The Greatest Lie Part 6

The prospect of unlimited, subsidized lattes cheered me instantly. "How about registering as a girl?"

"I’ll support that too, but, there are some mechanics to consider. I think your transition would be a lot smoother if you changed your registration status between semesters. If you do it now, it will be a very public event before a largely unknown audience. The reaction could be unpredictable, or even dangerous."

She was right. I already got bad vibes from the Christian Fundamentalist crowd. But it could get worse.

"But won’t people recognize me next semester?"

"You could make some changes in your appearance. A different haircut or color…"

"Or maybe a boob job?" I asked, glancing admiringly at her beautiful breasts.

"If that’s what you want." I nodded enthusiastically.

"But you really have to talk this over with your parents. And it can’t wait. It has to be right away, if we are going to start this process now."

"God, that’s going to be so bad. My father is such a jerk about this."

"He’s a highly educated scientist. Surely he’ll understand."

"Underneath it all, he’s a macho traditionalist. He’s from one of the wealthiest families in Chile. He can trace his lineage back to the Conquistadors. He was in med school at USC when all hell broke loose in 71, you know, Pinochet and Allende. Half his family disappeared, while the other half was running the death squads. Naturally, he never went back. He met my Swedish mother at a foreign students dance at SC, and after she got her Ph.D., they got married and had me. He’s a fellow at UCLA’s med school now, and was on the team that isolated HIV. My mom’s an authority on child development. I’m the only child, and they have big ambitions for me. As a son."

"And your mom?"

"She found me cross dressing at home early on. She didn’t do anything about it, and now she’s part of the problem, according to my dad. Of course, he thinks it’s mostly my fault, and of course, not at all his. My Mom is on the "nurture" vs. "nature" side, so she feels really guilty. But I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault: I’m just what I was meant to be."