Dear Readers, This is an apology and an explanation. I started Wildcat Fall earlier this year and realized it wasn't the story I wanted to tell. So, I have started from scratch, and here is a completely new Chapter One. This is the continuing saga. I would appreciate any feedback. Constructive criticism is important to me as I am rewriting this story. Thanks.
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Chapter Four
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Teri looked at her reflection in the foggy mirror. As she dried off, she had become used to seeing a tall, slender, softly contoured body with a bit of definition in her hips and butt. She dried her chest and used both hands to create some cleavage. A smile broke through her anxious thoughts. Today was it.

She’d planned, talked to her doctor, the surgeon, her counselor, her mom, and Jenn. Teri shook her head, thinking about how many times she had babbled on and on to her girlfriend. But all the talk was over, and the clock was ticking.

Feeling a sob coming out, she jammed the wet bath towel into her mouth. ‘Jesus,’ she thought. In a few hours, she’d be handing over control to strangers. They’d be knocking her out and carving her up. And hopefully, when they sewed her back together, all the mess between her legs would be gone.

She wrapped herself up and stepped into their new bedroom. Jenn was just finishing her makeup when she turned and looked up. “Are you all right?”

“Why”

“You look a little green around the edges. Pale.”

Teri nodded slowly. “Yeah. I feel a little lightheaded. Maybe it was the hot shower.”

“Well, you’ve been starving yourself.”

Teri had been prepping for her surgery for the past twenty-four hours, drinking clear liquids and horrible-tasting, slimy stuff that kept her near the bathroom. “Yeah. But I’m as clean inside as I am out.”

As they walked down the condo stairs and looked out through the small lobby, both were surprised to see that it was still nighttime in West Philadelphia.

“I've never been up this early before. Weird.”

They walked straight to the hospital, not stopping since she couldn’t eat or drink anything before her surgery. With only a few stores and shops opening, Teri groaned when she saw freshly baked pastries being loaded into display cases. Leaning into an open door, she took a deep breath, inhaling the scents of freshly ground and brewed coffee, blending with the yeasty, sugary smell of the still-hot sweets from the oven. She turned to Jenn, moaning, “C’mon, I’m starving. Let’s just skip the hospital and have a fresh croissant and an espresso.”

Jenn laughed and squeezed Teri’s arm. She pulled them down the quiet streets, with only the occasional car rushing by.

Teri thought about her girlfriend. “No, seriously. Do you want to get something?”

Jenn kissed her cheek. “You’re being considerate, but I will pick something up later.”

Watching the traffic lights change automatically as they walked along, Teri looked up at the apartment windows. She smiled, thinking that soon people would fill the streets and start their day. But for now, it was eerily quiet. “This would make a great set for an apocalyptic movie. Or maybe Mike could use these empty streets as the background for a Wildcats video.”

Jenn shook her head. Her girlfriend’s hyperactive brain was always buzzing. “Are you going to write a new song for this end-of-the-world video or just use it in your Vampire rock opera?”

Teri looked serious. “My opera is supposed to take place in the forest. But I was wondering.” She turned and looked at Jenn as they walked along, “Do you think my opera should have Zombies in it?”

Jenn couldn’t help but giggle. “That’s pretty deep, Rock Star. I dunno. I vote you keep it simple. Remember, you can’t assume too much. You’ll have a theater audience who’s unfamiliar with what’s going on. But I do have a question for you. If a Vampire bites you, could you become a Zombie?”

Teri shook her head. “I don’t think so. I know Vampires make Vampires by biting people to death and reviving them as the undead. And Zombies create Zombies from a bite. I’m guessing both contagions must come from a virus. Maybe it’s all about viruses.”

Jenn listened. “That would really challenge the science of virus study with a lot of fantasy. Maybe one virus mutated into two different strains to create Vampires and Zombies. Or what if humans were just another mutation?”

Teri stopped walking, stretched, and shook her head. “Viruses, crazy. Yeah, my adrenaline’s making me nuts.” She turned to look at Jenn. “Okay, honestly, I’m nervous about this whole anesthesia thing, frightened that I’ll never wake up.”

Jenn pulled Teri into her arms, holding her close. “Uh-huh. Sometimes I get frightened, too. But if you really feel that way, we can stop and go home.”

Teri shook her head. “No, I want to move forward. I’m just voicing my what-ifs.”

After passing through hospital security doors and checking in, they were directed to a large waiting room. Groups of people sat quietly, whispering, while a TV played in the background. It was after seven-thirty when they took Teri back into surgery. After Jenn waved goodbye, mouthing, ‘I love you,’ she heard the receptionist call out, “Hun. You can wait for your sister upstairs in the recovery floor lounge.”

Sisters! Hun? Jenn nearly burst out laughing. They’d make quite a strange family! Teri was tall and slender with her punked silver hair, tattoos, and piercings. And she looked like the typical Asian stereotype. Despite having a Russian father, her prominent features came from her Japanese mother. With her straight, black, shoulder-length hair and exotic appearance, they didn't look much alike as sisters.

As she climbed the stairs to the recovery area, Jenn remembered seeing Teri clean off her black nail polish yesterday while admiring her manicure. She watched her rock star girlfriend examine herself in the mirror. Then she saw Teri turn to face her. “I’m going to skip a visit to Isabella’s and wait to get a cut when I’m back in Allentown.”

Inside, Jenn cringed. She loved sharing their new apartment. It was going better than she’d hoped. But when Teri mentioned leaving, she felt her stomach tighten. “And how long will you be staying?”

Teri shrugged, pulling at her hair. “I don’t know. Didn’t the doctor say I’d need a couple of weeks to recover, right?” She turned and looked. “What do you think? Should I let it grow?”

Jenn pulled her girlfriend’s hair. “Yeah. A new length and a new look. We haven't really talked about where you’re going to live after your recovery.” Jenn shook her head. “Are you moving back to the band house in Allentown and leaving me by myself? Does that mean we’re separating?”

Teri suddenly looked panicked and pulled her into her arms. “No, no! I want to be with you forever, twenty-four seven. But you’re going to school, and I didn’t want to get in your way. Maybe I could commute with a rail pass to Allentown. And when you have time off from school, we can do stuff together.”

Even now, when Jenn thought about being separated from Teri, she felt an intense emotional surge of pain. She despised feeling helpless, and her mind raced with her own what-ifs. Her thoughts darted as she wondered what was happening behind the walls in surgery. She found it impossible to focus on anything to prepare for school. She’d been given a list of reading assignments, but it was hard not to worry.

At two o’clock, a nurse entered the empty lounge and approached her. “Hi, are you here for Teri Nelson?”

Jenn stood. “Uh-huh. I’m her girlfriend, Jenn.”

The nurse smiled. “I’m Julia with good news. They’re finishing up in the operating room, and everything went smoothly. We just got word that Teri’s on her way up to recovery. Once we get her settled, I’ll come back and you’ll have a chance to see her.”

As the nurse was walking away, she turned back and asked, “I was curious. Is she the same Teri Nelson who plays with the Wildcats?”

Jenn smiled and nodded. “The band’s taking a break after touring and performing at the Hollywood Bowl fundraiser.”

Julia nodded her head. “I thought that I recognized her name. That concert was so great! My daughter and I watched it on TV. So many different singers, and watching the Wildcats play for them. The best part was when Taylor and Beyoncé performed their hits together!”

Jenn laughed. “It was crazy! And they raised so much money. My girlfriend and the band created all the music arrangements, too.”

After the nurse left, Jenn sent a message to everyone sharing Teri’s good news.

Tiffany was relaxing in Mike’s lap when her phone buzzed. He was editing a beer commercial they’d filmed in Milton, Delaware. She kissed his neck, savoring the feel of his three-day-old beard stubble. Then she gently pushed herself away and slipped out of his lap. She read Jenn’s message and called her. "Hey, girl! Yes, yes, yes! I’ve been hoping to hear from you. That’s the best news!”

Jenn shed a few tears. "I know. I’ve been trying not to worry or get worked up. It was killing me not having control over what was happening. A nurse just came by to tell me that Teri is done and heading into recovery.”

“I get it. It’s impossible to stop your brain or turn it off. Maybe getting sober helped me get my act together, but I’m still a mess sometimes. Have you seen her yet?”

“No. The nurse said they’d get her settled in a room, then I’ll see her.”

“Okay, so in the meantime, how you doin’?”

“Tiff, it’s been a really long day, and I’m exhausted. But Teri’s okay, and that’s all that matters.”

“How about visiting hours? Can I come into Philly and see you tonight?”

Jenn shrugged. “The nurse told me that Teri would be out of it tonight from all the anesthesia, but they promised that she’d be wide awake in the morning.”

“Okay. I’ll drive down in the morning and hang out with you all day.”

“That’ll be great! Visiting hours start at ten. And it looks like she’ll be here until Friday. After that, we’ll be back in our new place. I’m going to be her nurse and attend classes too. You can stop by anytime. We’ve got two bedrooms.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard about your big purchase. It must be pretty exciting. But how’d you get the place all furnished so quickly?”

Jenn laughed. “We just walked through the IKEA store and bought everything at once. It was easy.”

“I can’t wait to see it. I’m jealous. Living above First Cut’s okay, but it’s still Mike’s old bachelor pad. I made him buy a new bed and sheets. Just the idea that he’s had other women up here with him over the years grosses me out. Hopefully, after he sees what you guys did, I can push him into changing things around.”

Jenn laughed. “Having the entire third floor of his big building would be pretty cool. You’ve got so much space up there. IKEA features a lot of industrial chic. He might go for the loft look.”

“Great idea. But he needs to clear out almost all that space. Mike’s saved every piece of equipment they’ve ever bought for First Cut. I suggested we have a big yard sale and clean it out!”

Jenn laughed. “But how are you two? Zoe went to Hawaii, Gina goes up to New York, and Lisa heads out to Nashville. But you never took time off for a break.”

“Yeah. Mike’s my worker bee, and somebody has to go out and bring me the honey. It’s okay. I enjoy sleeping late and going for a morning run. I’ve got this great route around the city reservoir, and I see lots of birds and critters in the woods. Plus, I’ve started yoga and meditating. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Gina top me with all her Eastern mythical stuff. This is a staycation.”

After saying goodbye, Tiff went and searched for Mike. “Hey! Just heard from Jenn. Teri’s out of surgery and okay.”

Mike stood up from his computer console. He lovingly wrapped his arms around her. “That’s great to hear. When are we going to visit?”

Tiff grinned. “I’m going down in the morning. Why don’t you come in after work, and we can grab dinner together?”

Mike was nodding. “Great. In the meantime, we need to finish up this week’s video blog so we can upload it. We already edited short clips for Instagram and TikTok. You know this Wildcat vlog’s still blowing up with views and likes.”

“I never thought it would get this big.”

“Well, you suggested that we create a weekly video blog. And now it’s going crazy.”

Tiff nodded slowly. “Yeah. But give yourself credit. Everything your guys filmed is amazing. Whether it’s the Cats practicing or Teri rehearsing a new song, it's done well. It’s so crazy that everyone wants to see us hanging out at festivals, eating together with the roadies, or writing songs. You know, I wonder how long it’ll last?”

“Well, with AI driving everyone nuts with all the fake stuff, you guys are the real thing!”

Tiff smiled as she listened to Mike talk, realizing how important he was becoming. She kissed him. “I missed you when we were on the road.”

Mike kissed her. “Yeah, but I love playing house with you now.”

“Well, I was talking to Jenn about their new place. I was wondering, how would you feel if we redid the entire third floor of the building and made it our home?”

Mike wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up. “I love the idea, but won’t you get sick of me?”

Tiff was kissing him all over his face and neck. “I love playing house. If we had a private condo up there, we could lock the door, and I’d dress up just for you. I would love to be your nurse, your maid, your plumber, or your dominatrix. You know how good I look in leather. Just think of all the fun we could have!”

Mike shook his head and looked her in the eyes. “I have the craziest, most beautiful woman in my life. I will do whatever you want to keep you happy.”

“Hmm. Whatever, huh? All this talk has gotten me excited. Do you think you could take a break for a few minutes?”

“Minutes? How about if we close early, then head upstairs, and discuss building a house inside First Take? And we can decide where we want to put our new bedroom.”

Gina was feeling the breeze coming off the water as she looked across the river at the New Jersey skyline. She tried to vary her path each day while she ran. Her vacation with Grace was perfect. She enjoyed escaping on the Upper East Side to her girlfriend’s place.

When her phone buzzed, Gina stopped, then cheered aloud when she read Jenn’s message. Smiling broadly, she walked into the lobby of Grace’s building, replying to Jenn with fireworks, hearts, and smiling emojis.

She waved to the concierge as she hopped on the elevator and pressed sixteen. Grace’s commute was simple. Her offices were on the second floor and her apartment on the sixteenth.

Gina was glad to hear the good news. Lisa had been her best friend since elementary school, and Teri had always been the little kid who hung around. Now she loved that grown-up version.

Gina was enjoying her downtime. For the past five years, their playing schedule had been terrible. They’d played in small clubs five nights each week, fifty-two weeks a year, traveling in their old fifteen-passenger van pulling a trailer full of musical equipment. The Cats never took time off, just struggling to keep their heads above water.

But those days were gone. Teri’s influence had transformed the Wildcats into a genuine crowd-pleasing band. Now they played for ten thousand fans willing to pay top dollar to see them perform. The band was determined to make every show perfect.

As she was riding the elevator, Grace called. Checking her watch, she realized that she must have been between patients. “Hey, sweets! You get the news?”

Grace smiled, hearing her lover’s enthusiastic voice. “I did and wondered when we could go visit.”

“Well, I’m calling Jenn to set something up. Hopefully I’ll head down to Philly real soon, but we can go together when you have the time away.”

“I knew you’d go down ASAP.” She looked at her calendar. “It’s going to take me a few days. I’m thinking I can get down there Friday and then we can stay in Philly over the weekend.”

After saying goodbye, Gina picked up her phone and texted Jenn, saying that she’d been there on Tuesday morning.

Zoe leaned in to share her text with Bruno. He’d been busy rubbing too much cocoa butter on her skin. It did feel good, and she’d become hooked on the stuff.

After the big concert weekend at the Hollywood Bowl, Zoe and Bruno said their goodbyes and flew off to Oahu. They had a suite at the Four Seasons Resort and didn’t venture out for the first three days. Dining on love and room service, Zoe thought that the natural rock waterfall shower in their suite was her favorite thing. Bruno promised to install one in their bathroom when they got home.

Zoe was getting ready to bring a new life into this world. She and Bruno were planning to bring their baby on the European tour. Zoe wanted to be able to play four or five nights a week, and still be the perfect mother.

Bruno would tour with them. He’d put his business on hold to support their new family. It would take more planning, but Zoe wanted it all. For their summer tour, she insisted they bring a chef and trainer. And knowing her trainer was an EMT gave her peace of mind. Now she was working out all the logistics to give to Richard.

Zoe dialed her phone and waited for Jenn to answer. “Hey, sweetie. So glad to read your text.”

Jenn wiped a tear from her eye. “Yeah, good news.”

“Have you seen her yet?”

Jenn was shaking her head. “Not yet. The nurse promised to get me back in to see her before the end of the day.”

Zoe smiled. “Well, we’re wheels up tomorrow. We’ve got a direct flight into Philly and should be in the hospital on Wednesday for visiting hours. We’re excited to see you and Teri.”

Zoe had taken Teri under her wing to keep her spirits up. “She’ll be over the moon, but I’ll let you surprise her. How’re you and Boomer doing?”

“We’re great. Another six weeks and she’s going to join us live and in person!”

“So, it’s a girl!”

“Nah. Still going to be a surprise.”

Jenn laughed. “See ya soon!”

Smith picked up Lisa’s phone and glanced at the text. He raised it for her to see as she approached the picnic bench. She’d been trying to lasso a wooden post that had steer horns attached to the top. Each time she succeeded, she’d let out a loud whoop!

Smith smiled and called out. “Hey, beautiful. Jenn just sent you a message.”

Lisa came over, read the text, and hugged Smith with glee. “That’s good news. But I’ll bet my little sister’s exhausted.”

She stood there, gazing out over Smith's mountaintop. It was a stunning view, but now she was merely staring, not seeing anything at all. She turned to Smith with a tear in her eye. “Hey, cowboy. I’m thinking about all the hurdles Teri has jumped over in the past year. It’s so unfair she’s had to grow up so quickly.”

Smith understood. He’d heard the entire story and knew about Teri’s revelations and her surprise transition. He tried to imagine living life for eighteen years as a guy, only to discover that he was intersex with ovaries producing estrogen. And in the midst of this discovery, now Teri was starting puberty, which sealed the deal.

“How come no one ever noticed she was different?”

She shook her head and sighed. “Well, in hindsight, we always wondered why Teri never gained a lot of muscle or matured. But her doctor always explained that she was a late bloomer and puberty would even things out. Teri used to talk about having testosterone treatments and getting all muscle-bound. No one ever suspected what was really happening.”

“Do they have any idea when her puberty really started?”

Lisa shrugged. “Maybe her gender started to make itself visible earlier, but no one was looking for it. Because she was always so lean and tall, her body development was more subtle. And since she’s intersex, her bone structure development was more neutral, too. When she was wearing foam pads pretending to be Tasha, Gina’s sister noticed her development.”

Lisa didn’t mind talking about it. “But Teri’s still the same, quirky, gifted, extremely caring pain in the ass. All of this forced her to leave all that geeky, slacker behavior behind. Teri’s changed, and I want to protect her.”

Smith shook his head. “Yeah, she’s lucky.”

Lisa looked at him strangely. “How so?”

“She’s got all these folks around her who love and care for her. Everyone she’s met adores her.”

Lisa just looked at him.

Smith shook his head. “Like she’s avoided all the hateful people who’d tear her down just for existing. When Eaten By Raptors was on the road, there were lots of jealous, frightened, ignorant folks ready to throw shade at anything different. All punk bands got shit on.”

“And what happened?”

“We bonded. It really made us brothers, protecting each other and standing up for our music.”

“Uh-huh. It’s the same for us. We’ve made a bubble surrounding her. The Wildcats are more than a rock band; we are family.”

Smith hugged her. “Yeah, it’s pretty obvious that everyone loves her.”

“But you know Teri has been upfront about herself and all the changes she’s experienced. Having to tell the world about her intersex diagnosis was a big step.”

“And what happened?”

“A great reporter from the Philly paper wrote the most amazing article about Teri and what she was going through. We waited to see what effect it would have, but no shit ever hit the fan.”

“No blowback?”

“Well, you see, no one ever noticed. Teri had written this comical heavy metal song about people who dressed up as furry animals. And we spoofed it by dressing up in costumes on the stage. Someone posted it online, and it went viral.”

“Yeah. Your fans love Fur Face. It’s kinda stupid-cool. EBR could never have done anything like that. Not trying to be sexist, but we never could have done cuteness or even laugh at ourselves.”

“Uh-huh. You guys are stuck in macho land. Yeah, I think we saw Fur Face as a throwaway, and now it’s expected whenever we perform. We carried three identical furry costumes on the bus. It’s really a good thing we still laugh about it.”

“You guys are having fun, loving what you do. Like when you adopted the Flower Sisters and brought brass into the band. Out of nowhere, Tiffany’s performing the B-52’s and Aretha Franklin songs. Seriously, the Wildcats performing hard rock and Bach in the same set is pretty risky, but your fans eat it up.” Smith was grinning. “You know, Eaten By Raptors had never met Teri, and the first time she walked into our rehearsal, she was offering production suggestions. She started updating all our ten-year-old hits and breathing new life into them. An eighteen-year-old completely blew the guys away!”

“Yep. She still does that with us. Like the way Tiffany performs Love Shack! There’s no ego involved. And she totally blows people away when she plays her cello. Which, of course, was another Teri idea.”

“Uh-huh. She is a key player for the Wildcats.”

“Don’t we know. When Teri was kidnapped, we were committed to playing one night at the Rendezvous without her. And let me tell you how those hard-boiled rockers were all crying thinking about Teri and the hole she left in the band.”

“Yeah, and that’s how you met Jessica Jade. Right?”

“She’s our superhero. But did you know she’s trans?”

Smith shook his head.

Lisa paused. “I know. And all of this raised my awareness of the whole LGBTQ community. I never thought of Teri as being anything special, and then finding out she’s intersex and totally left out, hanging in the wind at eighteen. And I never thought of Gina as being odd or different. We grew up together, and her gayness never seemed to be an issue. But now, I’m especially aware of how much hate they receive for no reason at all.”

Smith nodded.

“Treating people like criminals when they’re just trying to exist. Every time we perform a show, a portion of the profits gets donated locally to organizations that support teens, particularly those facing issues related to gender and sexuality. People come up to talk to us, and it’s really become a much larger community for everyone.”

Smith leaned over and kissed her, then pulled her into his lap. “I’m proud to be with you. I look up to you and everything you do. I’m so lucky to love you.”

Lisa grinned. “I worry I’m smothering you.”

“Nah. Everything’s perfect. But all this talk makes me hungry.”

Lisa smiled. “What do you want to eat?”

Smith grabbed her hand and started pulling them down to the ground. “Uh, you.”

As Smith started to undress her, she held him out at arm’s length. “Uh-huh, cowboy. But the big question is, how soon can we be in Philly?”