Peppermint Patty continued what she had been, since the fourth grade, but since taking it a step further by going outside in boy mode- which made her extremely nervous, until Marcie reminded her that even if somebody they knew seen her; they're already used to her tomboy attire. She'd also do her best to ignore being miss-gendered, since nobody knew, to begin with. Eventually she found the courage to come out to Franklin- her other closest friend of the neighborhood, he took it easy, by his words, he kind of expected this to happen, and would help any way he could. He was there when she finally told her dad.
"Dad… I need to tell you something, I don't know how to explain it, and please don't get mad."
"What did you do, that you need back up, for… how bad could it be," he chuckled.
"It's not bad at all… or I don't think it is, or should be- that's why I have Marcie and Franklin for moral support," she explained.
"I see. You kids will be kids, but I hope what you're rationalizin' ain't bad, really isn't."
"I thought long and hard about this, truthfully; I felt for so long I was living a lie, and I've been happy ever since I realized, that, like… I feel like the real me, ain't what I always been," she stammered out.
"And what does that mean?"
"I… I… I wanna be a boy."
"Good job, Pat," Franklin nudged her.
"A boy?"
"Ye-yeah. And I can't do it without you, dad. I realized that I'm just not happy like this, I don't wanna be this… I wanna be a boy, dad."
He didn't say anything while processing what she said, "are you sure this isn't just a phase?"
"Sir, she told me first, I'm certain it's not a phase, this may be new to you, but she's felt this way for quite some time. She has been secretly dressing as a boy since fourth grade, and… she was miserable until she found out that's what she wanted," Marcie explained.
"A boy? Is this what you really want? You're a beautiful young lady, why?"
"Please dad… I hate being a girl," she started to cry, "I'm not trying to hurt anybody, I just want to be how I feel on the inside. I'll never ask for anything else, I just want this. Please don't hate me, or send me to some loony bin."
"I understand how this could be a shock to you, sir, but she's being honest, and it took a lot for her to tell you. She really is happier as a boy, I see it. Also one of the biggest causes of suicide in transgendered people are kids who's friends and loved ones reject them, I've been there when Pat was struggling, when school was just too hard and coming home and being herself, was like… like when you have a double shift, come home crack open a beer, and whatever dinner she made, or ordered is waiting in the microwave " Franklin explained.
"This is really what you want?"
She nodded, wiping tears from her face.
"I've heard a few people at work say things, crass things about trans folk, gay folk, especially relatives… I just don't have that kinda hate in my heart," he sighed, "with your mother gone… we all we have… if this is what you really want, well, I'd rather have a living son, than a dead daughter, and be alone in this world. I couldn't be here without you, I'd have no purpose."
"So you aren't mad at me?"
"Not mad. I might not understand it, but I understand everything it stands for. I guess I'll need to call your aunt Maggie."
"Aunt Maggie?"
"Lets just say that before you were born; you had a uncle Richard," he smiled.
"Thank you dad," she hugged him tight, "and thank you two for being great friends," she hugged Marcie and Franklin.
After talking with Maggie; she filled them in on everything they had to do, from therapy sessions, to referring her own doctor, until eventually; after being given the okay to do so, Peppermint Patty was able to begin transitioning, although she… he decided to stay mostly under the radar at school, best he could, thankful that it was taken care of before puberty went the direction he didn't want it to.
Charlie hasn't dated anybody since he dated Heather, the relationship wasn't exactly what he wanted but he felt it was more him than her, not saying anything really about it, he just felt like something was missing, but before he could figure it out; her family had to move. So he pushed more in to his hobbies, like baseball, music, and art. Luckily for him, he and Peppermint Patty both made the baseball team, deciding to disband their old tournaments.
"So… all these new ladies; is there any you like Charlie," Linus asked.
"I don't think anybody could replace Heather."
"You barely liked her, dude," Lamar said.
"No, I did like her, it just felt like something was a bit off… just couldn't put my finger on it."
"Seems like you'd rather spend more time with Schroder, than with her, anyway," Linus stated.
"That's not true."
"Dude," Lamar stared.
"Even I noticed that," Peppermint Patty added.
"I don't think it was like that, though I didn't mind, and still don't mind the company, opposed to who else likes to visit," Schroder smiled.
"Thanks, Schroder," he smiled back.
After school Schroder was practicing his piano as usual, after a while, he heard the door open, thinking it was Charlie.
"Oh, hi Char- Lucy… it's just you," he was disappointed.
"What do you mean; it's just me? I'm your future wife!"
"That's never going to happen," he went back to playing.
Moments pass before Lucy ask him why, to which he explains that he's not interested in her, or really any girl, for he had better options, he also ignored. This upset her enough to leave.
"Whoa," Lamar said, when she rushed past him, "hey Schroder."
"Umm… hey," he blushed.
Charlie, Linus, and Peppermint Patty are hanging out at the wall one Saturday just chatting as usual about random things, until Charlie brought something up that surprised them both.
"So Sally texted me this picture the other day," he brought it up on his phone, "she said she was across the river on the other side of town, and saw a guy that looks just like you, Peppermint Patty."
"What? No, that's crazy!"
Linus inspected the picture, "seems you've got a doppelgänger in town."
"Lemme see that," she grabbed the phone to see a picture of her waiting for Marcie and Franklin to come out of a smoothie shop.
"Looks just like you, huh," Charlie laughed.
"…Yeah, I guess so," she didn't argue, knowing they wouldn't let it go.
"You two okay," Linus noticed they both were looking at the picture a tad too long.
"I'm… I'm fine," he tucked his phone away.
"Right, calm down, Linus."
"What? I am calm."
"Maybe we'll run in to him, one day, wouldn't that be weird," Charlie blurted.
"Why would that be weird, you think he's weird? You don't even know the guy," she complained.
"That's not what I meant, Peppermint Patty," he got on the defense.
"What's wrong with you, you're acting weirder than usual."
"No I'm not, and can you just call me Pat… please? I gotta go," she walked away.
"Puberty has not been kind to her," Linus looked confused.
They saw Lucy marching up to them.
"You need to check on your friend; there's something wrong there!"
"Peppermint Patty," Charlie asked.
"No you blockhead… though it does look like she might be growing a moustache, maybe talk to her about that- but no, I mean Schroder; what kinda guy doesn't like girls at all‽"
They just looked at each other.
"I'll talk to him, I guess," Charlie said.
"Good… he listens to you," she walked off.
"What the hell," Linus whispered.
Pat called Marcie walking home, "hey… kinda an emergency."
"What is it?"
"Sally saw us the other day, she took a picture of me waiting for you and Franklin, and sent it to Chuck."
"Did they figure out it was you?"
"No, they think it's somebody else that looks like me- what was it Linus said; a doofus gangmember?"
"A doppelgänger, sir?"
"Yeah, that thing."
"I don't think it's an emergency if they didn't know it was actually you, I think that means you pass better than you think."
"Hnn… I didn't think about that," he stopped walking.
Lucy hassled Charlie and Linus over these constant issues with Schroder, eventually they begin to worry about him, themselves, it seemed like he was avoiding them and spending more time with Lamar.
After school the both of them decided to catch Schroder in the music room, they walked down the hallway, just to see him leaving early, deciding to follow him. They came up to the schools track field, spotting him run up to Lamar; Charlie and Linus hid behind a dumpster, when both boys started looking around before they kissed.
"Did they just… kiss," Linus gasped.
Charlie was stunned.
"Charlie," he shook him.
They watched Lamar take his shirt off and Schroder blushed deep red, before he went to run another lap. Linus glanced at Charlie, then a double take, noticing he was just as red.
"Umm… Charlie, are you okay?"
"I… I don't see a problem here, look I uh… gotta go," he ran off.
Linus watched Charlie, then Schroder, "what the hell…? What are we gonna tell Lucy?"
Charlie was confused, these feelings have been stronger than usual, of course he liked girls, ever since his popularity rose a little, since him and Peppermint Patty had been taking the team to victory, and Violet had been inviting them to her parties, he even made out with a few, which he enjoyed. Few months later at one party somebody spiked the punch, later they figured out was Joe Agate and her boyfriend Shermy, thanks to them; he even made it to second base with Molly Volley. This is what he thought was right. He and Linus lied to Lucy about Schroder, and managed to keep that lie, to protect their friends. Pat had tried to be more cautious, but it had been slowly eating at her, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hide forever, he wasn't sure if she would lose his friends, especially Charlie; his long time crush- who seemed to be having problems himself.
One day Lucy had been tired of the boys avoiding her, especially Schroder, she had been planning on how to confront him, she stormed in his house, when she heard him practicing alone.
"I need to talk to you!"
"Lucy, you can't just barge in here, like that!"
"I want answers! You've been acting weird all year… I've tried to give you your space, but I'm worried about you, I asked Charlie and my brother about you, and they're lying to me. I thought we were at least friends. Plus I have been nicer, I've tried to change, I still care about you."
"I've been seeing somebody, that's all. Spending time with them."
"Who, none of the girls have said anything about dating you, you turn them down, like you do me, what gives?"
"It's not your business."
"I guess I can't care about my friend, my friend I'm fucking madly in love with, who's been acting weird!"
"I'm gay. I know you, you'll never leave me alone about it, and I don't want you getting the wrong idea we have a chance. I. Am. Gay!"
She was stunned, she didn't know what to say, "gay… for," she swallowed, "for how long?"
"I don't know. I feel like I've always been this way, even before I knew what it meant. I just had to come to terms with it, somebody gave me a chance, when I started feeling like it was hopeless."
"You made me feel like that, often- I understand. Are you happy?"
"Yeah… I'm happy."
She sat down on the bench, throwing an arm around his side, "so… is he cute?"
"He's cuter than me," he blushed.
"You know I'll slug anybody that has a problem with it, right," she raised a fist.
"So would he."
"I'm going to try and not be myself for once," she started.
"That's a first."
"Watch it, buster… I'm going to not pry on who he is, but can we start over?"
"Start over?"
"If I knew you were gay, I wouldn't have… you know, can we just be friends, I'll try to respect your boundaries better."
"Yeah, sure, we can try."
"Okay, I'll see you at school, I guess," She went to leave.
"Why don't you stay for a little bit," he grabbed her hand.