So dear readers, I have said all along this is a work of fiction inspired by true events. There aren't many true events in this part, but it is certainly how I wish the Homecoming parade of my senior year had gone down.

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Part 22 -- Happiness, fear, and the Monkees.

 

The voting for Homecoming queen was on Wednesday. All of us did what we could to make sure people who supported us actually voted and voted for Lisa. I even made attempt in my Electricity class. It's not that I thought those guys would vote for one of the Bitches, I was trying to get them to vote at all. These guys were down at the bottom of the social heap with all us queers, nerds and geeks, they just didn't like admitting it. Did my words help? Who knows if they did, but I felt better for trying. When the bell rang, and I gathered up my stuff to go to the cafeteria one guy grabbed my arm.

 

"I just wanted you to know that I voted for Lisa. Some of these guys will never admit it but we have more in common with you girls than they want to admit. Personally, I hope she wins; it's time someone reminded those prissy bitches that us regular folks are still here."

 

I reached out and shook his hand. "Thank you, from the both of us."

 

He gave me a wry smile. "I look forward to seeing you in the parade, Gil says you helped him build up a kickass truck."

 

"That we did." I felt a glimmer of hope that we might yet pull off this mad plan.

 

We were kind of quiet as we ate, even Rita's normally non-stop talking was stilled. We all knew it was out of our hands and, that win or lose, we had at least tried.

 

I went to work that night, telling my coworkers of the events of the week. They were all well out of high school but most of them had been at the same place in the social hierarchy as we were, so they were there with us in spirit. My queer coworkers were there for me and Lisa as surely as those little girls in Lisa's dance classes would support her no matter what.

 

That night Lisa and I we snuggled together in the back of the Red October, naked under our blanket. Lisa was holding tight to me.

 

"What if it all goes to hell Cindy? What if all this was for nothing? What then?"

 

I could hear in her voice she was spiraling into hysteria, just like she did when Middlemarch first told us that Cohn was out to get us.

 

"So what if we try and fail? What will happen then? We will still have a kickass parade float, the first one ever to acknowledge we queer students exist. Rhonda will still be part of the parade with her brother, celebrating that she beat cancer again. Michelle and Rita will stand proud, showing that they will not let assholes intimidate either them. And, most of all, I will still love you. I'll say it again, I would walk through hell in gasoline underwear to be here with you. We are fucking pirate queens and we will cower before no one goddammit! This is true love, you think this happens every day?"

 

I kind of wish I that there had been an audience of more than one, in my mind this speech was right up there with "The games afoot: follow your spirit and upon this charge cry `God for Harry, England, and St. George!'" Granted my audience was drop dead gorgeous and she was naked, but I really could hear Kenneth Branagh in my head. I held her tight, gently rubbing her pussy as she rubbed mine until we both came, grabbing hard at each other's boobs. I doubt either of us slept well that night.

 

At lunch Ms Johnson came on the PA. I grabbed Lisa's hand, I considered this a good omen. If one of the Bitches had won it would have been Cohn making the announcement so that she could gloat at our humiliation. Lisa and I were standing up, like it was a scene from movie, everyone straining to hear the announcement over the amazingly shitty PA speakers.

 

Finally, we got to the good part, "And your 1993 Homecoming Queen is (agonizing pause) Lisa Pickett!"

 

It was my turn to kiss her and damn the consequences! Our friends were jumping up and down and people were coming over to congratulate Lisa. Janet and Rhonda were jumping up and down squealing with joy. Janet even hugged me for a moment before she realized how uncool she was being. Lisa was in a total daze, I don't think she really noticed how many students (and even a few teachers) were congratulating her. Even my Electricity teacher patted me on the back, "Congratulations to you both, your good people (spoken like the old biker that he was)."

 

That night we gathered at the coffee shop. When Lisa arrived, Ben presented her with a tiara to wear, "This is a gift from a friend of mine who performs in a drag show in Louisville, I've kept him apprised of your story and he told me that no one deserves this more than you and that you are a true pirate queen. Lisa hugged him, picked up her favorite sticky sweet coffee drink, and took up her position on the Crying Couch, which once again lived up to its name.

 

Ron called out my name and I walked up to the stage, wearing my Grateful Dead shirt, black jeans, and my Doc Marten boots. "Lisa, this is for you." The song I had picked was The Monkee's "Daydream Believer and by the time I got to the second verse Lisa was crying some serious Pretty Girl tears and our friends were dabbing at their eyes. The Old Queens were of course hugging each other and crying (silly old bears).

 

"You once thought of me

as a white knight on her steed

Now you know how happy we can be

Oh, and our good times start and end

Without dollar one to spend

But how much, baby, do we really need

 

Cheer up sleepy Jean

Oh, what can it mean

To a daydream believer

And a Homecoming Queen"

 

It was absolute fucking magic.

 

Friday was, by tradition, a half day at school. I rode with Gil in his truck, hitched up the float, and got it to the staging area. Gil had not gotten to actually painting the truck, but it ran, and I must say it ran pretty well for something almost 40 years old. Gil had welded flag holders into the corners of the bed and we put up the American and Puerto Rican flags. He remarked that while it might be our goal to make the Old Queens cry his job was to have his mom and his aunt all teary-eyed and screaming "Viva Puerto Rico!" at top volume and singing "La Borinqueña" (the Puerto Rican anthem) in Spanish.

 

Dad brought Granddad to see the truck. Granddad shook Gil's hand, "Young man, you and my granddaughter have done a fine job getting this old fossil running. I remember riding in the back of a truck that look just like this when I was on leave in Korea in 1951. Some things never change it seems." He was smiling broadly, he had always had a fascination with machinery of all sorts.

 

We got the seats set up for the folks riding on the float, I would be up in a faux crow's nest as the captain (I was torn between Mary Read, Jean Lafitte, or the Dread Pirate Roberts; I went with Mary Read). Rita had helped me with my costume, doing all she could to push up my boobs to make me a sexy pirate queen. Under my puffy pirate shirt I was wearing a t-shirt I had made at the mall that read "Daydream Believer" across my chest. Lisa gave me a big kiss when she saw it, prompting cheers from our friends on the float and our supporters along the street. Traditionally the Homecoming Queen would ride in a convertible waving to the crowd like she was Queen Elizabeth. However, no one came forward to provide a car for Lisa and I sensed Cohn's hand in this. Her dad's friend (the car collector) offered the use one of his cars but Lisa told him that she wanted to be on the float with the friends who got her here. Lisa had the Homecoming Queen sash over her pirate gear with her drag queen tiara on her pirate hat. Rita got her boobs pushed up as much as she could as well.

 

We had all told our friends and families to sit on the lawn at the post office. We would be right behind the band, and the band would be playing when they marched past that point. We had set up our float so that Rhonda and her step-brother would be on the side facing the post office and Rhonda had made arrangements with the band director to play something special at that point, she didn't tell us what it was.

 

I cut quite the dashing figure as the (sort of) busty pirate queen. There was just enough breeze for Lisa's shining white hair blowing back; she was absolutely fucking beautiful. Some people along the street looked at us angrily, there were occasional shouts of "Fucking Dykes!" and we had absolutely no shits to give. There were more people cheering for us and those were the people who mattered to us. As we made the turn to approach the post office the band started; it took me a moment to recognize what they were playing. It was Sousa's "Semper Fidelis" and we could see, standing with Rita's family, Katherine and Erin both standing at attention. I waved at my parents and Janet. Janet was waving wildly at Rhonda, but she did give me a thumbs up too. The band finished, and Rhonda had another surprise for us. She had her new French horn with her on the float. She stood up, her step-brother in his blue navy dress uniform waving to everyone, and she began playing the Marine Hymn followed by "Anchors Aweigh!". We watched in awe as several old men stood up, some who had to have help, and saluted as we went by; her brother saluted back. Katherine and Erin were openly crying now. We had announced our presence with authority.

 

True to Gil's prediction Ms Mendoza and her sister were absolutely ecstatic when we rolled by them. I doubt Gil's mom would ever love that truck, and she might never understand her son's odd lesbian friends, but today she clearly thought the entire operation was pretty cool. Lisa's stock with Gil's mom shot up when she began singing the first stanza of "La Boriqueña" as we went by them. I managed a "Viva Puerto Rico!" which earned me some polite applause.

 

Ron and Ben had decorated the coffee shop with Pride Flags. There with them were some ISU students from the Queer Coalition. Lauren and I, who both planned on attending ISU, climbed down off the float to hug them and thank them for the flag. The cheers for Lisa, with her wonderful tiara, were considerable. We clambered back up the ladder onto the float before we were left behind. The whole staff of the record store was out on the sidewalk. I saw they had put some speakers in the second story windows (the top floors of the building had stood empty for years) and I realized that Ray, the store manager, had cued up "Storybook Love". I moved to where Lisa was standing, whispered in her ear about the music, then kissed her properly to the massive cheers from my coworkers.

 

As we rolled passed the dance studio Lisa climbed down off the float, motioning for me to come with her. Most of her girls were there, many of them waving Pride flags and I saw that Amanda (probably Lisa's favorite student) had some flowers to give her. There was no way Lisa was going to miss this so Gil slowed down as much as he could. There were excited squeals of "Miss Lisa!", and a few "Miss Cindy!". It was the cutest thing I have ever seen, and I've seen baby alpacas.

 

Shortly before we got back to the school I saw Lauren's parents. I had never known they were motorcyclists, but they were there with their motorcycle club. I had my arm around Lauren as she excitedly pointed out the number of bikes with Pride flags on them. Cohn, for all her efforts to erase of from the school had succeeded in transforming our high school homecoming parade into our town's first Pride parade. It was absolutely fucking glorious.

 

We hauled the float back to Rita's house. Ms Middlemarch's friend was there to collect his trailer and the numerous bales of hay we had used as the structure of the float. He had seen us in the parade and said we were a credit to our school. As much as I wanted pizza (I always want pizza) Lisa insisted we go to the Jade Emperor for dinner. It took us a while to change because I had to take some time to eat Lisa's pussy while she was still wearing her sash and tiara. She ate my pussy and my butt from behind to celebrate our triumphal entry. I ditched the pirate boots for my Doc Martens, but I did keep my hat and my "Daydream Believer" shirt, Lisa liked the way the writing was distorted as it stretched across my tits.

 

We descended on the Jade Emperor where Amanda and several of her friends seemed to be waiting for us. I had brought my camera with me, so I was required to get a photo of Lisa with each of her students. I took a lot of pictures, Steph, Lauren, and Michelle were there; as well as Rhonda, Alan (her step-brother), and Janet. Janet obviously thought Alan was cute (maybe it was the uniform) because she talked to him a lot, filling him in on the elaborate plans that were made to get us to this point. He took it all in stride, telling us he wanted copies of the photos, so he could show them to his unit when he had to go back to Kuwait.

 

Janet and I went home, stuffed to the gills with Chinese food. Mrs. Tsing had to have some psychic connection to my mom because she just kept bringing food. Clearly, she felt we had difficulty in locating food. Our parents and Granddad were really proud of us being in the parade, Granddad made a point of mentioning how nice it was that we included Rhonda's step-brother on our float. It was no surprise that a guy in the orchestra had asked Janet to go to the Homecoming dance with him. Janet had made it a point to talk to me about him, "I don't want you scaring him off. He already thinks you are some sort of half-assed superhero." I assured her I would mind my own business and, breaking into a wicked smile (finally it was my turn!), not bringing asking if he had condoms in front of mom and dad. Janet's response was to stick her tongue out at me.

 

I had been too busy to shop for a dress and there was no way in hell I trusted mom to get me one. Since my prom dress was pretty restrained, and not many people had seen it, I decided to wear that again. Yes, I was wearing my high-tops as well, much to Janet's disgust. I had not seen Lisa in her dress but simply knowing it was based on one of Diana's was enough to make me wet just thinking about her in it. When we got to school Lisa would have to wait with the rest of the Homecoming Court to make their entrance. The Homecoming King was a guy on the football team (naturally) who neither of us knew. Lisa had talked to him prior to tonight just so there was no misunderstanding on his part as to what was going to happen. They would enter together holding hands and they would dance one dance together. After that they would each go to be with their own "tribe". This was not a date and Lisa had no interest in every interacting with him again and that if he grabbed anything other than her hands there were many girls who would proceed to curb-stomp him on the spot, chief amongst them being me. A lot of guys seemed to be scared of me and I liked to keep it that way, never letting on that (unlike Katherine) I was not actually that dangerous.

 

Lisa's dad had felt really bad that she didn't get to ride in a fancy convertible in the parade, but Lisa had been quite firm that if she was going to be snubbed by the establishment she would proudly ride the float with her pirate crew. For tonight, however, her dad's friend came through again. Once again, what appeared to be a gigantic car pulled into our driveway with Lisa's parents in the front seat. She got out the back seat and I could not wait for her to get to the door; I ran out (sneakers are easier to run in than heels) and threw my arms around her, spinning her around. Rita and her mom had done it again, my baby was (in my opinion) a more beautiful version of the Princess of Wales. I noticed she was taller than me now, she was wearing fairly ridiculous high heels.

 

"I'll have you bring my sneakers in, but for the grand entrance I need to look the part."

 

My dad was out talking with her dad. The car was another classic, a 1934 Packard Standard Eight Convertible Sedan. Sitting in it I felt a little like Ingrid Bergman. My dad, of course, used up multiple rolls of film, plus a roll of black & white in my camera. My favorites were a black & white taken with a soft-focus filter (I was learning things for Cornelius, we emailed often) with the two of us leaning on one elbow on either side of the hood and one of us sitting together in the back seat with our heads leaned together. We didn't have time to make any stops, but we did roll down Main Street so that Ben and Ron, the whole record store staff, and many of Lisa's students could see us. Lisa waved exactly like a queen would wave.

 

When we got to the school I got out first and went inside to find our friends and allies. I heard some whispers and some murmurs, but it seemed even The Bitches were scared of me. Good; I wanted them to leave us the fuck alone. My friends had all seen the dress before, but Lauren took the opportunity to rub my butt some anyway, not that I minded at all.

 

Lisa came in with her "king", I thought he looked basically big and stupid and not at all worthy of my baby, with a spotlight on her. Our corner of the gym clapped politely, and they danced their dance (I don't even remember what song it was). I did notice he behaved himself and of that I approved. After that dance he went off to be with the jock corner and Lisa walked over to us outcasts looking glamorous as all hell.

 

Lisa could not stop giggling, "I had to lead the whole time, Cindy you were a better dancer on our very first date than he will ever be. He had no idea what to do once I told him I would drive my knee right into his balls if he touched my butt." She looked at me, licking her lips, "Only one person gets to grab my butt in public." I got very warm and wet when she said that.

 

WE had decided to not push things too much. My friends and I stayed pretty much in our section of the gym though sometimes couples would move out toward the center. Gil and Lauren danced, and Gil asked me again. I think there were people who were utterly shocked to see me dancing with a guy and I know some of Gil's friends wondered how he got to dance with the notorious Queer Pirate Queen. Janet was having the time of her life. She was out amongst everyone from all the groups (I had decided that this was her superpower) and lots of guys wanted to dance with her. I was sure the guys did not know who they were dealing with, Janet was going to make a kickass Dread Pirate Roberts next year. I stayed out of her way, I was sure she did not want her big sister stealing her spotlight. She did dance one song with Lisa and one with Rhonda, just to fuck with people.

 

Most people had left to go off to drink and fuck before the dance was over, but the Crew of the Revenge stayed till the bitter end. The last song played, which was by Lisa's request was the same one we danced to last year, "Keester McGee's Favorite Drinking Song". Lisa still led but I was proud to say I was much less clumsy then I was a year ago. We were both grabbing each other's ass and kissing a lot. I am sure Cohn was seething but I just did not care.

 

Lisa's dad came and picked us up. I was a little disappointed that he was driving their minivan, but it had been such a wonderful night I did not care. I went home with Lisa and we headed downstairs right away. Lisa very carefully removed my makeup and let my hair fall loose. She slipped out of her amazing dress and posed for me like a Playboy centerfold before jumping up into my arms. My swimming exercise, plus some weightlifting with Steph in gym class, had paid off; she was able to wrap her legs around me and her arms around my neck and I carried her around the bedroom, her naked body mashed to mine.

 

I dropped her onto the bed and we went straight to a sixty-nine. Both of us were already pretty wet and I loved the smell and taste of her pussy. We rolled around on the bed, never letting up on tonguing each other, until both of us climaxed. We fell asleep facing each other, nipples just touching.

 

I had been to something like 2 football games in my time in high school but since Lisa was expected to be there as Homecoming Queen that meant I was there too. Her dad's friend drove the car to drive her onto our field (my school had no lights, we played our games on Saturday afternoons) so that her dad could take pictures from the bleachers. I was sure a fair number of people in the crowd knew Lisa was half of an infamous lesbian couple, but no one got mean about it. I sat quietly in the stands between Lauren and Steph, wishing I could be down there on the field with my sweetie.

 

Lisa was introduced to polite applause, though I noticed Cohn was just standing there, glaring; as far as I was concerned she could go take a flying fuck at a rolling donut. After the introductions all the royalty moved up into the stands and I am sure many people noticed that Lisa did not sit with the other girls, she was back with our group, sitting right on the edge of where the band was sitting.

 

I took her hand, "You were so beautiful out there, I could eat you right now."

 

"Later sweetie, let's pretend we like football, at least until the band plays."

 

Lauren leaned over, "You girls want to go to the movie next Friday?"

 

I looked over at her, "What movie is it?"

 

Lauren smiled broadly, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".

 

I looked blank, I had never heard of it and by her expression Lisa never had either. Rita, however, was bouncing up and down with excitement. "Yes! We have to go! I've got it on tape, you can come watch at my house and learn the show!"

 

"Learn the show?" I was utterly confused.

 

There's lots of audience participation, at the very least it's a sing-a-long. Lisa, you'll love the music."

 

 

So how much of this was true? Well, my girlfriend did get elected Homecoming Queen, we did not have a float, but we did ride in a friend's scabrous old Dodge truck, and we did have a Pride flag as well as the flag of Cajun country.

 

As always I love hearing from my readers (cattingcindy@yahoo.com) and please donate to the Nifty Archive (https://donated.nifty.org)