vest and a pair of full-bottomed panties rather than the matching bra and thong I'm wearing today. Though with that said, I was no less excited to wear that uniform than I am to wear the uniform I’m wearing today. Of course, back then, I was just starting to be a girl, whereas today, I am unquestionably a woman.

My hair is long and golden. My skin is soft and smooth, my waist is narrow, my hips are curvy and I have soft, but firm C-cup breasts on my chest. And, best of all, less than twelve months ago I went under the knife, and between my legs is a real flesh and blood vagina- a literal dream come true.

Over the four years since I left school, I haven’t just grown as a woman, but as a person too. I got high grades in my A-levels, but instead of going to university, I decided to get experience in the workplace first, initially as a supervisor at the coffee shop (taking over from Natalie after she left to work full time for the UK Labour party, after graduating from university), before taking on my current job. This job also required the biggest ever change in my life- well, second biggest for obvious reasons- when it required me to move to Paris.

It was hard moving away from my family, of course- especially my sisters. But I’ve spent so many years wanting to become my own woman that I simply couldn’t not take up the opportunity when it presented itself. Especially not when I had a very important, very special reason to go- or rather, to follow to Paris.

“Good luck,” Danni whispers as she gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “Though looking out there, I doubt you’ll need it, hehe!”

“Thanks,” I whisper as I release the straps on the refreshments trolley and push it out into the cabin. The one main similarity between today and my first day of school as my real self, though, is definitely the many familiar faces that I see.

“Good afternoon miss, miss,” I say to the two women snuggled together in their seats. “How can I help you?”

“Two glasses of red wine please, MISS,” Harriet replies with a cheeky grin that makes me giggle as I pour their drinks.

“Will there be anything else?” I ask.

“Not until we reach Paris,” Mia replies with a devilish grin as she links her fingers with her fiancée’s.

“Miss! Over here!” Another familiar voice calls, making me smirk in an ordinarily unprofessional way as I push my trolley to where the tall owner of the voice is sat alongside his almost as tall fiancée.

“How can I help you, sir?” I ask, trying not to giggle as George sniggers at being called ‘sir’, which makes the tall woman sat next to him roll her eyes.

“Two lattes, please,” Megan says politely. “Not that he needs anymore caffeine.”

“I won’t tell if you won’t,” I whisper to my two friends, who both share a smirk with me.

“That’ll be all,” George says with a dismissive wave, that quickly becomes an ‘ouch’ when Megan gives him a playful slap on the arm and a reprimand of ‘BOY’.

“Over here!” Yet another familiar voice calls, this time in a mild Indian accent, making me smile yet again.

“How may I help you, miss?” I ask the two sisters who are sat next to each other.

“Two glasses of red wine, please,” Suri asks, before rolling her eyes at her sister’s glare. “What? I’m 21, if I want to drink wine, I’ll drink wine, and you’re on holiday, so treat yourself!”

“I’ll have an Americano, please,” Priya says.

“Will you be wanting both glasses of wine, miss?” I ask the younger of the two sisters, making the older one giggle into her coffee.

“Don’t tempt me, Ash,” Suri replies in a dark voice, before giggling. “That’s all, thanks!” I smile as I push my trolley further up the aisle, inwardly bracing myself for the loud group of passengers ahead.

“Oh Ashley…” Yet another familiar voice- this time, belonging to Nicole- coos at me. “Can I have a glass of Bailey’s, please?”

“One high calorie, high carbohydrate and high fat drink coming up for the fitness instructor slash dance teacher,” I tease, making Nicole roll her eyes as the three other girls around her all giggle.

“Don’t make me complain about you, Ash,” Nicole grumbles.

“She wouldn’t dare, Ash,” Laura reassures me with an understandably tired smile. “You’re doing great, really, and I’m okay for a drink, thanks.”

“Of course,” I say softly. “You’re doing great, too.”

“Thanks,” Laura whispers as she relaxes back into her chair. Needless to say, we’ve both been a constant source of support for each other over the years- not just after SRS, but in general. Just as she promised, Laura and the rest of my friends didn’t just help me take my first step into womanhood but have been alongside me every step of the way- as proved by their presence on today’s flight. And when I say ‘friends’, I of course don’t just mean the group of girls who used to be known as the Excellent Eight.

“Ashley!” A gentle Polish voice calls from the seat in front of Laura. “Two Pepsis, please!”

“Coming up, miss,” I say with a smile as I pour the drinks for Petra and the girl sat next to her, who has a flustered look on her face. “Will the professional ballerina want anything in her Pepsi?”

“…Maybe a dash of vodka,” Allie replies with a giggle. “I would complain about the two kids who were pestering me, but it’d probably be inappropriate under the circumstances, hehe!”

“Of course,” I say with a grin as I pour my friends’ drinks, musing on how three of the most outcast girls in our year at school have gone on to have lives that would make most of the other kids in our year green with envy. Obviously, I’m a high-flying- literally high-flying- stewardess, but I still had the time to watch Allie perform in her first professional ballet performance last month, as did Petra, when she isn’t helping to run the accounts of her father’s increasingly successful events firm. It didn’t matter to any of us that no one else from our year at school showed up- after all, all of our real friends were there with us. And I doubt Lydia Wilson or Melissa Jeffries could’ve got time off from flipping burgers at McDonald’s, anyway. Of course, being a high-profile dancer has earned Allie more fame than all of the rest of us put together (so much so that she was even scouted by Heavenly Talent earlier this year), but I don’t mind that too much- not when it spares me from the ‘enthusiasm’ of the girls in the seat immediately in front of Allie!

“Good afternoon, miss,” I say to the two tween girls who are excitedly watching a movie on their tablet. “Would you like anything to drink? Maybe a sugar-free drink?”

“No thank you, Ashley,” Cassie replies with a smart Alek grin. “Dee? D’you want anything?”

“No thanks,” the ten-year-old girl formerly known as ‘Dorothy’ replies. “Hey, Ash, do you think Allie would mind if we asked her to show us a grand battement?”

“It’s… a bit cramped to do that on a plane,” I say, trying not to giggle as Dee pouts. “But ballet class will still be waiting for you when you get home. As will your pointe shoes, Cassie!” Despite myself, I smirk as my twelve-year-old sister giggles excitedly. It’s almost impossible to believe that she’s been at secondary school (and, more importantly to her at least, Ms Fullerton’s pointe class) for a year now- she’s almost the same age I was when I first wore a skirt to school, and I wonder whether or not she can even remember having an older brother at all. This isn’t something I need to worry about for the two children sat in front of the girls, though.

“Hi Ashley!” Felicity excitedly squeaks at me, putting down her tablet.

“Hi Felicity, hi Eddy!” I say, momentarily lapsing back into ‘big sister’ mode instead of ‘professional cabin crew’ mode- something I can’t help but do in the presence of my two youngest siblings. “Would you like anything to drink?”

“Can I have an apple juice, please?” Felicity asks in a very sweet, polite voice.

“Of course you can!” I reply, pouring the young girl her drink and gently handing it to her. “Sir? Would you like anything?”

“No thanks,” Eddy replies, not even looking up from his Switch game as I walk off. I have to remind myself not to be offended by this- he is every bit his father’s son, after all- but a part of me will always wonder whether or not he’d be as dismissive of an older brother the way he is to his older sister. However, I remind myself that as long as I’m the best older sister I can be to Eddy, I won’t have anything to feel guilty about.

And I certainly don’t need to feel guilty about the support I have given to the tall teenager curled up in the window seat of the next row- even if she is too engrossed in her phone to notice me standing a few feet away from her.

“Excuse me, miss?” I ask, distracting the seventeen-year-old girl from her texting. “Can you please ensure your phone is switched to airplane mode, and off when we begin our descent.”

“Yes, Ash, I will,” Bryony replies with a huff.

“…I’m sure PJ won’t mind waiting 30 minutes for you to land,” I whisper, making Bryony smirk, even as inside, I feel uneasy- even though she is well over the age of consent, it’s hard to think of my little sister as having any kind of love life. However, I have to accept that Bryony is becoming her own woman- just as I did. And as we’re the same height and dress size, it’s always nice to have someone to swap clothes with!

“Thanks for keeping an eye on them, Ash,” the 42-year-old man in the seat in front of Bryony says in a gentle voice.

“It’s my pleasure, really,” I say, bringing smiles to both my parents’ faces. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Two glasses of champagne, please!” Mum replies. “I figure why not celebrate all six of our amazing children being in the same place for once?”

“As long as ‘Gary’ or ‘Ginny’ aren’t flying with us?” I say with a wink, earning an eye roll from my mother.

“Erm, no,” mum chuckles.

“You weren’t the only one who had an operation recently,” dad reminds me of his other kind of ‘snip’, making me giggle- a giggle dad happily shares with me.

“Two champagnes it is, then!” I say, smiling as I pour the sparkling drinks for my parents.

As I walk back down the aisle to the galley, I can’t help but blush as all of my friends and family playfully chant my name every step of the way- and as my supervisor grins smugly upon my return!

“Didn’t realise we had a superstar on board today!” Danni says, making me roll my eyes as I refill the trolley. “I’m going to check on first class. You two try to keep your hands off each other, okay?”

“We’ll try,” Amanda says as she slides up next to me, stealthily grabbing my backside once our supervisor is out of sight. “Was that your family out there?”

“Yeah,” I whisper. “Really, you don’t have anything to worry about, I’m sure they’re as eager to meet you as you are to meet them.”

“I hope so,” Amanda whispers. “And they- they’re okay with me being pre-op, right?”

“I don’t see why not,” I giggle. “They were okay with me being pre-op, after all.” I smirk as my girlfriend and I exchange a soft, gentle kiss.

“Well- fingers crossed,” Amanda says. “I still can’t believe that you were ever, you know, not ‘sexy’.” I giggle as my girlfriend uses our codeword for everything female (or, in this case, male).

“That’s because neither of us were, not really,” I say. “No matter how many people- how many morons tried to say otherwise.”

“Girl power?” Amanda asks.

“Girl power,” I say, exchanging another kiss with my girlfriend as we fly forward toward our bright future…