148A/n: This is it. I'd like to thank everyone who has ever read. Without you guys, I wouldn't have ever finished it. So, thank you. I almost didn't, but I knew I had to. So, thank you, everyone. Here's the last chapter. (Happy 4th of July!)
Sweet Innocence
Chapter 39: "I'm glad I turned into a boy."
And it was over. Summer was over. We moved up to Boston at the end of August. Tom was really going to Harvard. I was really a working girl. It hit me. High school was really over. I was an adult and I was in the real world. No more mommy and daddy to pay for everything. No more dealing with my whining. No more glamorous parties and events. I was an adult now. I had to make my own money. I grew up. I hate to say it but I would have been a spoiled brat. I wouldn't have worked a day in my life if I never went to that school. Yep. If I didn't turn into a boy, I would still be a spoiled rotten bitch.
If I didn't turn into a boy, I never would have met Tom or Aiden. They were the two most important people in my life and I never would have found them. I never would have seen my parents as the snobs they are. I never would have visited my brother. I never would have made new friends. I never would have done anything I did. I just couldn't imagine life without them and everything that has happened in the past year. This year was the most ridiculous year of my life, but at the same time, my greatest year.
So, yes, I'm glad I turned into a boy.
It's still hard to admit that.
Thomas Wilson was officially a Harvard boy. He had freshman orientation. He was going to be a lawyer and this was his start. I was happy for him, really happy for him. I was happy that I would be here as he started on his new journey and I started on mine. I loved my job. I loved my boss. I loved my co-workers. It was such a simple job. It was something even the incredibly dumb Bobi Evans could do. It was very different from school, but it had its perks. Like a desk. Like no annoying kids calling Aiden a fag. Like no 'Joe' or Percy. Like lunch breaks. I wrote on one of my very essential post-it notes, 'I love it here' and stuck it around. I got some points in with my boss. It was beautiful.
Tom and I ended up moving into an apartment. It was my choice and it was beautiful. I loved it. Tom loved it too. Not too big, not too small. Affordable and comfortable. I could get used to living here for a long time. There was something the two of us knew, yet neither of us said. We didn't need to say it or anything. We just both knew. After the whole 'true love's kiss turns me back into a girl thing' and Tom did it, it was pretty apparent… We both knew that no matter where we were, we were pretty much going to spend the rest of our lives together. I didn't need a ring right then and there. I didn't need to get hitched anytime soon. We just knew. Maybe eventually there would be a ring, but for now, we didn't need it. It was obvious that we would be together.
I kind of feel like my life led me right to his side and would keep me there, well I guess, until forever. I remember when he came home from his first day of school.
I was excited and proud. He came in, kicked off his shoes, and sat down on the couch, next to me, and threw his bag aside. I was watching TV. I looked over at him.
"How was it?"
"It was…" Tom paused. "I don't even know."
"Scary? Fun? Exciting."
"Yes."
"To which one?"
"I don't know. Just yes," He said. I laughed and grinned at him. He chuckled a bit. "I'm a bit intimidated, I guess. Everything's fast. Everyone's so smart. I feel like an idiot."
"I don't know if you've heard, but you have to be smart to get into college. You have to be super smart to get into Harvard."
"I've heard," Tom said with a laugh. "They are smart."
"Tom, you are them. You go there. You are super smart."
"No, not anymore."
I laughed.
"I must be rubbing off on you. My stupidity is transferring to you," I said. "Good news for me. I'll be smart, then. You'll be one of those college kids who always parties. Always."
Tom stared at me. I giggled at the image of Tom getting drunk and partying. It was so funny. I could never imagine him doing that. He hated people. He probably hated parties because they were fun. Tom was like eighty-five years old and hated young kids and their fun. The truth was Tom would rather die than have fun.
"Promise you'll invite to the college parties?" I said, amusing myself. "No, you won't. You don't want all your fraternity friends to find out your girlfriend is some dumb blonde townie. You'll probably hook-up with like ten girls a week. You'll always be hung over in class. You're pretty much the biggest partier I know."
Tom stared some more. Yeah, Tom was like ninety and hadn't thought about sex in fifty years. I laughed.
"You know I'm kidding, Tom," I said. "You're pretty much like ninety years old. You haven't partied since the 1930s. It was long ago. You no longer have the capability to 'hook up'. And it was fifty years ago when you last drank with your buddies while watched football."
"I'm ninety years old?"
"Yes."
"I look surprisingly young for ninety."
"Yes, but you act ninety so everyone knows."
"You're dating a ninety-year-old guy?"
"What can I say? I like 'em old," I said. Tom smiled and shook his head.
"You are so weird."
"I know, but that's why you love me."
"Nope," He said. "I rarely ever listen to you talk. You're just a pretty face, a pair of breasts, and a pussy to me. That's pretty much it."
I laughed so hard at that one, especially since he could say it with a straight face.
"So, this is it?" Tom said with a laugh. "This is how we're going to spend the rest of our lives?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
And thus started a new chapter in our lives.
Harvard Square became one of my regular hangouts since Tom was always there. A very strange thing happened one day. I was sitting in the park that was down the street from the train station. I usually sat there, read a good book, and sipped on my coffee. That's pretty much what everyone did at that park. I was sitting on a bench and catching up on my reading while waiting for Tom to get out of class and meet me.
Someone sat down next to me. I briefly looked up from my book and glanced over at them. I didn't know them so I went back to reading my book. A weird feeling came over me. I didn't know what it was. It wasn't from the story I was reading. I don't know. It was just so weird. I ignored it for a while and went back to my story. It took me about ten minutes to realize what that feeling. I put down my book in my lap and stared at the ground.
"Long time no see," I said quietly, still staring at the ground.
"Quite a long time."
I didn't know what to say to the woman who turned me into a man. I looked at her. She looked exactly the same from when I first saw her in the alleyway. I always had a thousand questions for her, but I couldn't seem to remember them. I had forgotten and just let it go.
"What's your name?"
"That's not important, Bobi," She said with a chuckle. We were silent.
"Are you going to turn me into a boy again? Because let me tell you, once was enough."
She laughed. "No, child. You did as you were supposed to. You let go of possessions and the high value you placed on money. You found your true love. You found Thomas."
"How do you know about Tom?"
She didn't answer me. I knew she would never answer any of my questions anyway. She didn't seem like the 'I'll give you any answer you want' type. So there was no use in asking how she managed to turn me into a guy.
"I've kind of always wanted to thank you," I said. "So, thank you. I never would have become me. I would have been that horrible person for the rest of my life. So, I'm glad you turned me into a boy. I'm glad I turned into a boy. Thank you. Thank you for Aiden and Tom. Especially Tom. Thank you for helping me."
She chuckled again. "Don't thank me, Bobi. Thank Him."
"Who?" I asked. She smiled and stood up. She gave me one last look before walking away. I didn't go after her. I smiled and just looked out at everything.
"But I didn't think He forgave me for my various sexual and unholy experiences. Oh, and the Bible incident."
Thank you, old lady. Thank you, Aiden. Thank you, Tom. Thank you, everyone I've ever met who has impacted my life. Thank Goodness. Thank God.
I picked up my book and started to read again. I just couldn't stop from smiling. I felt queer all over again. I felt sweet, innocent Bobby Evans grinning from inside me. And I kind of like that.