How JB Became Famous

[Toni]

Chapter L: JB Hears More of the Story



Mommy got up to take me in and dress  and I asked to wear a skirt today as I had decided earlier, but Mommy said, "Maybe later, sweet pea, but I want you to stay in just diapers until after lunch."



I said, "Why," 'cuz didn't like that idea much. I really didn't like being a baby during the day, and if I wasn't going to get dressed staying just naked was way better.



"Someone is coming to visit," Mommy said, "and I think she would like to play with another baby."



I knew who it was right away and was excited. "Lee!?" I said, "Is Abby and Sam coming?"



"Yes, Lee, I don't know about the others; not for as long if they do. We will see."



"What's going to happen to Abby?" I asked.



"Why; nothing is going to happen to her, sweet pea. Now, don't worry your sweet little head."



I didn't want to be put off like that; that's the bad part of being little. I said, "Yeah, but she gonna get to play volleyball or not like that other girl?"



Mommy actually gasped when I said that. My diaper was all hooked up, and she picked me up and sat with me in the big rocking chair.



"How much do you know about all of that, JB?"



I didn't know what to answer. I mean I didn't want to tell her the whole story and talk forever. So I just said, "Don't know. Lots. I know that people didn't let a girl play basketball because they thought she was a boy."



"And you think some people might think that about Abby too. Huh? Well, JB, there was a girl like that here last year, and she was a good friend of your Mama's and mine. But this year will not be like that at all."



"But why? Is this why people are so nice around here? Will they stay nice, Mommy? Or you and Mama going to get in trouble again and fight?"



"Oh, baby, baby, baby," Mommy said, and then she sighed like she didn't want any more air in her body. Finally she said, "It won't be like that at all. I promise. And it won't hurt you, sweetheart."



"But it will hurt my friends, won't it?"



"NO, love! Not if I can help it. I guess you do need to know some things, and maybe it will make you feel safer. Let's go into the kitchen so Nora can help with the story too."



Mama had breakfast for everyone on the table, and as Mommy set down she told her what we had been talking about. Mama said, "Yes, something should be explained, Marnie. Just don't let on how awful I was about things."



"I'll won't tell what creaps either of us were, honey. OK, JB, you know that a girl that had a wrong body wanted to play sports, and that in this state that is allowed if a doctor says they are really a girl. We don't need to go into how that's decided. This girl -- do you know her name?"



I shook my head. Mama had moved her chair close to mine and wanted to spoon eggs into my mouth; I was letting her.



"Well she was called Teri back then. That was her boy's name too, but she changed the spelling. Now she has a different name.



"At first, when people started protesting 'a boy' playing on a girl's team, no one knew which girl it was. That got bad, too because some people took it out on every girl on the team.



"You know that the girl's parents didn't know she was being a girl at school, don't you?"



I nodded.



"At about that time a story of another little girl with some of the same problems got out," Mommy said.



I knew she was talking about Abby and her mom.



{Again I'm going to paraphrase the story so that I can give more details than Marnie and Nora wanted to tell JB. He was told the general story though, and enough to understand why the town was so understanding now.}



Soon after that some very stupid national talk show people heard what was happening in our town, and they started talking about it all the time. They wanted it to sound like the school was forcing boys to be girls, which was just stupid. Some people got even more upset.



Nora's and Marnie's names got out in the story about the other girl, and though they didn't know about Teri yet, Teri's parent's took her out of school, because they knew she was a friend of theirs. Soon they learned that she had been going to school as a girl, and they said Nora had made her.



It got to the point that in school some of the students were accusing every girl of being a boy, or every small or shy boy of wanting to be a girl. That was contradictor of course, but such people don't care about that even the older ones. Some girls actually tried to blockade and guard all the bathrooms.



The radio assholes thought that was great. At first they wanted doctors to have to check student's gender and give each student a blue or pink bracelet or collar to wear. Then they realized that some doctors weren't as stupid as they were and had already said one girl they wanted to be a boy was a girl.  So they wanted to appoint there own people to check everyone before they could go into a locker or bathroom.



The former principal, who had lost his job for other reasons, decided to use the controversy for revenge. He started an emergency recall of the school board chairman, and soon found other people to run for the other seats.



"The little local paper supported the current school board and tolerance, but the regional paper didn't, and made thing worst too."



Teri had disappeared, and they became very worried. Marnie knew someone with Protective Services, (the man working on Abby's case) and got them to look for her, but the police didn't try very hard.



-- When Marnie got to this part, JB climbed into Nora's lap and put his hand inside her nightgown so I could brush her breast; it made him feel a little better.



--None of the teachers at all were supporting the recall or any of the crazies, and so some of the students questioned their authority because of the way the radio and some grownups acted. They thought they didn't have to do any work and could fight as much as they wanted. And some of the parents openly supported those students.



Then, about a week before the special election, there was a riot right at our school. A whole bunch of boys and girls got hurt badly enough to have to go to the hospital.



--JB gasped.



-- So Marnie explained that none were so seriously hurt that they didn't get better - two spent one night in the hospital, most just got stitches or were given medicine for bruises and stuff.



The night before though there had been a rally and Teri's parents gave speeches. While they were gone she had crashed threw the boards over her window and broken the window with a chair. Then she jumped out of the second story and hurt her ankle, but she was still able to get to a store near by, she was trying to beg money to call Nora, and the guy inside the store saw her bruise and cuts and called the police. She tried to run from the cops but couldn't because of the sore ankle. The police took her to the hospital, and protective services were called.



Trisha's paper printed a special edition about Teri being beaten and locked up by her father and mother and about the huge fight at the school. Most of the people that had been for the recall and for all the new rules got very quiet, some even apologized.



In the election the recall only got twenty percent of the vote on a huge turn out. No one organized a boycott or anything, but the people that had run the recall all had a hard time doing business in town, and the one's that didn't have there own businesses decided to move too.



The old school board decided to become even more supportive of children with gender problems, and rules were made to let students decide which bathroom and classes were right for them. Special booths were installed, and anyone could use them if they cared about other people seeing them change clothes or showering. Also, kids that were old enough and developed enough but didn't have the right parts for the gender they though they were, had to use the booths in case someone else didn't want to see what they had. Smaller children didn't have to worry about that, it was decided, because this town has always been easy going about that. And, of course, there were some rules made so a boy could just decide to hang out in the girl's room for fun.



--"And that is why we think that things are going to be OK, JB," Marnie said when she was done. "No one wants anything like that to happen again, and the people in this town have learned a lesson about gender and letting people be who they are. That's one reason they are so nice to you, baby, but the big reason is because you are soooooo sweet."



I did feel better about things, all tough there were scary things that could happen. Still I asked "Then why is that lady doing this to Abby though?"



"That's because she thinks she can get famous that way, and the radio people will want a second round, but we don't think they will, and all ready her on bosses are trying to keep it quiet. We are going to meet with them tonight."



"What happened to the older girl? She OK?"



"She's doing real well. Her parent's are in jail, and won't see her for a long time. She lives with an uncle who is very understanding, and smarter than his sister was. She goes to a private school under a new name and no one knows she was the one in the stories last year."



I felt good about her and that part at least. I said, "Who is staying with me tonight when you're at the meeting? Georgie?"



"No, all those kids are busy it seems, but we found someone you don't know yet, but who is very special. OK?"



I nodded and just then the door bell rang.



"Oh, my gosh! It is all ready nine thirty." Mama said, "JB, you answer, we have to get dressed!"



Mama and Mommy both rushed to the bedroom. I only had on a diaper, not even a top, but I went to the door, but first I peeked out to see who it was.



It was Abby and Lee and Sam and their mom and dad, and I guess Mama knew that was who it would be, and it was OK for me to open the door dressed like this for them. So I did. And the first thing I did then, before even saying "Hi" was give Abby a big hug and kiss.