Billie never went back toschool but she did go to college when she was sixteen, by then it wasn'tso easy to tell that she had once been a boy.The day ...Michael arrived at the house Billie and Dad were at the firestation showing a school class around. Neither of them were full timefiremen, that sort of thing doesn't exist in the countryside muchanymore, but they were both given time off their normal jobs to carryout their duties as fireman. Most of the time Dad worked in a factorymaking vegetarian. I hadn’t even moved myself as she gave out a muted scream at her coming, just hanging on in there till she came to a stop, already covered in sweat as she pulled my head down to kiss me. ‘God, I love you Bob,’ she gasped out into my ear. ‘I think I’m coming to love you more than John.’ This jolted me for this was the last thing I wanted to hear. Well as I was now really loving John, I didn’t want to break this up by her falling in love with me. I was quite happy to love Sally while loving. As the barista prepared the drinks, the cashier bagged a couple of strawberry Danish for me and I was soon on my reasonably merry way. Once at work, I wasn’t entirely surprised to find Marci waiting for me in my office, seated in front of my desk. When I came in, juggling the two blazing hot coffees and the bag of pastries, she said, “Close the door behind you.” “Yes ma’am! And how are you this morning?” I pushed the door shut with my foot. “Don’t try to act so innocent or butter me up with. The look in her eyes looklike she was not happy."Yes or no?" she asks again.Somehow he knows that she is not asking about hooking up.He is going to say ....Everything turns to black.His eyes open, they feel heavy and he has the worst headache he everhad. He feels the urge to pee. He flings the covers away and gets out ofbed, he feels uneasy on his feet and stumbling to the bathroom, hemanages to.reach the toilet, he is about to lower his pyjama bottomswhen there is a knock on the door. He tries.