Page 66 of Precise Justice

“I remember some people from middle school who probably went to high school with him. Someone would know.”

“Be careful. You don’t want it to get back to him that you’re looking for him,” Stephanie said.

Robbie looked at Stephanie and said, “Yeah, why? I could use that to set up a meeting.”

“Maybe,” Amanda agreed. “Still, be careful.”

“How about if we can’t kill him, we cut his balls off?” Holly asked.

“Would you want to be the one to do it?” Amanda asked Holly.

“Yes! Well maybe. I mean I’ll watch,” Holly said.

“That’s what I thought,” Amanda said.

TWENTY-SIX

Dear Diary:December 19th

Like I told you before, we, the trans girls I have met through Stephanie, have been following Junior for two weeks. We have had all of the trans girls in our group take turns. So far, no luck at finding a place to confront him when he is alone. The only public places he has gone to is Arden Park and The Blue Lagoon. There are too many of his friends at Arden Park. When he goes to The Blue Lagoon he is alone with his boyfriend. We may have to confront him there.

“What are you doing for Christmas?” Stephanie asked Robbie.

They were in Robbie’s new car, a three-year-old Honda that Blake, her dad, helped her get. Priscilla almost threw a fit over it. How dare Blake make a decision like this without asking Priscilla? Robbie, exercising her newly found strength and maturity, slammed her. She reminded Priscilla that, at age eighteen, Robbie could do as she pleased.

Priscilla threatened to kick her out of the house. Robbie stopped her cold by telling her she was thinking about moving in with her dad anyway. That ended it.

“Christmas? I try not to think about it. I’ll spend Christmas Eve with my dad and Christmas Day with the dysfunctional Powells. They’ll all be there. Aunts, uncles,cousins, people I don’t know and don’t want to know. I’ll feel like Mother Dear is putting me on display.”

They were early for their Thursday night meeting of the trans group. So early they helped set up the room. Six days until Christmas, Amanda had told the usual group attendees that the meeting would be heavily attended. To prepare, Robbie and Stephanie helped set up thirty chairs.

“There’s been another rape,” Amanda told Robbie. Amanda had pulled Robbie aside to speak privately to her about this.

“We’ve been following him,” Robbie said. “How could he…”

“This was in Woodbury, on the east side of St. Paul,” Amanda interrupted her and said. “He probably wasn’t in on this.”

“How, who, what?” Robbie stammered.

“She’s not one of our group. We do have girls from all over but not her. Her name is Carolyn Weaver. Formerly, Carl Weaver.

“It happened two nights ago. Robbie, she was beaten and stabbed several times. She’s at Regions Hospital. They’re not sure if she’s gonna make it. This time they wore masks.”

“How did you find out about this?” Robbie asked.

“Lauren told me. Remember her. She wasn’t here on Tuesday. She was at the hospital. She called me.”

Lauren was a twenty-one-year-old trans who was having serious doubts. She was in therapy trying to cope with being gender affirmed at age fifteen.

At 6:55 the room was starting to fill up. Thirty chairs would not be enough. The holidays normally brought out a lot of loneliness and depression. According to Amanda, she believed it was even worse for the trans community. Especially so for those dealing with doubts and regrets.

“What about Junior?” Amanda asked.

“So far, the only places he is a regular is Arden Park andTheBlue Lagoon. We may have to go at him at theBlue Lagoonwhen he is away from his friends at Arden Park,” Robbie said.

“Are you up to it?” Amanda asked.

“By myself? No! But if there are four or five of us…”