It's a Journey Not a Destination Ch. 02

"So sorry Mam. Won't happen again!" Katie looked down at my cock and giggled.

"I can't believe THAT, becomes such a monster! It looks so... cute. You know, I once dated a guy, and his cock was tiny like this. Needless to say, it didn't last." She smirked.

"My friend. The shallow, size queen, anal slut. Who knew?" I gave her a look of mock disappointment, "No wonder great guys like Gavin get so fucked up in the head."

"It wasn't his little dick that made us beak up." I raised my eyebrows, questioning her sincerity. "Ok... it had a little something to do about it. But in my defense, he was a shitty kisser, knew nothing about eating a pussy, and he would cum on a hair trigger. He even wanted me to peg him!"

"I thought you'd be all over that." I snorted.

"Well of course... but it was a little weird. He brought me the strap on he wanted me to use. Check this out Izzy. It was about 9 inches long and... black! Last I heard he started to really feminize himself and turned into a BBC sissy. So back to my point, I didn't break up with him just because he had a tiny dick." She crossed her arms in front herself to emphasise her point.

"Well... to each his own. I can't razz you too hard on it then. I guess I'm just a little sensitive after hearing what Gavin went through. It really messed with his mind Katie. He's such a great guy. I hope he finds a girl that appreciates that."

"Maybe you could introduce me to him. He sounds like a real catch!" I stared at her than gently shook my head.

"He's my friend Katie. I couldn't do that to him." I smiled.

"HEY! Asshole!"

We quickly got dressed and headed downstairs, where we were met with a truly delightful aroma. "Lasagna!" I stated. Katie had a wide grin on her face as my mom knew it was one of her favorites. We giggled and bumped our way to the dining room where my dad was seated reading the newspaper and sipping on a glass of wine.

"Hey girls! He lowered his paper and reached for the bottle. "Can I pour you two some wine?"

"That would be great dad, thanks."

"Have ever known me to turn down alcohol Mr. P?" Katie smirked.

"Well, I was never able to find a lock for my liquor cabinet that worked, so does that make me an accomplice?" My dad joked giving me his evil eye. With her impeccable timing, my mom walked into the room carrying her dish of lasagna.

"Oh Peter. Stop picking on the girls. You forget we dated in high school. Izzy, your dad here thought adding water to your grandpa's booze kept him in the dark. News flash... Ehhhh! I told him it wouldn't work, but what did I know." Usually, my mom backed up my father on just about anything, so it was quite enjoyable to see her throw him under the bus once and awhile. As soon as she placed the dish on the table, my dad reached out and gave her butt a sweet little smack. "Careful mister! You going to back that up later?" Katie started to giggle and I'm sure the embarrassment showed in my cheeks.

"Aw come on! That's so gross! Get a room you two!" Truth was, I loved that my parents were openly flirty with each other. You could see their love was still as strong as it was 20 years ago. "Can we just eat... before I throw up?" I joked.

"So did you girls have a nice shower?" My mom threw that out there with no warning. I guess she could see Katie and I doing the side glare to each other when she proceeded to let us off the hook. "I mean you both have wet hair and I thought I could hear the water running. Feels good to clean up before dinner doesn't it?" Both Katie and I just nodded as we stuffed our mouths.

I must give my parents credit. You know those moments when you suspect they know more than they're letting on, so you play along hoping that they really don't? I'm sure my parents have some idea about the things Katie and I, uhm... get up to. But they've never confronted us and just trusted we knew what we were doing.

The rest of dinner went off without a hitch. We talked at length about school and my pending transfer to the Epicaste Institute for Higher Learning in the upcoming week. Apparently Epicaste was a very prestigious private College for students of varying talents (and wealthy parents). I had a feeling this was costing my parents a fortune, but they assured me it was well within their means. We live quite comfortably, and I know my dad makes big bucks doing "secret" stuff with the military and mom is a very successful high-end realtor, but I'm still humbled they would go through this expense for me. My dad assured me the school was well known for its progressive thinking and inclusivity. Not only did they employ people at the top of their fields as instructors, but they also assigned each student a counsellor knowledgeable in the areas that require special attention for each student. Even though my situation is quite rare, my dad assured me that they have people who have a wealth of knowledge and experience with similar cases like gender identity and transitioning. It would be nice to have someone I can have an open conversation with and have no fear of rejection or repercussions. To date that role was occupied by my parents and Katie. Apparently, degrees from this institution are highly regarded in the corporate world and they have all the same amenities and extracurriculars from debate club, to athletic teams and even an on campus pub.

"Maybe you could go back to playing volleyball Izzy." My dad suggested with a huge smile. Truth was, I was good, but too good (likely tied to my genetic mutation) to play through high school. I was so dominant people thought I was on steroids or something, so I quit as to not draw any unnecessary attention to myself. My parents encouraged me to return to some form of athletic play, but I was worried it might become a distraction.

"We'll see. I do miss the adrenaline rush." I conceded.

"So where is this school anyway? I've never even heard of it." Katie's face was uncharacteristically serious. I could tell the reality was starting to hit her. I looked at my dad, then my mother and they both gave a slight nod.

"It's in California." I barely whispered it knowing this was not going to go well.

"CALIFORNIA? Like the state? Cali... Jesus! That's like 10 million miles away!" I immediately put my hand on Katie's.

"It's not really that far Katie-bear."

"Ok... I know I wasn't the brightest student but last I looked California is like on the other side of the map from Virginia! Might as well be 10 million miles!" I could see the hurt on her face and my heart was taking a severe beating too. It was going to be hard being separated from her. We were like salt and vinegar, ketchup and fries, milk and cereal... we were ok alone, but perfect together. I could feel my eyes watering up. Sensing a real shift in the mood my dad spoke up.

"Katie... Marg and I know how important you are to Isabel. It's not lost on us the relationship you two have made and quite honestly, you've been a god send for our girl here. Now I know you got roots here and a budding career in that fitness studio, so you moving isn't in the cards. Especially since Isabel only has 2 more years to complete her schooling and lord knows where or what she's going to do then."

"Katie and I plan on always being together dad." I'm sure the statement wasn't really necessary as they knew how tight we were.

"So..." My dad continued, "Marg and I want you to know, that between the two of us we have more travel miles than we know what to do with, and we want to use them on you." We were both staring at him with these weepy eyes and confused faces, not really understanding what he was saying.

"I don't think your delivery was quite clear enough sweetheart." My mom interjected, "What we're saying is you can go visit Isabel anytime and it won't cost you a penny! You could probably fly there every weekend for two years honey. Plus, we will be bringing our girl home for any and all holidays, reading weeks... you name it. We know it's not quite the same, but at least we can knock down some of the temporary barriers."

Silence and shock. I'm sure we looked like a pair of blank faced goofballs. It took a few moments to sink in, but it did. "Mom... dad... I don't know what to say?"

"I do!" Screeched Katie as she jumped from her chair and first ran to my mom, squeezing her so hard she squeaked. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" was all she could say. My father stood up to walk towards me, but Katie saw the opening and ran into my dad, smushing herself into his chest. I went to my mom, and we embraced. I was trying not to cry as she shushed me and rocked back and forth. She whispered in my ear to look at my dad.

I started with a little giggle but soon it became an all out laugh as I looked at my dad's face. I'm not sure if he was in pain or not but he was sure shocked by the death grip hug he was getting from Katie. "I love you Mr. P! I love you and your family so much!" It was muffled but there was no misunderstanding her tears of happiness.

"We love you too Katie." My dad gently enclosed her in his patented world class hug. "You make our family complete and it's not just Isabel who thinks the world of you!" With some effort my mom and I shuffled over to the two of them and created the best family group hug ever!

The last week flew by faster than I wanted, as I found myself sitting in the backseat of my parents' Land Rover. Both Katie and I were staring out our respective windows afraid to start talking as we knew the tears would come hard and fast.

"So... Izzy, Mr. Gonzales will be your contact at the airport. I will text you his picture, so you know what he looks like. He'll be taking you to the campus and will introduce you to the head of admissions. Your mom and I got you a private room on campus in the north residence... uhm I think it's called North Oinkos, but don't quote me on that."

"That would be Oikos dear," My mom gently interjected.

"Thank you... as you know, you're on the complete meal plan which simply means that you have access to food anytime as long as the main cafeteria is open, and I think its hours are 5am to 1am. Is that right mother?" My mom confirmed with a head nod. "Tomorrow morning you'll be meeting with your counsellor, who just happens to be Mr. Gonzales's wife, and she'll establish your meeting intervals and explaining all the support tools available to you."

"Thanks dad." Was the best I could squeak out. While I was dreading the scene in the airport, there was a part of me that was excited about this new chapter in my life. Plus... I know Katie is going to take full advantage of her new frequent flyer status. We already have plans for her to come in 2 weeks, that should give me enough time to hit the ground running. I was already entering the year late.

"What do you know about this Mr. Gonzales dad?" This time it was my mom who took up the discussion.

"Mr. Gonzales, uhm I think his first name is Pietro. Anyway, Mr. Gonzales is the master dean of EIHL. He oversees pretty much everything from who gets admitted to who teaches there. He also chairs the co faculty/student complaints and discipline committees, so he's very plugged into what's happening on his campus. Both your father and I got a good feeling from him when we spoke. Sounds like a reasonable man who runs a tight ship."

"I don't know if you know the answer to this but is Katie allowed to stay with me when she visits or does she have to stay somewhere else." I hoped that didn't sound as desperate as it did in my head.

"Mr. and Mrs. Gonzales are very aware of how important Katie has been in your life and they support her visitations 100%... and yes she is allowed to stay with you." I looked from my dad over to Katie and we both had a soft smile on our face.

"Although you should be aware that they have a quiet rule that comes into effect every night at 11:30pm." My mom quipped with a touch of sarcasm. Our smiles slowly disappeared as I'm sure we both thought the same thing. Does she know?

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My flight had a quick stop at the Denver airport, and it was a good thing. The poor lady that had to sit beside me must've asked me 100 times if I was ok. My eyes and nose were so puffy and red from sniffling and crying. I got a soft pat on my shoulder as the nice lady left and I vowed to myself to pull it together. This will pass, I thought. There's so much to look forward to.

30 minutes later our additional flyers made their way on, and I was secretly hoping no one had the seat beside me. That thought was erased quickly as an elderly man was looking for his spot and sure enough, it was beside me. I gave him a soft smile as he took his seat and after a few minutes of settling in he turned his head towards me.

"Pardon me honey, but are you ok? It pains me to see a pretty young girl like you upset. Are you missing someone?" I don't know what it was about him, but I felt his genuine concern, and it touched me. Despite the numerous attempts by the nice lady earlier, I started to open up to him. I gave him a very short version of what has gone on in the last few weeks (the G version) and he was the perfect listener. When I went quiet, he patted my forearm and looked up to the controls above our head.

"That sounds like a pretty tough few weeks," He blew out some air. "You remind me of my eldest granddaughter. Beautiful and confident, just like her mother. She was so full of life, had everything going for her... and then life threw her a major curveball. Our whole family was devastated, and you know who kept everyone together? She did. She wasn't allowing her cancer to define her, and she wouldn't let anyone wallow in pity. When she was gone... well... it was tough. But you know what? All that she did and how she did it stayed with us. It's because of her I can look back at all her memories and smile."

I didn't know what to say. Suddenly my issues seemed so small. "I'm so sorry for your loss sir. She sounds like she was a truly amazing person."

"Randle." I looked at him with some confusion. "That's my name, Randle. Sir just makes me feel older than I am." He chuckled.

"Oh... Isabel. It's nice to meet you." As I put out my hand for a proper greeting." He took a good look at me, then down to my hand and gave me a warm handshake. I couldn't help but notice he had a tear coming down his cheek. "I'm so sorry if our conversation brought up some painful memories Randle."

He removed his hand from mine and wiped his tear away. "Do you believe in fate Isabel? I know that's a rather heavy question, but my granddaughter said she would always be with me and would let her presence known through special moments. Do you want to guess what her name was?" He closed his eyes and whispered, "...Isabel."

The rest of my flight flew by (no pun intended) as Randle and I talked up a storm about family, life, school, you name it. By the time we were deplaning in California, I felt a million times better. Shortly after we got our luggage, Randle leaned in and gave me a huge hug. (It reminded me so much of my dads!) "Remember my dear, life is a journey, not a destination. Embrace and enjoy all of it." We wished each other well and I watched him make his way through the gates to his wife who was waiting for him. I collected my stuff and made my way through the gliding doors. After a brief look about, I saw Mr. Gonzales to my left. He looked just like his picture, with a huge smile. He was a slight man, maybe 5'7", 140lbs max, but he was dressed sharp in his button-down shirt and tie, dress pants with the short leg to show off his socks and expensive shoes. He definitely had swagger for such a small guy.

"Ms. Piteranni, I assume?" He announced as he walked straight up to me. "Welcome to California!" he smiled and shook my hand. "I hope the flight was ok."

"It was long, but it was... good." Randle had truly turned this day around for me.

"Let me grab that big bag for you and follow me, your chariot awaits." He joked. It was a bit of a jaunt to his van, but we were soon loaded up and on our way. The ensuing conversation was light, as we chatted about a variety of things including the school and the weather, which was amazing by the way. It took us a little more than 50 minutes to find our way to the campus and I was blown away at first sight! Everything about this campus was jaw dropping. Palm trees... everywhere! The main road in passed by multiple parks and a beautiful building, which Mr. Gonzales identified as the West Oikos dorms. The school itself was a sight with a massive arch at the entrance. A modern building that spread out in every direction, with multiple floors and what I could only guess was a huge auditorium of some sort off to the right.

"So... what do you think Isabel?"

"This place is amazing! It makes my old College look like a throw back from the 80's!" I blurted.

Mr. Gonzales chuckled. "We have some very generous boosters, and our alumni are more than generous in helping us achieve what you see today. Make no mistakes Isabel, an Epicaste graduate is destined for great things." I was in no position to argue and just nodded my head. "Come inside and I'll take you to our head of admissions, and don't worry about your stuff, I'll have it delivered to your dorm room."

I've travelled with my parents quite a bit and, all be told, I felt like I was at a resort right now. I blindly followed Mr. G through the administrations lobby and just took in the whole setup. He led me to one of those moving sidewalks and we stepped on. I guess he could read my mind.

"I wish I could bottle the looks of first-time students." Mr. Gonzales chirped. "I suppose it's a lot to take in at first. Wait till you see the rest of our grounds. Football, soccer, baseball, tennis, track, we have all the outdoor amenities too."

I just kept nodding my head like that stupid dog bobblehead in the back window of a car. This place was unreal! I was again wondering how my parents could afford this!

No sooner did the moving sidewalk meet a carpet area and we stepped off and made a quick left. We got about halfway down the wide hall and turned to a door that said ADMISSIONS. Without so much as knock Mr. G opened the door and indicated for me to go first. Inside the large room was a couch, recliner, and tables. The walls were a collection of art and framed degrees. One wall was covered by a massive bookcase stuffed with binders and books, and off to the corner was large antique looking oak desk with an older blonde lady sitting behind it. She stood as we approached and flattened out the wrinkles in her pencil skirt.

"This must be Isabel Piteranni. So nice to finally meet you!" She reached her hand out across the desk, and she shook my hand. "Please have a seat on the couch dear and I'll make my way around this island of a desk."

"Isabel... I'll leave you in the very capable hands of Lisa. Things might be a little overwhelming at first but trust me it won't take you long to feel comfortable. With that I bid you ado... I'll be seeing you tomorrow." One final handshake and Mr. Gonzales spun on his heels and whistled his way out of the room and closed the door behind him. Lisa smiled as he left and made her way to sit on the end of the couch and turned towards me.

"Pietro found you ok at the airport Isabel?" "Lisa inquired.

"Oh yes. The whole process went off without a hitch. He seems... uhm, very organized." I searched for a complimentary word, as anal wouldn't have been a good choice.

"Yes, yes. Our Mr. Gonzales is always one step ahead and I swear he has a to do list posted on his to do lists. He's a very organized man! He's the main reason our Institute is so highly regarded. Although between you and me... he can be a little anal sometimes." Lisa's comment caught me off guard and for a second I was worried that I was thinking out loud, but her cute giggle assured me the comment was made for my amusement.