I woke up the next morning to the sounds of mom getting ready. Though I tried to go back to sleep for a few minutes I soon got up and started doing what I could to get ready myself. 2 hours later it was 4:30am and we were pulling up to the airport. Amy's parents and Ashley's dad and Ashley all arrived right behind us. We all took our bags to the airline counter and checked in.

Everyone had been given their tickets last week so that we could all check in when we got there. Our teachers were right behind us and we started forming up as a group. That day I had dressed in a pair of boys shorts and a girls top that was in a light blue � but could have been a boys shirt. I had done my hair today, but mom wouldn't let me do my makeup. She said she'd let me once I got back from the trip. When Ashley was finally able to come over she said. "Tiffany I love your hair!"

"Thanks Ashley. But I'm going as Brandon on the trip, so you can call me Tiffany, but keep it to only when the 6 of us from slumber party are around okay?"

"Sure� I wish you could be Tiffany the whole time, but at least that's something." She told me.

My family, the Hancocks, Ashley and her dad, and our two teachers walked up to a restaurant to get something for breakfast. I ate just a standard fare of scrambled eggs and bacon. We then started to head through the security checkpoint, and once we were through there headed towards our gate.

It was then that I started feeling it. I rushed for the bathroom and made it to a toilet just in time to throw up� When I got back outside mom asked me quietly, "Tiffany are you okay?"

"I think so" I said groaning a bit, "I just needed to throw up all of the sudden."

She handed me a pill from her purse, "Here," she said handing me a small pill, "take this."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Dramamine. It's probably just your nerves that made you sick."

I did as I was directed and then went out to the waiting area by the gate. As time went on everyone in our group arrived in the waiting area. The entire group from the sleepover gathered quickly into a spot in a corner. We were all talking in lower tones so no one else could hear what we were talking about. I had decided to fill them in quietly � if they wanted to rat me out they wouldn't need any more info to do it with anyway.

After we got to the part about the hair salon Lindsey said, "Speaking of that Tiffany, I love your hair!" Lindsey said. "Yours too Amy." She added.

"Thanks, please remember I'm supposed to be Brandon on this trip� unfortunately�" I said quietly.

"But you're going to be Tiffany after that right?" Amber asked.

"I hope so Amber." I replied.

"Well, I can kind of understand them making you hold off for now on it� But I think we can all agree that we will think of you as Tiffany on this trip," Nikki said.

"Thanks, I appreciate that." I told them.

"Hey why don't we just call you T when everyone else is within range. We won't tell any of the others what T stands for if they ask, but that way you can at least be called by your name." Amy suggested.

"It's better than nothing I guess," I replied.

Lindsey made a small motion to be quiet about stuff a second later as Jennifer and Brittany both walked up. "Can we join the rest of you girls?" She asked.

"Sure," Amy said. I took note of the fact she hadn't figured out that I was in the group at that point � or something like that.

We expanded the circle a bit and I noticed Brittany and Jennifer both were kind of staring at me for a second. "Brandon?" Jennifer asked.

"Yes?" I replied.

"It just took me a moment to recognize you. I really like your hair." She told me.

"Thanks." I replied.

"Is there some reason you got it cut like that?" She asked.

Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding� Warning� "We�"

Amy thankfully interrupted, "We had a bet and he lost so he had to get his hair done in the same style as me for the trip."

"That's big of you to follow through with that bet Brandon," She responded. I don't know if she bought it or not � I didn't think she did. "It really is a cute hairstyle for you." She replied seriously. I decided she knew something somehow.

Thankfully the conversation moved away from that � I didn't want to get into that conversation with those 2 yet. It's not that I really had much more time to get to know the other girls, it's more that I hadn't had any with them. I would not be surprised though if by the end of the trip these two found out.

Their conversation eventually ended up on a topic that affected almost all of them, cheerleading. The only 2 that weren't on the cheer squad next year were Nikki and I. Maybe next year I could try out? Ashley actually suggested that at one point, and I said maybe I would. I think I could do it � I'd actually helped Amy practice a bit before the tryouts this year.

The next thing I knew they were boarding elderly and children. We were considered in the children category so we were able to go ahead and get on the plane. The walk down the ramp to the plane was really cool to me, and once we got on the plane things just were so� new and cool. I got to my seat, which was on the aisle side of 3 seats, and dad my backpack in the overhead bin.

Mom was on the window side so she could see, and that left Dad in the middle. Across the aisle in those 3 were was Amy on the aisle, her mom, and then her dad. In front of me Ashley, her father, and Nikki sat. And in the seats cattycorner to mine sat Lindsey, Amber, and Jennifer. Brittany, Ms. Fitzgerald, and Mrs. Manning we in the seats back and to the right of me, and the boys took up a few rows behind us.

We were all pretty chatty and the flight stewardesses introduced themselves to us really quick. As everyone else piled on the plane I definitely felt my nerves coming back� What if something went wrong? I knew statistically that was a rare� but still your first time� The sensation of the plane being pulled backwards was interesting, and when we finally were on the runway getting to leave I looked over my parents laps to the window as best I could.

Amy and I had been talking non-stop up until this point � a feat I considered impressive given how nervous my stomach still felt. We stopped for a few moments while the plane sped up down the runway and leaped into the air. It was definitely a fun experience I decided, if not a little unnerving.

Once we reached altitude Amy and I got our gameboys out and started playing various games. We also chatted a good amount across the aisle way for a bit before she fell asleep. At that point I needed to go to the bathroom so I headed back to the lavatory in the back. Mom had given me a motherly instruction to be careful and I took a new adventure to go to the bathroom at 33,000 feet.

It was actually kind of disconcerting in there, but I put the seat down and pulled down my shorts and the panties I was wearing underneath. Sitting down I took care of things, wiped, and then put everything back on again.

Even though I was supposed to be Brandon on this trip � I was determined that I was going to do everything as Tiffany. I might be going in the men's restrooms but I was still going to be a girl. Maybe in a couple years I'd be able to get my parts readjusted to the proper plumbing�

I walked out of the bathroom and back down the aisle to get back to my seat. Amy was still asleep when I got back so I was debating about going to sleep myself. I didn't even realize that the debate had been lost until Amy poked me. "Wake up sleepyhead." She taunted me. I was just awake enough to stick my tongue out at her.

I suddenly realized that we must be getting close to landing because it felt like we were dropping out of the air gradually. I watched out the window and watched the clouds slip by as we slipped through the ceiling. We neared the runway in Houston, and once we landed I loved the rapid deceleration that we had! That was a great feeling.

When we landed we were very quickly ushered through the concourses to another gate on the other side of the airport. We got there with about 30 minutes to spare, we were all encouraged to go use the restroom at that point, so I went again. When I came out I had several men stare at me as if 'why are you in the mens restroom girl?' I didn't have a good answer for them. I was glad dad was right behind me for safety � I think he also noticed the looks.

He went over and spoke with mom while I rejoined the girls for waiting to leave Houston. We were all kind of drowsy but decided to go to a couple stores that were right there. We browsed through � all trying not to spend the money that was in our pockets � and I got away with just buying a pretzel at a counter next to the shop.

In no time we were boarding that plane and the whole experience repeated itself to go up in the air. On this leg of the race Kyle asked one of the stewardesses if he could get a set of 'wings.' She brought a set to him, and gave all of us a set while she was at it. I thought it was kind of childish and embarrassing on one hand� but it was kind of cute too! I put it in my fanny pack to save it for my scrapbook of this when we got home.

That actually reminded me that I wanted some pictures of us in the airplane � and I began snapping some pictures of everyone sitting there. This was a longer leg and they actually 'fed' us with some sandwiches. They weren't great, but it was better than just having had the pretzel for lunch.

As the flight drew on we all got excited that we were getting close to Orlando. The excitement turned to nervousness as we hit one of the craziest thunderstorms to fly through trying to land in Orlando. We all watched as lightning stuck incredibly close to the wings while we were all moving up and down, and side to side, from the turbulence. I located the barf bag in front of me just in case I needed it, and silently read the card for the emergency procedures that would never do us any good.

To this day I have to say that was the worst storm I've ever flown in. Ever.

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