In a way I was a little envious of all the attention that Vincent was getting since he became Sonia, but ultimately I was thankful that it wasn’t me that had endure one girlie outfit after another. In private he claims that he hates being a girl and having to wear dresses and skirts all the time. But in front of Mother or his friends (being Laura and Vanessa), he just acts all girlie as if he’s trying to score brownie points. He also claims that he’s not looking forward to going to his new school because he has to dress like a girl, but then contradicts himself by saying he’d rather go there than to a normal high school now he’s a ‘girl’. It’s hard to work him out these days.
My brother Gregory just calls him a sissy or a freak to his face and behind his back. He also calls Mother a variety of derogatory terms behind her back and refers to our home as ‘the house of freaks’. I know all too well that home life is a long way from normal, but Gregory seems to have forgotten just how depressed Mother was before Vincent became the daughter she’d been longing for. I’ve given up trying to pacify Gregory just as I’ve given up teasing Vincent as the former has proved to be pointless and the latter was just plain mean. I’m looking forward to the day when Gregory leaves for college because he’s turned into a person I struggle to like or look up to. I wish I was old enough to move on too though… with a sister who’s really my brother and a mother who’s constantly fussing over him/her… it’s not exactly a normal household these days. None of my friends knock anymore and whenever I invite them over they either make excuses or bluntly tell me that they way my mother fusses over my ‘sissy brother’ is far too weird.
I’d sort of got used to seeing my brother wearing nothing but girlie dresses and skirts throughout the summer holidays. Mother would have Vincent change his outfit two or three times a day and he seemingly got a new item of girlie clothing on a weekly basis. It was a bit overwhelming to witness, but at least I didn’t have to endure it like Vincent does. I’d assumed that having to go to school dressed as a girl would be far worse than being a girl at home, but Vincent claims the opposite to be true. At home he’s the only boy dressed as a girl whilst at school he’s just one of many boys who wear the girl’s uniform.
I spent the first week of the new school term being frequently quizzed about my younger brother/sister. It wasn’t easy trying to justify my mother and defend my brother but I guess it was easier than being in Vincent’s shoes, especially those with heels! Vincent seems to be happy enough at his new school, and he likes the fact that his school uniform is far less prissy than the dresses Mother makes him wear at home. I guess Malham Hall is a better place for him than Broadoak Road where he’d be the only boy wearing the girl’s uniform, assuming he’d be allowed to wear the girl’s uniform.
Gregory’s attitude towards our brother and our mother is getting worse as he prepares to leave for college. For some reason he’s due to enrol in mid September so we have to put up with his trollish presence for another week yet. Half the time when I try to defend Vincent, Gregory starts having a go at me too and claiming I’ve going soft. I don’t know why he’s become so horrible to us, but I do know that I can’t wait to see the back of him.
When Gregory starts packing, he seems intent on never returning as he packs almost all of his possessions. “You won’t need this much stuff Gregory.” Mother tells him as she unpacks as quickly as he packs. “There won’t be that much storage space in the student halls.” she tells him. Gregory is adamant that he needs to take ‘all’ of his CDs and DVDs, and in spite of Mother’s insistence that he probably won’t have that much free time to get any use from them, he packs them none the less.
“Have fun in the house of freaks!” are the parting words my elder brother Gregory whispers to me as his taxi arrives.
“Yeah thanks Gregory… see you at Christmas.” I reply. He could have been a bit less sneery as he left, I thought, but I guess he’s looking forward to making new friends, going to concerts and living in student halls, free from parental guidance whilst I’m expecting little more than Sonia this and Sonia that whilst barely being noticed.
The moment Gregory left, the vibe in the house changed completely. All the bad feeling came from Gregory’s direction and with his menacing presence gone, things felt a lot more homely. Of course it’s still strange having a sister who’s really a brother, but I’m getting used to that. Vincent’s predicament is well known amongst my friends and acquaintances, but they seem to be more interested in the rumours rather than the facts. The rumours are that my brother is either gay or a transsexual, Neither are true but both sound more likely than the actual truth.
One evening, I’m sat on my bed reading a comic when Vincent enters. He’s wearing a pale pink girl’s T-shirt with a line drawing of Tinker Bell on the front, along with a short ditsy ra-ra skirt and woolly tights with white & pink stripes. In his hands is a large pile of laundry which he starts putting away. “You don’t have to put that away Pete.” I say. “I can do it.”
“Mother told me to put it away.” he replied.
It didn’t seem fair that he has to dress and act all girlie, plus help Mother with all the chores. His hair is tied in a single high ponytail that bounces off his skull as he put my clothes away for me. He asks me about school and enquires about his old friends. I fill him in on a few details before returning the question. “What’s it like at Malham Hall?”
“OK.” he replied. “I’ve made a few friends and the teachers are OK.” he told me.
“Is it just like a normal school… apart from the uniform?” I asked as I sat up on my bed.
“Not really.” he solemnly replied. “Most of the lessons are the same I suppose, but during the breaks we’re not aloud to sit around chatting… well, not the boys anyway.” he explained.
I decide I should at least help him put my laundry away and ask “What do you do then?” as I grab a bundle of socks. Vincent didn’t sound very enthusiastic when he replied, and I could barely believe my ears. “That sounds awful!” I said.
“It’s not that bad.” he optimistically said, but I sensed he was just putting a brave face on. The thought of having to dress like a girl at school sounds bad enough, but having to play games such as hop scotch, skipping and clapping games during their break times seems beyond humiliating.
“Cant you play footie or owt instead?” I asked, sensing the answer would be no.
Vincent shook his head and I noticed how his ponytail continued to swing for a brief moment afterwards. “Ball games are banned in the playground.” he replied before saying that he was never any good at football anyway. “Hop scotch is quite good though.” he added.
“I’d feel like a right girl if I had to play hop scotch.” I said as I bundled a pile of my T-shirts into their drawer.
“I think that’s the idea.” Vincent glumly replied before telling me to put my T-shirts away properly. “There’s no point me ironing them if you’re just going to stuff them in your drawer.”
“Sorry.” I said as I put them away ‘properly’. I thanked him when we’d finished putting away my laundry and Vincent returned the compliment before leaving me alone.
