Samantha, Victoria, Tricia and Krystal, holding hands with Jorge were all out in front of the school waiting for her as her mother pulled up.

Erika decided to wear the outfit her mother picked out for her. She did her best to imitate what the makeup artist had done and instead of wearing her curls, she decided to flat iron her hair.

She stepped out of the car and waited as her mother pulled away revealing her standing in her new look. Jorge and Tricia’s jaws hit the ground.

“Oh my God!” Tricia came around. “Here we thought you’d be all burned up like two face or something and you come back looking like…. Well like the model that you are.” She wrapped her arms around Erika and caressed her lips in a long embrace.

“Where did you find that outfit?” Samantha seemed a bit jealous.

“You’d never believe that my mother picked it out for me.”

“Seriously?”

Erika nodded. She leaned over and spoke only for Samantha to hear. “My mom has been acting very strange. It’s like she has finally accepted me as Erika. We spent most of the day getting new wardrobes because ours are… well, gone.”

“Well?” Victoria interrupted. “Tell us what happened.”

“Can we at least get somewhere warm?” Erika protested. “It’s a bit cold out here.”

Erika suppressed a smile and barely suppressed a laugh as one Junior tripped over the curb, a Freshman bumped into someone in front of him almost causing them both to land in a pile on the ground, and a senior stepped face first into a door.

“That’s right.” Tricia beamed. “My girlfriend is the hottest in the school.”

Once in the library, Erika briefed them all on what had happened the night of the fire.

“Saved by a handsome firefighter?” Victoria’s eyes flashed.

“Everything we owned burned up.” Erika reminded her. “Everything. All I had were my pajamas.”

“I’m sorry.” Victoria apologized. “Do they know what started the fire?”

Erika shook her head. “I haven’t heard yet.”

“You will be at Rally practice tonight, right?” Krystal asked.

“Yes. Although my Rally uniform was in the house.”

Samantha, Krystal, and Jorge all groaned.

“So we need to find Melanie before class starts so that she can find or order you a new one.” Samantha stood up. “We don’t have much time.”

The three best friends entered Mrs. Anderson’s class.

“I knew you were smoking hot,” Jake grinned, “But did you have to burn your house down?”

“Shut up, Jerk.” Samantha slapped him across the back of the head.

“She nearly died in that fire, Jerk off.” Tricia swung, but Jake dodged.

“My family lost everything.” Erika pulled back to slap him as well, but froze. Jake flinched back anyway to the delight of others in the class.

“Alright, everyone, take your seats.” Mrs. Anderson called. “Ms. Summers, I’m glad to see that you are safe.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Anderson.”

“Your mom really pick that out for you?” Samantha whispered.

Erika nodded.

“Wow.” Samantha mouthed. “Where did you find the boots?”

Erika turned to face her. “The whole outfit was at Macy’s.”

“Would you mind if I got a pair of boots like that?” she whispered back.

“Why would I mind?” Erika frowned.

Tricia leaned closer. “It’s a girl thing. And by the way… I want to borrow that skirt.”

“I know, right?” Samantha nodded.

“Girls!” Mrs. Anderson raised her voice a little louder than normal. “Shall I have you share what you are whispering to the whole class?”

Erika turned bright red. Samantha shook her head.

“Zip it then.”

-------

“Are you really doing a photo shoot tomorrow?” Krystal asked as they walked to the gym for Rally and Cheer practice.

“It sounds so surreal, right?” Erika nodded.

“Do they know?”

Erika shook her head. “My dad says they don’t need to.

“What will you be advertising?”

Erika shrugged. “I’m not sure yet.”

“I’d think that would be important.” Krystal opened the door to the gym. The Cheer squad’s music was blasting and echoing through the gym. Taylor and Jordon were working on some new stuff. Taylor’s multitude of braids swung and bounced around her shoulders. Samantha and Melinda were talking off to one side.

Erika took a deep breath and approached. Melinda looked at Erika with frustration written all over her face.

Erika swallowed a lump. The last thing she wanted was to cause Melinda or anyone on the squad’s frustration.

“So, you need a new uniform.” It was stated.

Erika nodded. “I’m sorry. It was in my closet when my house burned.”

Melinda sighed. “I guess it’s the best excuse to need a new one. “I’ll have to check with the office, but we might have to charge you for a replacement.”

Erika hoped that they could get the insurance check soon. Things were starting to add up cost wise. “I understand.”

“Taylor!” Melinda called across the gym. “See if you can find Erika a replacement Rally uniform.” She handed Erika a large key. “Give that to Taylor.”

Erika nodded and as quickly as she could, caught up with the rally squad leader.

“She giving you shit?” Taylor inquired.

“A little.” She handed Taylor the key.

“It’s not like you decided to get a brain tumor and then burn down your house.” Taylor shook her head. “You have the luck of the plague.”

Erika’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately admonished herself. She really needed to stop reacting whenever her old identity was brought up.

“Should I wait out here?” Erika asked as they approached the girl’s locker room.

“Not unless you want to change out here.” Taylor opened the door.

Erika took a deep breath and ducked in after her. Although designed similar to the boys locker room, the girls was fitted out a little differently. The ivory colored tile on the walls was accented by a soft pink tile, where the boys was a blue. The smell was completely different as well. Not nearly as musky as the boys, although it had that locker room smell underneath the new ones that she was smelling.

Taylor took her to a locked closet next to the coaching office. She opened it up and started going through some of the uniforms. “What size are you?” Taylor asked.

Erika told her.

“We don’t have that size. Here is one skirt larger, and one smaller. Try them on and see if one of them will work. Here is the correct sweater size.”

Erika took the proffered clothing and looked around the locker room.

“What’s wrong?” Taylor closed up the closet.

“I um. I am shy.” Erika stated.

“Seriously, girl?” Taylor rolled her eyes. “Just go over behind those lockers then.”

Erika nodded and ducked the wall of lockers that were pointed out. No bathroom door to lock. No place to really change in private. At least everyone else was out in the gym.

Erika stripped out of her blue sweater and pulled the rally one over her head. It fit just like her old one, only this had that not so pleasant locker room scent to it.

She stripped out of her tights and skirt and grabbed the smaller skirt.

“What’s taking….. What the hell?” Taylor was staring at the bulge in Erica’s panties.

Erika jerked the skirt to cover her genitals.

“Oh hell no.” Taylor shook her head. “Hell no. You’re a guy?” Taylor started storming away.

“Wait! Taylor, Wait!” Erika ran after her.

“You’re a dude.” Taylor turned and yelled at Erika “I knew there was something off about you.” She looked Erika up and down. Erika still held the skirt in front of her genitalia. “You’re Erik Martin. You are the F’ing plague. I knew your artwork looked familiar.”

“Taylor, please, let me explain.” Erika pleaded.

“Explain what? That you are a guy? A guy trying to be a girl? Hell, and no. I need to go have a talk with Melinda.”

“Taylor!” Erika screamed.

“What is going on in here?” Samantha burst into the locker room.

Taylor whipped around on Samantha “You are just as guilty. I’ll bet you knew all along.”

Samantha blanched and glanced at Erika who was still half dressed.

“Taylor, take a breath.” Samantha’s voice trembled.

“I knew it.” Taylor growled. “You are part of this too.” She jabbed a finger at Erika over her shoulder. “That she/he is the plague. You knew and you are covering for it? He’s the Tranny you are all protecting?”

Samantha’s face turned beet red. She grabbed Taylor and pushed her up against the wall. “Erika is not a Tranny.” Samantha growled. “She is a wonderful person who has dealt with things that you wouldn’t want to have in your nightmares.”

Taylor pushed back, but Samantha was too angry.

“You have no idea what she has been through and put up with and is still the sweetest most thoughtful person I have ever met.”

“Samantha.” Erika stepped forth. “Samantha, let her go.”

“She needs to calm down and then apologize.” Samantha had tears in her eyes.

“For what?” Taylor growled “for finding out that it has been lying to us all school year?
How many people know?”

“You can’t tell, Taylor.” Samantha barked. “What has she done to you? Hmm?”

“Lied to me and the school.”

“No, she didn’t lie, she just didn’t go around telling everyone. It’s none of their business.”

“What’s going on?” Krystal came in.

“Taylor knows.” Erika wanted to cry. Everything at school had been going so well. How could they convince Taylor to keep it secret too?

“You knew too?” Taylor almost spat. “Let me guess, Tricia of course knew, Victoria? Julian?”

Erika went white at Julian’s name

“Why would they all keep it a secret?” Taylor was losing steam. “What could you possibly have on them to keep them quiet?”

“Nothing.” Krystal told her. “Nothing at all. We all like Erika. She has done nothing to hurt anyone in this school and from what I have heard, she of all people, has every right to hurt everyone in this school.” She looked to Erika then back to Taylor. “She is one of the kindest souls that I’ve ever met. She goes out of her way to make everyone comfortable. Haven’t you noticed how she doesn’t change with the rest of Rally or Cheer? How she always uses the bathrooms to change, how she diverts her eyes or quickly goes off somewhere else when someone might be changing, or heaven forbid, exposing themselves?” Krystal paused. “She doesn’t hold anything over anybody. It’s not in her make up.”

“You can’t tell.” Samantha let go of Taylor. “You just can’t. She has worked too hard, gone through too much. If it gets out, she’ll have to change schools, and I don’t want to lose another sister.”

“She’s a guy.” Taylor insisted.

“You are mixed race.” Krystal shrugged. “You are half black, and half white, yet you identify as black. Why don’t you identify as white?”

“Because I’m black.”

“Are you? Just because Erika was born with different plumbing doesn’t mean she isn’t a girl.”

“Yes, it does.” Taylor insisted.

“Think about it, Taylor.” Krystal looked her in the eye. “What makes you black? Is it how you look how you feel or who you are in your heart?” Krystal smiled at Erika who had already changed back into her cute outfit. “I know in my heart that Erika is as much girl as I am.”

Samantha pointed to Erika. “Take a good look at her, Taylor. Does she look like anything other than a girl? You’ve accepted her as a girl for three and a half months. You’ve even accepted her on the Rally squad.” Samantha lowered her voice, “So why change your mind, just because her plumbing isn’t like ours?

Taylor looked at Erika for a long moment. “Are you really a girl?”

Erika swallowed. “That is something my therapist and I are working on, but yes, I do believe I am.”

“How many cheerleaders does it take to get someone a uniform?” Melinda growled from the locker room door.

All four girls exchanged looks.

Melinda came around the corner and saw the four in a stare down. “What’s going on?” She demanded.

“I’m not feeling well.” Taylor got up. “I’m going home. I think I’m going to puke.” She cast a scowl at Erika and then Samantha. She looked at Melinda, “I’ll see you later.”

“Well?” Melinda looked at the others. “Get back out there? Erika, did you find a replacement uniform?”

“Yes.”

“Well, get it on. You can’t practice in that?” She referred to Erika’s clothing.

“Will she say anything?” Erika looked to Samantha as they sat in the car waiting for Tricia to get out of Dive practice.

Samantha shook her head. “I really don’t know. She was pretty upset.”

Erika just nodded. “I can’t really blame her, though.”

“I’ll call her tonight, after she’s calmed down.” Samantha thought aloud.

“Just leave her be. If she tells, she tells. I’m tired of this emotional roller coaster.”

“You can’t mean that. What if you become the plague again? Or the plaguette? No.” Samantha was adamant. “I’m not going to allow anyone else go through yours or Summer’s pain.”

“You can’t stop it.” Erika stated. “Its happening every day here at school. You couldn’t guess how many of the people here are getting picked on by people like Greg and Tyler.”

“It needs to stop.”

“I agree, but you can’t be everywhere all the time. Look at poor Stephanie.” Erika pointed out. “Remember she said that since the plague has been gone, she has been targeted? The fountain wasn’t the first time. It’s just the only time that we saw it.”

The car door opened. “Ugh, I’m beat. How was Rally?” Tricia dropped into the back seat and closed the door.

“Taylor found out about Erika’s secret.” Samantha stated. “She seems pretty upset and we don’t know if she’ll keep it or not.”

“How did she find out?” Tricia sighed.

“My gaffe went up in flames with the house.” Erika explained. “She walked in on me while I was changing.”

“You didn’t lock the door?”

“It was in the locker room. It would have been even more awkward had I insisted on changing in the bathroom.

“Sorry to say it, but it really isn’t much of a secret, anymore is it?” Tricia sighed. “How many people know now, and how many of those won’t accidentally slip up?”

“Are you saying we should just tell everyone?” Samantha asked backing out of the parking space. “Call a school assembly and announce that Erika is or was Eric ‘the plague’?”

“I think that’s a bit extreme.” Tricia put her seat belt on. “Maybe we should start a rumor. That way we control what is said.”

Erika shook her head. “I hate rumors, they tend to change and get more exaggerated as they spread.”

“I agree with her.” Samantha pulled out of the school parking lot.

“I’m going to the hotel remember?”

“Yes, but thanks for reminding me.”

“You know.” Erika smiled. “The hotel has an indoor pool. I don’t have a bathing suit yet, but it is open for us to use.”

“I’m done with pools.” Tricia groaned. “Does it have a hot tub?”

Erika nodded.

“I have a swimsuit you can borrow.” Samantha offered.

“Not a two piece.” Erika was adamant. “Especially since I don’t have my gaffe.”

“When are you getting a new one?” Tricia asked.

“As soon as I get a new credit card and time on a computer.”

“Use mine.” Tricia offered.

“Your what?”

“My computer and credit card. You can pay me back later. Obviously it is something that you need to be wearing.”

Samantha pulled up to Tricia’s house.

“Come on. It shouldn’t take too long.”

The girls filed up to Tricia’s room.

“Use this.” Tricia tossed some fabric at Erika as she finished ordering her gaffe and glue.

Erika pulled it off of her head and held it out to see that it was a black one piece swim suit with red accents. “Where did you get this?” She asked.

“It’s Leeza’s. She won’t mind.” Tricia shrugged. “Too bad it isn’t pink.”

“Hot tubbing is on.” Samantha grinned. “I just need to grab mine.”

Erika’s phone rang scaring all three girls.

“What is that?” Tricia looked at Erika.

“My loaner phone. I haven’t bothered to change the ring tones. I’m supposed to be getting a new one soon.” Erika accepted the call and spoke for a few moments. Before hanging up. “Have to take a rain check on tonight.” Erika stated. “Family has plans. Samantha, can you please take me to the hotel?”

Erika used her key card and entered the hotel room. Her father was sitting at the small table with his laptop and talking on his phone. Her mother came out of the bathroom and put her finger to her lips signaling Erika to keep quiet.

Erika put her few things down on her bed, and kicked off her shoes.

“Don’t just kick those off.” Her mother whispered. “Put them away. This room is too small for us to throw our stuff everywhere.”

Erika put the shoes in the closet. She turned around to see her father, still on the phone beckon her over. As she approached, he picked up a box and handed it to her.

“Oh, Thank you, Daddy.” She tried not to squeal. It was her replacement phone. She flopped back down on the bed and started personalizing her phone, adding apps and making sure that her contacts backed up on the cloud were all there.

“Erika.” Her mother hissed. “Put your legs together, you’re in a skirt. I don’t care if we are not in public. Good habits need to be kept at all times.”

“Sorry.” She adjusted herself on her bed and crossed her ankles. The first thing she did was text her friends to inform them that she had her phone.

“Okay, that is taken care of.” Her father set his phone down. “Shall we get some dinner?”

“Thank you for the new phone, Daddy.” She began getting up but was still on her phone.

“What did they say?” her mother asked her father.

“Apparently, there was some faulty wiring in the kitchen. The wires heated up and caused the fire. So, they have ruled out arson which means we will be getting our insurance money.”

“Oh thank goodness.” Her mother sighed.

The three walked across the street to a restaurant and were seated.

“Now the question is whether we rebuild, or sell the lot and move somewhere else?”

“Stay.” She and her mother said at the same time.

“We were thinking of remodeling. This will give us a clean slate to build the house we want.”

“I’ll check with the bank next week.” Her father nodded. He looked to Erika. “You ready for your shoot tomorrow?”

Erika nodded. “I think so. It’s kind of my first. I’m not sure what I need to do.”

“They want you there kind of early tomorrow. I guess hair and makeup take a while.”

“What am I advertising for?” Erika asked.

“Car insurance.” Her father smiled. “If this works out they may ask you to do a commercial.”

“Seriously?”

Her father nodded.

“Will she be getting paid?” her mother asked.

Her father smiled and nodded.

“How much?” Erika nearly bounced in her seat.

“A lot.” Her father said. “I’m going to have half of it put into your college fund.”

“How much?” Erika couldn’t stand the anticipation.

“Three thousand for tomorrows shoot.”

“That is a lot of money.” Her mother was surprised.

“So I’ll get fifteen hundred?”

“Yes. But you might want to make it stretch. We don’t know if you’ll get other jobs.”

“I’ll need new clothes.” Erika. “and a new laptop.”

“I ordered your laptop today.” Her father smiled. “It’ll be here tomorrow.”

“Which kind?” Erika was skeptical.

“I’ll show you the stats when we get back.”