By Morpheus
This organizer page is for stories set in Morpheus's Burke's Virus (The Bug) Universe. This universe is an open universe and the rules can be found on his yahoo group.
The Burke's Virus: The Burke's Virus (aka The Bug) universe revolves around a strange virus that can cause human transformation and is considered nearly as common as the flu. It is not uncommon for a person to catch it again every year or so.
The virus is officially named the Burke's Biomorphic Virus after the scientist who discovered it, but is called Burke's for short and is also quite commonly known as The Bug.
A person infected with the virus will become ill from anywhere between several days to a little over a week. Symptoms include massive cramps, fever, chills, severe nausea, exhaustion and diarrhea or increased appetite depending upon whether the infectee is gaining or losing mass. It is not uncommon for an infected to have both diarrhea and increased appetite as their bodies crave extra energy for the change. A person infected with the virus will find their bodies changing to varying degrees while they are ill. The longer the period of illness, the more likely the more extreme the changes are likely to be.
The physical changes brought about by the virus can be quite varied and seem to be random. Most undergo minor changes, such as eye color, hair color, hair length, complexion and such. Less frequently are the mid level changes which include changing age by more than 2 years, height by more than 2 inches, ethnicity, or a general changing of body type. Extreme changes usually consist of multiple mid level changes, or of the body changing so drastically that they can no longer be recognized as themselves.
On extremely rare occasions, there are mutations in that the infected person develops traits which are abnormal. These people are referred to as Anomalies and include such things as mixed gender organs, organs or bodyparts of abnormal proportions (beachball sized breasts), or the development of vestigle or multiple limbs or body parts, such as multiple breasts or arms. Mutations such as this are so rare that there are probably no more than a dozen such cases in the United States.
There are a number of cases where a shift in sexual orientation is attributed to the virus, though many claim that there is no solid evidence and that the virus merely provides an excuse for previously repressed interests.
The virus is usually not lethal unless the infectee is already frail and unable to withstand the stress to their body, such as the old, infirm and extremely young. Most children under puberty seem to recover from the virus very fast and usually with only very minor alterations.
The origins of the virus are entirely unknown, though theories abound. When it first appeared, quarantines were set up to stop it's spread, though this did little good. Once people realized that there was nothing that could be done to stop it's spread, and enough people caught it and survived without harm, fear began to recede and people began to accept it as a part of life.
Most stories take place approximately 5 years or so after the virus appeared and after society has started to adapt. A number of social and legal changes have been adapted to deal with the changes brought about by the virus.
When someone changes ages, they are legally considered to be their true age, not the physical age of their body. A 25 year old man who is transformed into the body of a child would still be considered an adult while a 15 year old in a body that is physically 35 would still be considered a minor.
The system has adapted to quick changes of identification after a person changes. Affidavits of witnesses to the change and a series of questions often help to prove a person's real identity faster. While performing ID updates after a change, a person can register an Alter Name, an alternate name or quick first name change which allows them to use this new first name on all legal records and ID. This is usually reserved for people with gender shifts.
There are anti-discrimination laws to prevent people from being fired after they are changed by the virus unless they are physically incapable of doing their job...though this isn't always strictly followed. Nonfault divorces for those changed by the virus and no longer compatible are easy to get.
Story Examples: A Plague of Changes, A Touch of the Bug, After the Bug, Invisible No More.
In the not too distant future, a strange virus has spread throughout the world, changing those infected.
A Burke's Virus Story
Chaos exploded around me and the horrendous noise rolled over me like thunder, threatening to deafen me from the raw force of it. Everywhere I looked, there were wild and ferocious creatures that could end my life... or worse. I shuddered slightly as I looked around the complete madhouse that I was trapped within. The zoo known as high school.
I took another look around and shook my head, glancing back to the drivers ed pamphlet in my hands. I was filled with anticipation, barely able to wait until I was eligible to attend, just so that I could get my license. Unfortunately though, I still had several months to wait before I was the required 15 and a half.
"And ten more minutes before school starts," I reminded himself, slowly moving towards first period.
Just then, I noticed someone familiar walking towards me. He was about my height, with shaggy brown hair and wearing a pair of glasses. A faint smile decorated his face.
"Yo, Dylan," he called out to me.
"Hey Kyle," I nodded towards him, "What's up?"
Kyle just grinned with an excited look in his eyes. "Not much." Then he chuckled before adding with an even bigger grin, "But Sherry caught the Bug."
"The Bug?" I repeated stupidly, staring at him and not sure whether to laugh or feel sorry for Sherry.
Sherry was Kyle's older sister, only by one year but she used that slight age difference to lord it over him. She was one of those gorgeous girls that always seemed to have everything going for them and all the guys lined up. And though I wouldn't admit it to Kyle, I had a bit of a hard on for her myself.
"Yep," Kyle nodded enthusiastically, "But we just found out this morning so we don't know how bad yet."
I nodded again, frowning as I thought about Sherry with the Bug. Or at least that was what we sometimes called it. The technical name was Burke's Biomorphic Virus, though people called it a variety of things, usually being Burke's Bug, the Bug or just simply Burke's. No matter what it was called though, the Bug was still the same.
For a moment I was lost in thought, thinking about the Bug. About how it had suddenly changed everything. It was about 5 years earlier that the first cases of the Bug suddenly appeared. No one knew for sure where it came from, or at least admitted it publicly, though there was no limit on the number of theories available.
A lot of people thought that Burke's was some government or corporate genetics project that had gotten loose, either by accident or on purpose. Though which government was yet another question surrounded by theories. Others thought that it came from space, or was a mutation from some already existing virus. There were even some who swore that it was the work of God... or the devil.
I vaguely remembered the time when the Bug first showed up myself, but I knew that when the first cases were discovered, people were in a panic. Quarantines were declared and the infected were locked away. However, within a short time it was realized that none of that did any good. It was already too late and the Bug had spread around the world.
Then, after the initial panic, people had calmed down. Especially once many of them or people that they knew had caught it... and survived. In fact, there were very few fatalities from the Bug and it had almost become commonplace in the years since. Sort of like the chicken pox or the flu.
No one had ever seen anything like the Bug before, but what was most amazing was what it did to those who caught it. It changed them. It changed them in ways that science still had a hard time trying to explain. The effects varied from person to person, sometimes being very mild but sometimes being rather... extreme as well.
Burke's Biomoprhic Virus caused people's bodies to change in unpredictable ways. Sometimes it would make their hair just grow longer, or change it to a different color. Other times the Bug would change a person so completely that they wouldn't even recognize themselves. They've look like someone else entirely.
I couldn't help but wondering what effects the Bug would have on Shelly. However, with her luck, I suspected that she'd just have her tits grow a cup size or something. As for me, I had caught it a year earlier, though it only caused my previously brown eyes to turn green.
Shaking my head, I turned to Kyle. "We'd better get to going or we'll be late."
"Sure thing," Kyle agreed, obviously still thinking about his sister. Probably hoping that she'd get something a little less pleasant. Maybe turning fat like one of his neighbors had.
A minute later, Kyle and I stepped into the first period class that we shared and made our way towards our seats. As I sat down, I looked around at the other students, unable to help but look at Keisha in the back corner.
Keisha Green was a strange sight in our classroom, and an awesome looking one. She was a gorgeous blonde with huge tits, looking as if she was 25 or so. However, I could scarcely believe that she was the same girl that was in our class the year before. Before she caught the Bug over summer vacation. Before that... she had just been a chubby black girl, the same age as the rest of us.
"Ya know she works at Hooters," Kyle whispered to me when he noticed where I was looking.
I nodded and looked away, having heard that rumor as well. Not to mention the one where she had a part time job at a strip club. Still, I didn't know if there actually was anything to that but rumors, though they were certainly believable ones. Then again, I remembered that she did seem pretty self conscious about herself, realizing at the same time how hard it had to be dealing with her family.
A minute later, class started, though I couldn't really pay attention as I kept thinking about the Bug. I normally didn't think about it anymore than anyone else, but at the moment I couldn't help it. It was like one of those annoying songs that wouldn't get out of my head.
Glancing around at the other students, I mentally pointed out the changes that I knew about, though they weren't the only ones. Jason used to have brown hair, now he had red. Kelly had grown 3 inches after her bout and Charlie... Charlie looked like an almost completely different boy.
I knew that well over 50% of the kids in class had caught the Bug at one time or another. A few had even caught it several times, which wasn't very uncommon. And whatever happened after catching the bug again rarely seemed to have anything to do with what had happened the first time a person caught it.
When class was finally over, I said a quick "See ya dude," to Kyle and rushed to my next class, smiling faintly in anticipation.
My second period math was taught by Mr. Lewis. Though I couldn't help but thinking 'Ms. Lewis'... if that. He... or was that she, had caught the Bug several years ago and now looked like a 7 year old girl. Really cute too, but hard to take seriously as a teacher. However, the newer anti-discrimination laws made sure that he couldn't be fired because of his reaction to the virus, at least not as long as he was still capable of doing the job. And of course, I knew that there was always a chance that he'd catch it again and get turned back into an adult. Not a great one though.
The rest of the day passed pretty much as normal, until lunch that was. Kyle and I were sitting at one of the tables, talking while we ate. Another one of my friends, Mark was sitting next to us as well. He was one of those chubby guys with bad acne who always went on about the latest movies, though he was a pretty good friend. At least when I could get a word in edgewise.
"And so this Romulan goes and gets vaporized...." Mark went on, still talking about Star Trek 14. Just as he had been for the whole lunch period, though I'd tuned him out after the first ten minutes.
"Yeah, cool," I nodded, just to keep Mark happy. Kyle grinned at me, reminding me how he always joked that I was practicing to be married when I did that.
"So," Kyle started, "Did you see that sub in history?" He gave an exaggerated shutter, "She musta been around back when school was invented." I smiled at that, though she hadn't looked that old.
Mark broke off from his talk about movies and looked at us. "I heard that he was out sick." He obviously meant Mr. Anderson, our normal history teacher. Then Mark added, "With Burke's."
Kyle and I looked each other at that and shook our heads. I silently hoped that he'd be alright, but I was sure that Kyle hoped he'd turn into a midget or something.
Suddenly I heard a girl shouting from a short distance behind me, "Get outta my way dickweed."
I snapped around and groaned at the sight of Kimberly Jennes shoving some skinny boy that I didn't recognize out of her way, and not using much effort. Kimberly was my height, maybe just a little taller. She had slightly long brown hair that was a little stringy looking, however what immediately drew everyone's attention to her was her shear bulk.
Kimberly had been something of an outcast, tall, skinny and often picked on. At least until she caught the Bug a couple months earlier and suddenly packed on nearly 60 pounds of pure muscle. She'd almost immediately started making up for her frustrations by not only beating the shit out of nearly everyone that she'd ever even imagined had picked on her, but anyone else that got in her way as well.
As soon as the guy on the ground got up and quickly left, Kimberly laughed loudly. Then she looked around with a smug expression, almost as if daring anyone to pick a fight with her. Not that many in the school would, not even most of the guys on the football team.
"What are you looking at pip-squeak?" Kimberly demanded, glaring at Kyle. Then once he looked away, she muttered, "I thought not," turning and leaving.
"Man that was close," Mark whispered. "I thought she was gonna clobber your ass."
I smiled faintly, watching Kyle with amusement, "Maybe you shouldn't have turned her down for a date last year."
"Shut up!" Kyle grumbled, staring back at his food, obviously not wanting to talk about it.
I just chuckled again, though I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Kyle. But with a shrug, I went back to my own lunch, deciding that I could give Kyle some more shit later. At the moment, I was still a bit hungry.
After school, I went home and found my Mom in the kitchen, finishing up dinner. Just as she was nearly every day, though she complained about it all the time. But I didn't have much sympathy for her, nor did Dad. After all, being home to do that kind of stuff was one of the prices she paid for being able to work at home from her computer. I just wished that I could do that wish school sometimes.
"Howdy," I called out in my customary greeting.
"How was school?" Mom called back, just as she did every day.
I shrugged as I sat down on one of the dining table chairs, "Not bad." Again, it was part of our everyday exchange after school. Then I added, "Kyle says that his sister has the Bug."
Mom sighed, looking sympathetic. "I hope she gets better soon." However, I knew what she really meant. What almost everyone meant when they said that about the Bug. That she hoped the changes weren't too bad.
For a moment, I just stood there and watched my Mom work. She was a somewhat tall blonde and rather pretty I guessed, though I certainly was no judge. After all, she was my Mom.
Then, I got up, grabbed a cookie out of the cookie jar, ignored the glare my Mom gave me and started up the stairs towards my bedroom. I finished my cookie then decided to take a quick pit stop and drain my bladder.
"Ah," I sighed when I'd finished relieving myself, "that felt good."
After I'd finished washing my hands, I looked up into the mirror and smiled. I might not have been a hunk or anything, but I certainly wasn't ugly either. I had blonde hair, combed back a bit and a faint scar on my forehead from a childhood accident on the monkey bars.
A moment later, I was back in the hallway, heading to my room to surf the Internet a bit before dinner. I paused just outside of a door in the hall that was covered with various stickers and signs, mostly saying 'keep out', 'go away', 'no girls allowed', and other similar things.
Sticking my head through the door, I exclaimed, "Hey twerp."
My brother Elliot turned and glared at me, making me chuckle. Elliot was 10, and a real pain in my ass at times, though I certainly returned the favor. After all, isn't this my sworn duty as his big brother? I certainly thought so.
"Mom wants you to take out the garbage," I lied to Elliot, quickly closing the door and continuing to my room. I didn't know if he'd do it or not, but I suspected that he'd probably at least go and ask.
A short while later, I was sitting at the dinner table with the rest of my family. Elliot was glaring at me, apparently having taken the garbage out before he'd thought to ask. That just made me smile. Mom was putting the last bowl of food on the table while Dad sat there, licking his lips and saying how good it all looked.
Dad was about 40, though looked a few years older. His hair was still pretty dark, though it was speckled pretty badly with gray. Especially around his temples. I glanced at his smooth shaven cheeks and tried not to chuckle as I thought about it. He used to have a nice beard... until he caught the Bug around the same time I had... and it all turned red. It had almost immediately been shaven off since it didn't match the rest of his hair, and now red hair was the only color that he grew on his face.
"Looks great honey," Dad told Mom, bending over and sniffing at the fried chicken.
Elliot just glared at the vegetables. "I don't like carrots," he whined. For once I agreed with him.
A moment later, Dad was going off one of his lectures about how there were millions of starving people in Mexico that would be glad for his carrots, or something like that. I just did the same thing that I did with Mark and tuned him out. Maybe it would be good practice for whenever I got married.
For some reason, I didn't really feel as hungry during dinner as I usually did, and by the time that I was done eating, I was actually beginning to feel a little sick. Sort of nauseous and tired with a slight headache beginning to form, but I just shrugged it off and went back to my room.
The next morning, I weakly sat up at the sound of my alarm, hating it more than I'd ever hated anything. Still, I was barely able to turn it off and sit up the rest of the way, looking around my room miserably.
"Not now," I grumbled, shaking slightly.
My whole body ached and I felt extremely weak and tired, even though I'd gone to bed an hour early the night before. I coughed as I looked around, feeling nauseous and wondering for a moment if I'd even be able to make it to the bathroom.
I cursed, "Damn flu," managing to stand up and stumble towards the doorway.
After pausing for a moment to lean against the doorframe and catch my balance, I went out into the hall, letting out a faint sigh of relief when I saw my Mom at the other end.
"Mom..." I called out weakly. As soon as she turned towards me, I told her, "I think I'm sick."
Her eyes went wide slightly and her expression turned to one of concern. "Oh Dylan, you sure don't look very good." A moment later, she was standing beside me with her hand on my forehead. "You've got a fever."
I nodded miserably then gave a forced smile. "I guess I don't have to go to school today."
She snorted, then joked back, "The things you do to avoid those tests." Then she added, "Now get back to bed and rest."
Nodding again, I did just that, after a brief stop at the bathroom to relieve myself.
Sometime later, my Mom came in to check on me, smiling but still looking a little worried. "How are you feeling?" she asked me gently, once again putting her hand on my forehead.
"Like shit," I complained, "I feel sort of like I'm gonna puke and I hurt all over."
Mom looked a little more concerned as she looked carefully at me. "I... I don't think that you have the flu," she told me. Then she added in a worried tone, "I think that you might have Burke's again."
My eyes went wide at that. "Burke's?" I grimaced, suddenly remembering that I had felt a lot like I did at the moment the last time I got the Bug. Then I couldn't help but feel worried, quickly followed by thinking how unfair it was. If it was the Bug, it would be my second time with it while neither Mom or Elliot had ever had it. "I hope not," I told her, starting to get worried. There was no telling what would happen with the Bug.
After Mom left to call the doctor, I just sat in bed, staring at a talk show on TV and tried not to think about the Bug or how sick I felt. It certainly wasn't easy though, especially when an hour later I started to feel the tingling. The tingling throughout my whole body that verified my having the Bug.
I muttered, "Just fucking great," before pulling my blankets over my head and trying to get to sleep. It didn't take long before I was out again.
For the rest of the day I drifted in and out of sleep. The times I was awake, I refused to look at myself, knowing that it was probably too early to see any changes... if there actually were any, but I could almost swear that I could feel my skin moving around on me.
Mom brought food in for me a couple times, always looking pretty worried. Still, she did somehow manage to make me feel better. Especially after Elliot was out of school and she chased him away, keeping him from even going into my room.
It wasn't until around dinnertime that I finally took a good look at myself. I was sitting on the toilet taking a shit and couldn't help but notice that my body had started to change. I just sat there and stared down at myself with a sinking feeling, not sure what that damn Bug was doing to me but knowing that I wasn't going to get off as easily as I did the last time.
"Shit!" I spat out, not even laughing since that was exactly what I had been doing. "Not good." I gulped nervously. "Not good at all."
I took a deep breath and slowly ran my hand over my legs, noticing that they were now completely hairless, as were my arms. For a minute I just sat there, trying to look at myself while I was still sitting.
"Fucking Burke," I cursed, wishing a thousand horrors on the scientist who'd first studied and named the Bug. I knew that he hadn't made it or anything, but it still made me feel better, though not much.
Finishing with my dump, I got back up, having to hold myself steady against the counter. My muscles were all hurting like hell and my sense of balance was totally off. All part and parcel of the Bug's normal symptoms. And to make matters worse, my balls were sort of a strange mix of hurting and feeling numb. Even my nipples felt really sore, as did the rest of my chest.
"Let's see..." I sighed, looking down at myself and trying to point out all of the differences that had already started.
There was the hair of course, and I thought that my stomach looked a little thinner, though I wasn't sure. That could have just been since I hadn't eaten any real food all day long too. My arms and legs looked a little thinner as well, but again, that could have been just because the normal layer of hair was gone.
I gulped, tearing my eyes away from myself, deciding that I didn't want to know. Thoughts of the worst case scenario kept running through my mind, making me even more afraid than I already was. However, I was too tired at the moment to get as worked up as I would have otherwise.
"Damn Bug," I exclaimed with a yawn, just before heading back to the comfort of my bed.
Several hours later, I was still in bed, staring bleary eyed at the TV and sipping at the orange juice that my Mom had brought me. I'd been staring at the TV, not really paying much attention to what was on it though for some time, feeling pretty out of it.
I pulled my blankets tighter over me, shuddering slightly at the waves of tingling and numbness that had continued to move over my body. Who knew what was happening to me at the moment? I still didn't and had refused to look underneath the blanket ever since I'd climbed back in.
"Honey," my Mom called out gently, sticking her head through the door. She smiled at me though still looked a bit worried. "Are you doing all right?"
Snorting, I responded, "Yeah, just great." There was no way that she could have missed the sarcasm that practically dripped from my voice, though she showed no signs of noticing.
"That's good," Mom answered, coming the rest of the way inside. Then I noticed the cordless phone in her hand. "Kyle's on the phone for you."
I just groaned at that, pulling my covers even tighter around me. "I don't wanna talk to him," I grumbled, suddenly feeling embarrassed. I didn't want Kyle to know that I had the Bug again, especially after the way we'd both joked about Shelly having it.
Mom frowned but nodded. "I'm afraid that he's asleep right now," she said into the phone, giving me a wink. "He's still pretty drained from being sick. All right, I'll let him know that you called."
When Mom hung up, I groaned, "You told him I had the Bug?"
"No," she chuckled, "I just told him that you were sick."
Then, just as she was leaving, I weakly called out, "Thanks." A moment later, she was gone, leaving just me and the Bug.
Shrugging, I turned back to the TV, getting into it a little more this time, though not much. I just sat there for several minutes, muttering, "Damn Bug," every once in awhile.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. My imagination had gotten the best of me, nearly giving me nightmares just at the thought of what could be happening to me. The Bug changed people all the time and I knew that it wasn't too strange, at least not anymore, but I still felt afraid. I couldn't help but chuckling slightly at that since I'd gone through the Bug once before and came out all right. But still, I had to know.
With a grunt, I forced myself out of bed, wincing at my sore muscles and horribly aching body. Then I just sat there for a moment, trying to fight back the dizziness that had hit me from the sudden movement.
"How bad is it?" I asked quietly, looking down at myself hesitantly.
For a moment I just stared with a sinking feeling. My body definitely looked a little thinner, though that wasn't what really had my attention. My nuts were still a bit tender and partly numb, not to mention sort of flabby. Almost like they were empty and it was just skin hanging there. My dick was pulled back and small, almost looking like it belonged on a little kid.
"Shit," I whispered weakly.
Then I moved up and gently touched my nipples. They were bigger than normal... and very tender. It hurt a bit just to touch them. And as I gently started rubbing at what felt sort of like bruises on my chest around my nipples, I was surprised to find that they were... soft. And puffy.
"What the...?" I started, blinking several times and still feeling rather dazed.
I touched them again, paying just a little closer attention. There was no doubt that my chest was swollen on both sides, just around my nipples. Swollen more than just a tiny bit as well, making me gulp uncomfortably.
"What's the damn Bug doing to me?" I demanded weakly, pausing with a loud yawn.
For a moment I just sat there staring, then finally got up and went to relieve myself in the bathroom again. I returned just a short while later, asking myself what was happening to me. Trying to figure out just how the Bug was changing me. However, in the back of my mind I knew. Or suspected at the very least, even if I wouldn't admit it to myself. And the moment I was back in my bed, exhaustion finally overcame me completely and I was out for the night.
The weather was nice and sunny, with the bright sunlight shining right on me through the window. However, I made no move to go look outside. Instead, I just sat on the corner of my bed as I had for the last fifteen minutes, ever since waking up, staring down at myself in an almost numb silence.
"Shit," I whispered finally, blinking several times.
The Bug had done more of it's work during the night while I'd slept, making me shudder slightly at the sight. It seemed that my suspicions of the night before had been proven correct, or at least a hell of a lot more likely since I knew that the Bug wasn't finished with me. The aches and tingling told me as much.
"Shit," I repeated again.
My hands slowly moved over my changed...and still changing body. Much of the work had already been done, if not most. I still wasn't sure about that as I had no picture of what my final changes would entail. Instead, I could only go by what I saw at that moment.
The changes were definitely noticeable, making my whole body look different than normal. Not only was my skin smoother and softer, but I couldn't help noticing that my hips seemed wider. That my ass seemed a bit bigger too. Hair tickled at my shoulders and my hands seemed just a bit thinner, a bit... daintier.
However, the most noticeable changes were probably the most important. There was no longer any sign at all of my balls. They were gone entirely, while my dick was so small as to be laughable on a toddler. And further up on my body, my nipples were definitely larger than before, and darker. But underneath them, my chest pushed out on both sides, swelling into two round globes. And though they weren't too big yet, there was absolutely no doubt at all that they were tits. I had boobs.
With a grimace, I stood up, feeling rather odd, and unbalanced. I wasn't sure how much of the problem with my balance was from the Bug messing it up and how much was from my body parts being changed on me.
Cursing silently to myself, I threw on a large T-shirt and a pair of shorts, then slowly started towards the door, promising that if I ever met whoever made the damn virus, I was really going to make them suffer. A lot.
Going to the bathroom was a bit of a pain since I quickly discovered that I couldn't really aim my dick anymore. So instead, I had to sit down and piss like a girl. And as I did so, I couldn't help but think that it wasn't going to be the last time. Not by a long shot. That really didn't make me feel any better.
A minute later, I was downstairs, standing just outside the door to the den. I could already see my Mom inside, her back to me as she did her work on the computer. There was even the rapid clicking as her fingers shot across the keyboard, making an almost soothing sound.
With a nervous gulp, I knocked on the door, afraid of her reaction when she saw me, afraid of my own reaction, and incredibly embarrassed. I knew that there was nothing that I could do about how the Bug changed me, but that didn't really make me feel any better. Nor did the fact that it happened to people all the time.
Just as my Mom started to turn around, I gulped, "Um... morning." My voice cracked a little though it sound a lot more like a girls. Far too much so for my comfort.
"Dylan?" she nearly gasped when she saw me standing there. "Oh honey..." The sympathy and concern were obvious in her voice.
I blushed in embarrassment, unable to make myself look her in the eyes. "I... I guess I know what the Bug's doing to me." I looked up quickly and gave a forced smile.
"Oh honey," Mom said, hurrying to me and looking me over closely, much to my discomfort. "I'm so sorry," she told me gently. "But at the moment, you're still sick and need your rest. Now march back upstairs and get back into your bed."
"All right," I agreed weakly, fighting back against another wave of dizziness.
She looked worried as she watched me, adding, "I'll be up there with your brunch in just a little while."
Nodding again, I turned around and started back towards the stairs, staggering a little as my exhaustion started up again. Then without a word, my Mom grabbed my arm in support and started up with me.
For most of the day, I took turns between watching TV, napping and occasionally peaking at myself under my blankets to see how much I had continued to change. It wasn't very comforting, though I was beginning to feel more curiosity and an almost calm acceptance. Perhaps it was because the Bug happened to so many people, or more likely, I was just too tired to keep feeling afraid. But either way, I just wished it would hurry the hell up and get over with. I was tired of waiting, not to mention lying in bed being sick.
At one point, I had my blankets folded awake, revealing my changed body so that I could stare at it. It certainly didn't look like mine, nor did it feel like mine. Of course there were still the aches, tingles and slight patches of numbness as well. However, there was no doubting that it had definitely changed.
While I had been in bed, my new boobs had gotten a little bit bigger, or at least I thought they had. It was kind of hard to tell for certain since I didn't have any way to measure them. And at the same time, my dick was just about entirely gone. All that was left in my crotch was a bit of a mound that was forming, with a slight nub of what had been my cock sticking out. However, other than that, my whole body looked just like a girls.
Suddenly my bedroom door flew open, catching me totally by surprise. I barely managed to grab and my blankets and pull them back over me, cringing in embarrassment at being caught like that. I already knew that it wasn't my Mom since she usually gave a faint knock before coming in. A second later, I knew that I was right.
"Dylan?" Elliot gasped, standing in the doorway and staring at me as if I'd grown a pair of horns or something. Then he came running up at me while I quickly pulled my blankets over my head. "Let me see."
"Go away," I growled.
"You sound like a girl," Elliot laughed. "I wanna see." He started tugging at my blankets, managing to pull them far enough back to see my head.
"GET LOST!" I screamed, swatting at him with my hand, though it did little good as weak as I was. I couldn't even move fast enough to hit him. Then, I let out another scream, "MOM!"
A moment later, Mom burst through the door with an annoyed look on her face. She took one look and knew what was going on. "Get your butt out of here," she snapped at Elliot, giving him a quick swat on his ass as she pushed him out the door. "Leave Dylan alone."
"Thanks," I mumbled, feeling embarrassed that I'd actually had to have my Mom protect me from my little brother. How could it possibly get any worse?
She smiled sadly, "I know it's hard," she told me gently, "but you'll get used it." I just snorted. After all, how could she possibly know. She'd never had the Bug before.
Then Mom said, "Your Dad called a few minutes ago, wanting to know how you're doing." She bent over and set one of her hands on my cheek, "He's pretty worried about you."
"Yeah," I grimaced, grabbing at one of my breasts beneath the blanket, "I am too." I said the last with a bit of a smirk.
"I hope you feel better soon," she told me in a soothing voice, just as she started moving towards the door again. "We all do." And with a faint smile, she added, "Even Elliot." I snorted at that.
Then she was gone, closing the door behind her. I could vaguely hear her through the door, ordering Elliot to keep away from my room, making me smile just a little. I just shook my head, or at least started too before the dizziness hit me again. And with a sigh, I pulled back the blankets again and took another long look at myself.
It was about two hours since Elliot's intrusion and I was still in bed, staring at TV and occasionally glancing at my body. By this time, I was almost beginning to feel numb to it all. Almost. But at least the aching pains and sickness had started to fade. It was almost over.
I was just stretching my body, uncomfortable from the long time in bed when I heard my Mom call out from the hallway, "Dylan, Kyle is here to see you."
I immediately choked at that, knowing that my eyes shot wide and my face had turned red. "NO!" I screamed back, but my bedroom door was already starting to open.
Horrified that Kyle would see me, I ducked under my blankets into the fetal position and pulled them tightly around me.
"Dylan?" Kyle's voice asked hesitantly from a short distance away, "Come on Dylan, I know you're sick but..."
"Go away!" I shouted, trembling slightly, "I don't want to see you."
"What are you talking about?" Kyle demanded, sounding a little hurt. "What's wrong?"
I just repeated, "Go away!"
Suddenly the blankets around me were torn away and I looked up in horror, seeing Kyle standing there with them in his hands...and a shocked expression on his face.
"Dude..." Kyle gasped in confusion, "You're a chick."
With a snarl, I yanked my blankets back and covered myself, glaring at Kyle furiously, trying to hide my humiliation at having been seen like that. Naked... and as a girl.
"Really?" I spat sarcastically, "I hadn't noticed."
Kyle stepped back, looking completely stunned. "You've got the Bug..."
I snorted, climbing out of bed but keeping one of my blankets wrapped around me, "Duh."
Slapping his forehead, Kyle grimaced. "I shoulda guessed. A whole bunch of people around school have it right now." He looked down, obviously embarrassed. "Sorry, Dude." With that, he stepped back again, quickly shifting between staring at the ground, staring at me, and staring at the ground again.
"Dylan?" my Mom asked, peaking inside. She gave me a sympathetic look then turned her attention to Kyle. "Why don't you come out here for a few minutes so that Dylan can get dressed."
Kyle nodded, looking uncomfortable, "Sure."
As soon as Kyle was out of the room, my Mom gave me an apologetic look. "You would have had to tell him sooner or later, and he was worried about you."
I nodded, barely able to look at her. I shivered slightly, still not liking the idea of my best friend seeing me like that. Still, Mom was right. I would have had to tell him sooner or later, though I would have preferred later.
"This time," she told me with a faint smile, "put something a little thicker on than the T-shirt you were wearing earlier, all right." I nodded, feeling embarrassed again.
Several minutes later, I was wearing a pair of sweat pant's that didn't fit me quite as well as they had just several days earlier, and a thick sweat shirt. However, the shapes of my new tits were still somewhat visible through the shirt, though it certainly hid them better than a T-shirt would.
"Alright," I said, stepping out of my room and looking at Kyle in embarrassment, "here I am."
Kyle just stared at me for a moment, his eyes wide and his mouth almost hanging open. "Sorry dude," he squeaked, "It's just weird seeing you like this."
"And how do you think I feel?" I snorted, gesturing down at myself. It was only then that I noticed that Kyle was staring at my chest, making even more uncomfortable. "Do you mind?"
"Sorry," Kyle gulped, embarrassed at either staring at his best friend or being caught, probably both.
A short while later, Kyle and I were sitting in my room and talking. It was a lot easier for me to remain sitting as my body still ached a little, just not as much as it had earlier in the day.
"...and then Kimberly got suspended," Kyle finished telling me about how Kimberly had finally pushed one of her former bullies too hard.
I just nodded, "Cool." I even smiled faintly as I thought about Kimberly getting suspended, though I couldn't help but feeling sorry for the girl whose arm she had broken.
Finally, after several more minutes of talking about what I'd missed at school, Kyle nervously asked, "What's it like?"
For a moment I just stared into space thoughtfully, finally answering, "Strange." I took a deep breath, well aware of the weight on my chest and the new emptiness between my legs. "I'm not really sure," I told Kyle, "I mean, I've mostly been feeling sick and all."
Kyle's response was a quiet, "Oh."
"To be honest," I admitted with some embarrassment, "I'm a bit... weirded out. I mean, what the hell am I going to do looking like a girl?"
Looking sympathetic, Kyle nervously put his hand on my shoulder, "Don't worry man... er... well, you'll figure it out. I mean, Burke's hits people all the time. It's not like you're some kind of freak or anything."
I paused at that and looked at Kyle, suddenly remembering some of those reports I'd seen on TV. It was extremely rare, but sometimes the Bug had done some really weird things to people. Like making some woman grow an extra tit on her chest so that she had 3, or making a guy grow an extra set of arms from his shoulders. I'd even heard that one woman had grown some sort of tail. However, I'd never seen any of that stuff myself, and I'd seen a lot of people who'd had the Bug.
"Yeah," I agreed, shaking slightly, "I just got turned into a chick." I snorted while Kyle chuckled weakly.
Kyle and I talked for a little longer, though both of us were somewhat uncomfortable. Still, we'd been friends since elementary and that wasn't going to change just because of the Bug. After all, for all we knew, I could catch it again in a couple months and end up as a guy again. Finally though, we said goodbye and Kyle left.
Once Kyle was gone, I went to the living room, noticing that my Dad was home and talking to my Mom.
"Apparently there's been an outbreak of Burke's Virus at Dylan's school," my Mom told my Dad.
Dad just nodded thoughtfully, "Hope it doesn't get too bad."
Then they both noticed me and turned, with Dad's eyes going wide for a moment. "Oh my," he muttered, "your mother told me what to expect, but still..."
I stared at the ground, knowing that I was blushing, "Um...yeah."
A moment later, Dad had come closer and was staring at me, his eyes slowly moving over every inch of my body, making me feel even more self conscious than before, if that was possible. Then he shook his head and said, "Still hard to believe that a damn cold could do something like this."
My Mom coughed at that and gave my Dad a strange look. Dad nodded, then left the room so that it was just me and Mom.
"Are you all right honey?" she asked me gently. "I know that it must have been strange seeing Kyle like that."
I nodded, "Yeah, really strange." I gulped, then admitted in embarrassment, "But he kept staring at my...chest."
Mom chuckled a little, "Boys do that. I'm afraid that you'll just have to get used to it." I just groaned at that.
Then, I continued talking to my Mom for another few minutes, feeling rather uncomfortable though she tried to put me at ease, or at least to convince me that it wouldn't be so bad being a girl. I wasn't sure that I believed her, though I didn't bother arguing. After all, I didn't seem to have much of a choice in the matter.
Once we were done talking, I ate a quick but small dinner, not quite having my full appetite back, then I went back to my bed, still thinking about my talk with Kyle. I just hoped that I wouldn't feel as embarrassed seeing the rest of my friends as I was seeing Kyle, though I didn't have much hope of that.
I woke up late the next morning, feeling a whole lot better. There were a few minor aches, but they were pretty small and I wasn't even sure if they were really there or just my mind playing tricks on me. Apparently I'd finally gotten over the damn Bug, but I still had it's after effects to deal with.
"Just stinking great," I grumbled, climbing out of my bed and stretching. It felt good to do so, but strange since my body had changed so much. "Just great."
For a moment, I just stood there, looking down at myself and frowning. I could feel the weight of my tits hanging off my chest, distracting me with their presence. It had made it a little tough getting to sleep the night before, but I was exhausted enough that it didn't stop me for too long. Then, I looked down, staring at the space between my legs. There was no longer any doubt that it was entirely female down there.
"I've got a cunt," I whispered.
I'd never seen one other than in a magazine Kyle had hidden under his mattress, but there was no doubt whatsoever as to what it was. How could there possibly be considering the way the rest of my body looked.
"Fucking Bug," I growled, taking a deep breath and staring towards the bathroom.
Once I was in the bathroom, I gulped then looked into the mirror, staring at my reflection for the first time since my changes had really gotten underway. My eyes went wide at the sight though it was somewhat like what I'd expected, though not completely.
I gasped out, "Oh shit," in my new feminine voice, the same one that I'd been using since sometime the day before.
My face was still my face... sort of. Well, at least a little bit, though a whole lot more feminine. It was definitely a girl's face, that much was sure. It was soft and pretty, with lips that were a little fuller than they used to be. My eyes, once brown, now seemed an even brighter green than before my second bout of the Bug, and perhaps just a little bit bigger. My face was... pretty. Not gorgeous like a super model or anything, but very pretty.
Then I reached back and gently tugged on my hair. Just a few days ago it was short, but now... now it was just past my shoulders, though still blonde, even if a shade lighter than before and a whole lot softer. It actually felt sort of nice between my fingers.
"Just great," I complained, "Now I've got to go and get another haircut." I snorted, knowing that it was the least of my worries but at least complaining made me feel a little better.
My tits felt huge on me, but when I looked at them in the mirror, I had to admit that they weren't. They looked like they were about the right size for my curvier body, though I had no clue as to what kind of cup size I wore.
My skin was all soft and smooth, almost all hairless as well. Every bit of my body looked different, not a single bit having been missed by the Bug. Even my hands had changed. My fingers were thinner and a little more delicate looking. My nails had even grown out a little as well, though how the Bug had known to do that or make my hair grow, I didn't have the slightest idea.
I stood there, staring at my reflection for a minute, realizing as I did so that I looked like I could have been a senior. I could easily pass for being 17 or so. I didn't know if that was because girls were supposed to mature faster or if I actually had aged a couple years during my change. Either way, I knew that it wouldn't be too odd since there were a number of girls in my grade that looked like they could be that age, and that was without the Bug.
Finally, I turned away from the mirror, feeling a bit uncomfortable with what I'd seen. I couldn't imagine seeing that reflection in the mirror every morning for the rest of my life, though I knew that I probably would. Or as my Mom would tell me, I'd just have to get used to it. Along with a million other things.
A minute later, I was doing one of those million things, sitting down to take a piss. It felt a little different coming out and splashed into the toilet differently, but it was the same relief. After wiping myself dry with a wad of toilet paper, I turned towards the bathtub with a faint smile, realizing that I had to be filthy after a couple days without a bath.
It wasn't much longer before I was in the bathtub, soaking in the hot water and sighing in relief. Normally I would have taken a shower, but at the moment, a bath seemed more appropriate. That way I'd be able to just lay back and relax.
I took my time in the tub, slowly washing myself and trying to get used to my new curves and parts. However, I didn't think that I ever would, no matter how long I was a girl.
When I was finally done with the bath, I slowly dried myself off, again running my hands down my changed body, partly out of curiosity and partly out of some strange excitement. I'd never been able to touch a pretty girl like that before and now that I was one, I just had to take advantage of the opportunity. And to my embarrassment, I was even beginning to get just a little turned on, at which point I decided to stop for the moment.
Stepping out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my middle like I'd seen girls do on TV, I started towards my room but suddenly stopped as I found myself standing face to face with my Mom. I gulped in embarrassment while she just stood there, staring at me, her eyes slowly going up and down my body.
"Amazing," she whispered. Then looking me in the face, she asked, "Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah, " I admitted, looking down, knowing that I was blushing. "I guess it's all done."
Mom's eyes went a little wider. "All the way?" I gulped but nodded, knowing that I had to be bright red. "Please let me look."
"Huh?" I gasped, finally looking her in the face in surprise.
She sighed, "It's nothing that I haven't seen before." Then on her insistence, I pulled off the towel and stood there buck naked in front of my Mom. It had to be one of the most humiliating experiences in my life, only getting worse when she bent down to look at my crotch. "You certainly look like a complete female now." She sighed again, adding, "I'll call the doctor and get an exam scheduled."
"Just great," I grumbled.
Then Mom chuckled, "And to torture you further," she said in a joking tone, "I'm going to take you shopping."
"Shopping?" I repeated stupidly.
"Well, honey," she started, "you sure aren't going to be able to wear your old clothes."
I just groaned at that and quickly put the towel back around me, knowing that she was completely right and at the moment, hating her for it.
Some hours later, I was sitting on the edge of my bed and staring at the piles of clothes that covered it. Shopping had been a complete nightmare as Mom pulled me through the clothing stores, buying one thing after another. Fortunately though, I needed so much that she wasn't able to buy the high heels and fancier stuff that she was obviously tempted to. Instead we just stuck with the necessities and the practicals, much to my relief.
"I always wanted to get into a girls panties," I muttered, absently flicking at mine, "but this ain't what I meant." And the bra was uncomfortable as hell, but at least I now knew what size I wore. A small C cup.
Sighing, I remembered the other events of the day and shuddered. The doctors exam had been an even worse nightmare than the shopping. Much worse. He'd looked at every corner of my body, including some that I didn't even know about until then. It was humiliating the way he looked inside my crotch and then pronounced that I was now one hundred percent female, with all that entailed.
Then the doctor had told me, "Gender changes of some form aren't all that uncommon." Apparently it was just to make me feel like I wasn't the only one, but it didn't really help much.
"Just what I always wanted," I grumbled to myself. "I'm a baby factory." I snorted at that, already dreading my first period as a girl.
Finally, I got up, glancing down at the jeans and T-shirt I was wearing, thankful that at least I wasn't stuck in dresses and skirts. Mom had even threatened to make me wear that kind of stuff if I hadn't cooperated with her shopping and the doctor. Needless to say, the threat had encouraged me to cooperate completely, no matter how much I hated it.
A minute later, I was heading towards the living room, hearing my Dad complain, "When I was a kid we didn't have any of these damn super germs around. Now they're everywhere and changing everyone." He snorted the last bitterly.
I gulped and stepped into view, giving an embarrassed, "Um...hi Dad."
He gave me one look and his eyes went wide. "Um... Dylan," he sputtered, looking a little embarrassed himself. It was obvious that he was having a hard time trying to figure out how to deal with his former son.
"It's still me Dad," I told him, forcing myself to look at him, though it wasn't easy.
Suddenly Elliot's voice rang out, "Dylan is a girl, Dylan is a girl..."
"Shut up!" I snapped at him, both embraced and annoyed. The twerp just stuck his tongue out at me though and repeated his comments in a sing-song voice.
"Elliot!" Dad warned while Mom glared at him, "Stop that."
I glared at Elliot, exclaiming, "Better watch it cuz you might get Burke's next."
Elliot's eyes went wide with that in apparent fear. Then he stuck out his tongue before running towards his room, calling out, "Dylan is a girl," one last time.
"I'm glad that you're feeling better," Mom told me, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek, which she hadn't done in years. I wasn't pleased about it either though I didn't say anything.
Dad just chuckled weakly, obviously forcing it. "Then if you're feeling better," he said, "you can go back to school tomorrow."
Mom just gave him a dirty look and told me, "Don't worry honey, you can stay home for a few more days and get used to the changes."
"Thanks," I muttered weakly, not liking the thought of going back to school. Then again, I knew that sticking around home wasn't going to make me adapt any faster. "I'll think about it."
Dinner was quiet as we all tried to pretend that everything was still the same as always. Except for Elliot that is. He kept looking at me then snickering. I just tried to ignore him, already having had years of practice doing just that.
Once dinner was over, I told Mom, "I'm going over to Kyle's for awhile."
Suddenly, it was as if everything froze. The house seemed to be filled with a supernatural quiet for a minute before Mom gulped and said, "I'm not sure that's such a good idea honey."
"What..." I blinked in surprise.
"I mean, things have changed," Mom told me uncomfortably. "It's not as safe for you walking around by yourself anymore."
I just groaned. "I'm not helpless," I growled in annoyance. "Just because I got turned into a girl doesn't mean that I'm going to sit around the phone waiting for boys to call me." I spat the last out sarcastically, enjoying the guilty look on my Mom's face.
"Just be careful," Dad told me.
Shaking my head, I reached back and tugged at the ponytail that I'd put my hair in earlier and started for the door. "Great," I mumbled quietly, "Now Dad's gone all protective on me."
However, I did pay a lot more attention to my surroundings than normal as I walked down the street to Kyle's house. I guess Mom and Dad had gotten me a little paranoid, though there was definitely more than that. I could almost feel lots of eyes on me, as if people were pointing at the guy who got turned into a girl and laughing. I knew that it was mostly my imagination, but that was how I felt.
"Well," I grumbled, glancing around one last time before knocking on Kyle's door, "you can all fuck off." It wasn't aimed at anyone and there was no one to hear it, but at least it made me feel a little better.
A minute later, the door opened up and a middle aged man with a shaggy mustache looked out. It was Kyle's Dad.
"Oh," he said, opening the door, "Shelly's up in her room."
I had to blink at that. "Um... I came to see Kyle."
His eyes suddenly went wide with a look of surprise. "Kyle?"
I could see the wheels turning in his head, suddenly realizing that he thought I was Kyle's girlfriend or something. For a moment, I was strongly tempted to just play along with it and have some fun, but I just couldn't quite bring myself to do it.
"Um...It's me..." I started nervously, seeing that he still didn't recognize me. "Dylan."
"Dylan?" he repeated stupidly.
I sighed in embarrassment, cringing slightly. "I had Burke's."
"Oh..." he gasped as understanding hit him. "Um... I'm sorry." Then he gestured for me to come in, telling me that Kyle was in his room.
Once inside, I had to tell Kyle's Mom what had happened to me too before I could actually go see him. It made me pretty uncomfortable with the way they looked at me and their reactions, but I knew that I'd better get used to it from people who knew me before.
"Hey Kyle," I nodded towards him as I went into his room.
Kyle's eyes widened at the sight of me, only making me more self conscious. "Sorry dude," he apologized after a moment, looking embarrassed, "It's just gonna take some getting used to is all."
"Tell me about it." I snorted.
After telling Kyle about my day and feeling much better for his sympathy, we talked about other... less personal things. It was almost like normal, at least when he wasn't staring at my chest. That was really beginning to get annoying.
"Oh," Kyle suddenly jumped up excitedly, "You haven't seen Shelly yet." I perked up at that, suddenly remembering that she had the Bug too. Kyle just grinned, "Come on."
We rushed to just outside of Shelly's bedroom door and Kyle knocked, grinning the whole time.
"What is it?" I heard Shelly's voice demand.
Kyle just winked at me. "I wanted you to meet my new girlfriend."
I heard a loud snort as the door started to open, "As if..."
Then Shelly was standing there, staring at me with her mouth wide open. She was a rather hot looking girl with blonde hair, though I knew it wasn't natural since I knew her before she'd bleached it. However, I couldn't help but noticing her eyes, which had obviously been changed by the Bug. They looked... Asian, though that was the only thing that did. It made her face look a little strange, but very exotic and a little bit sexy.
"What..." Shelly asked, staring back at me in surprise. I couldn't blame her since Kyle wasn't the kind to bring girls home, not to mention the fact that I looked like I could have been a Senior like her.
"Hi," I said with an embarrassed smile. Then I gulped and quickly blurted out, "It's just me... Dylan." Pausing for a moment, I gulped, "I got the Bug too."
Shelly just stared at me for a moment before whispering, "Holy shit."
I nodded faintly, "Interesting eyes."
She looked a little embarrassed at that. "Um... thanks. I guess I'm lucky that's all that changed." She didn't take her eyes off of me as she said it and I had a feeling that she felt a bit sympathetic towards me. "So..." she started, glancing at Kyle for a moment before looking back at me, "are you..."
"Yeah..." I mumbled, staring at the floor, assuming that she meant to ask if I really was all girl now.
Shelly nodded, "I guess it must be hard on you."
That surprised me a little since she actually seemed interested, rather than just shrugging me off like she usually would for one of her little brother's friends. Then again, I reminded myself, I was not only a girl now, but I looked like I could be her age as well. That probably made quite a bit of difference in how she saw me, even if she might not realize it consciously.
"Pretty much," I admitted with a faint smile, "but I'll live."
We talked out there in the hall for several minutes before Shelly turned to Kyle who was obviously annoyed at being left out of the conversation and said, "Excuse us for a minute, but this is a girls only talk." She grinned at that and pulled me into her room, quickly slamming it shut in spite of Kyle's confused protests.
"That wasn't very nice," I told her, trying to fight back a smile myself. The look on Kyle's face had been rather interesting. "But what did you want?"
Shelly looked a little hurt at that but it quickly passed. "I just didn't want him listening while we talked is all."
Then we continued to talk for a little longer, partly about our recent shared experiences with the Bug, partly about my change and partly about what I thought I would do now. Shelly even gave me a few tips on how to handle things in school, which I really appreciated.
Finally though, I had to say goodbye to Shelly, knowing that Kyle had to be pissed at being left out. I felt a little bad about that, but not too much. Then after Shelly made me promise to talk to her again, I hurried back to Kyle's room.
It was my first day back in school since I caught the Bug, and I really wished I would have taken the extra days off like Mom offered. During the whole bus ride to school, I felt odd and out of place. I didn't know if anyone recognized me or realized what had happened, but at least no one on the bus said anything. Perhaps they just thought I was a new student.
I felt uncomfortable and self conscious as I walked through the school eyes, aware of some boys watching me... staring at me in ways that made me even more uncomfortable. I knew exactly what was on their minds but didn't want any of it. It was a relief once I finally hooked up with Kyle and we went to first period.
"Home period, sweet home," I muttered as we went inside, aware of all the eyes starting to focus on me.
Kyle just winked at one boy and said, "My new girlfriend." I elbowed him at that, then gave him a dirty glare for good measure, though Kyle just laughed.
Then, one of the girls in class came towards me with a curious expression. "You a new girl?" she asked.
Suddenly Kyle burst out laughing while I gave him a glare and responded, "In a way..."
"Excuse me," Mr. Piper, our teacher said, slowly moving towards me, "I don't seem to have anything on a new student in class." He gave me a curious look, obviously expecting me to turn around and leave for my 'correct' class.
I just groaned, glancing at Kyle before answering in embarrassment, "I'm not a new student." I paused and stared at the ground, "I caught Burke's."
"Oh," Mr. Piper gasped, staring at me with renewed interest and obviously trying to figure out who I was.
"I'm Dylan," I supplied quietly, unable to meet his eyes.
A moment later, half of the class had gone silent while everyone stared at me. However, the silence only lasted a few seconds before everyone burst out talking. I just cringed and started towards my seat, trying to ignore all the jokes and comments, even the wolf whistles. Kyle just seemed to find it funny.
"All right everybody," Mr. Piper called out loudly, "Enough of that." After a few minutes of this, the class quieted down.
I just groaned and set my head on my desk in embarrassment, knowing that by lunch, half the school would know.
First period was rather stressful with everyone looking at me oddly, even Keisha who'd been changed just as much as me if not more. And to make it worse, I knew that I could expect the same reaction in just about every class. At least until everyone finally got used to seeing the new me.
When class was over, Kyle and I started towards the next class, talking quietly while I tried ignoring everything else.
"And my Mom scheduled me for some stupid counseling," I complained to Kyle, "To help me adjust." I spat the last out bitterly, wondering what a shrink could possibly do for me. It wasn't my mind that was messed up, it was my body.
I snorted as I thought about all the business the shrinks had to be having ever since the Bug showed up. They had lots of people who needed 'help adjusting' to whatever the Bug had done to them. But what really got to me though was that most of those shrinks hadn't been hit hard or at all by the Bug so how the hell could they possibly understand what it was like?
Kyle nodded sympathetically when I added, "And now Mom says I should think about using a new name."
"Too bad," Kyle told me, "But she might have a point."
I glared at him, growling, "Shut up."
A moment later we were outside the door to our next period and Kyle gave me an odd look. "You know," he started, looking a little embarrassed, "What are you gonna do about... I mean about the bathrooms and stuff?"
Sighing, I told him, "Mom already talked to the school and they said I can use the girl's bathrooms."
Kyle's eyes went wide and he grinned, "And that means you can go into the girls locker room. You lucky bastard."
I couldn't resist laughing at that myself, realizing that maybe there was a bright side to changing. Then again, I couldn't help but start to wonder if it would still mean anything to me. I shuddered at the thought of starting to like guys, though fortunately there was no sign of that. At least yet. Who knew what my new girl hormones would do to me though?
Then, I reached back and tightened my ponytail before going inside, knowing that it wasn't going to be fun.
A moment later, Mr. Lewis was standing next to me, looking at me curiously. It was strange to look down at the little girl and know that she was really my male teacher, though I had gotten somewhat used to it already.
"Welcome back Dylan," he... she said, "Are you still using Dylan?"
I nodded weakly then asked, "How'd you know?"
Mr. Lewis smiled, "Your Mom called the school yesterday so your teachers were all notified." I just snorted, remembering Mr. Piper and guessing that they'd missed at least one.
"Trust me," he said, "It could have been MUCH worse." I just stared at him... her and nodded complete agreement. "Go ahead and have a seat," Mr. Lewis told me gently, "We can talk about it later if you'd like."
Nodding again, I moved to my seat, wondering if maybe it might be a good idea to talk to someone who'd gone through something similar to myself. And I didn't know that many other people who'd had overnight sex changes, though Mr. Lewis assured me that there were a few more around school.
Throughout most of the day, I suffered through the stares and comments from other students. Some were almost cruel, but there were some who seemed pretty sympathetic and nice about it. Especially the girls.
There was one thing that I did notice though. There were several kids missing from each of my classes, apparently out with the Bug. And then there were a few others that I saw who had obviously already gone through it recently too.
"Kyle was right," I mumbled quietly, staring at a girl who looked about 3 years younger than the last time I'd seen her, and a little chubbier, "There really is an outbreak."
It was near the end of lunch period and I'd just finished going to the bathroom. I'd almost gone into the boys bathroom but had caught myself at the last second, nearly running to the other one in embarrassment.
Once I was finished with my business, I started to wash my hands, blushing brightly and trying not to look at the girls who were standing in there talking. Other girls, I told myself half heartedly.
Then one of the four girls noticed me and stared for a moment. "Hey, you're that guy aren't you?"
I gulped, glancing around nervously and feeling humiliated. "Yeah," I admitted quietly. "But they said I should use the girl's rooms now."
One of the girls, a tall brunette glared at me, looking as if she was about to physically throw me out of the girls bathroom, but another girl, a blonde one with dark roots showing responded, "Sorry about that. I know how Burke's is."
"Thanks," I said, forcing a smile.
Three of the girls smiled back while the brunette glared silently though saying nothing.
"Everyone gets it," the false blonde sighed. Then she grinned in embarrassment and admitted, "I used to be a natural blonde before I got it."
I just responded, "Oh."
Then I looked at the other girls, recognizing them from around school. I even had a couple classes with one of them, another blonde, though for some reason she looked a little different. Suddenly it dawned on me. Her skin was several shades darker than the last time I'd seen her, looking like she had a nice tan.
"I just got over it too," the newly tanned girl admitted. "Guess I was lucky to get a permanent tan."
"I never had it," the third girl said in a near whisper, sounding embarrassed. She was the smallest of the three and having reddish brown hair. "But my 7 year old sister did," she continued quietly, barely even looking at me. "Now she has a bigger pair of..." she gestured at her tits, "than me."
"Well..." the brunette finally held out her hand, saying, "Welcome to being a girl, I guess."
I shook her hand nervously, still feeling out of place in the girls bathroom, though not quite as much since they were being so nice.
"Thanks," I told her, trying not to sound sarcastic.
With that, they all introduced themselves. The former blonde was Tanya, the newly tanned girl was Liz, the brunette was Mel, while the shy quiet girl was named Jennifer. After the introductions, I left the bathroom, smiling faintly as I thought about how easily I'd made some new friends.
The next day, I was sitting in the girl's locker room, still dressed in my gym clothes and waiting for the girls to finish their showers and changing before I took care of myself. Though a lot of the girls in class had been helpful, others had definitely been less so. Some of them treated me as if I was some sort of pervert who'd purposely changed into a girl just so I could watch them shower or something. There were even a couple who'd barely stopped short of throwing me out of the locker room, still dressed in my dirty gym clothes.
At the moment, I was in the back of the locker room, surrounded by lockers on 3 sides so that I wouldn't be caught staring at the girls who were showering. Or the ones who were running around topless or naked while changing, though I definitely would have liked to. Then again, having those same parts myself did put a bit of a damper on those thoughts.
I gulped, feeling embarrassed as I thought about how my first day in P.E. as a girl had been. It had been absolutely horrible and humiliating, finding just how badly my coordination was off. And that I was weaker than before. However, the worst part had been the way my tits bounced all over the place, very uncomfortably.
"A sports bra," I mumbled, remembering what one of the girls in class had said I needed. I sighed, knowing that I'd better get one if I was going to keep taking P.E, not that I wanted to. Unfortunately though, it was a requirement.
I leaned back for a moment and listened to the girls finishing up, then thought about how Mark wasn't at school. And when I'd asked Kyle, he said that Mark was feeling a little sick the day before. That just made me gulp, guessing that it was probably the Bug. Just about half the school seemed to be catching it lately, making me give a silent prayer for my friend.
"I hope he's all right," I whispered quietly as I thought about Kyle, then I felt guilty as a part of me even hoped that he'd change the same way I had. Then I wouldn't be quite so alone in learning to be a girl.
After waiting a little longer, until the noise in the locker room had quieted down and I was sure that most of the girls had left, I finally undressed and came out of my corner, blushing furiously as I walked to the shower stalls with only a towel wrapped around me. I tried hard to avoid looking at the girls that were still there, most in one level of undress or another. Some were even completely naked, especially the two that were just climbing out of the shower area.
One girl quickly covered herself with a towel and glared at me, muttering, "Perv," under her breath.
Groaning, I tried to ignore her, which was difficult since she was pretty cute. The sight of naked and half naked girls was starting to get me turned on though, but not as much as I would have been if I wasn't so embarrassed. It was obvious that I did still like girls, making me thankful that at least that hadn't changed.
"Just great," I sighed, wincing as several of the girls quickly left the area while others stared at me. It just made me feel like I was some sort of sideshow freak, which I knew that I wasn't. Still, I could just imagine what they thought of me being in the girls locker room and showering with them. "Just great," I repeated as I started my shower.
By the time I finished with my shower, the last of the 'other' girls was just leaving. That was definitely a relief since I was glad to finally be alone. Or at least to not be stared at. It wasn't so bad in class or in the halls, at least other than a few jokes at my expense, but I guess that my being in the locker room was more threatening to the girls. At least for now, though I suspected that they'd eventually get used to me. Eventually.
I dried myself off and was starting to put my clothes back on when heard footsteps just outside of the locker corner I was in. A moment later, the girl who's footsteps I heard stepped into view as she started to walk past me, giving me a quick glance as she did so. However, she only took two more steps before stopping and looking at me again, this time staring straight at me.
"Dylan?" she asked in surprise.
Blinking, I looked closer, realizing for the first time that it was Shelly and that she was wearing a one piece swim suit. I'd avoided looking too closely at her until then.
"Um... hi," I responded weakly, quickly reacting to cover myself up with a towel in embarrassment.
Shelly continued to stare at me for a moment with her slanted Asian eyes, then she smiled faintly. "Are you doing all right?"
"I could be better," I admitted, and then asked, "What are you doing in here?"
"Swimming practice," Shelly explained, her voice giving the impression that she thought it was a stupid question. Then I guessed that it probably was considering that she was wearing a swimsuit. "What about you?"
"P.E." I responded, still feeling embarrassed. Especially since I was sitting there with nothing but a towel to cover me. "Since I have to use this locker room now, I waited for everyone else to finish." I choked a little as I said it.
Shelly frowned, staring at me silently for a moment before sitting down right next to me. "It'll get better," she told me. "You'll get used to it... and so will everyone else." At that, she put her hand on my shoulder and smiled, making me gulp nervously.
"Thanks," was all I could say.
We sat there that way for a moment, with me being surprised at just how close we were sitting to each other, not to mention that Shelly was actually touching me. It was another sign of just how different she was treating me since I'd changed. Then, I suddenly became aware of the way that she was looking at me. There was something in her eyes... something different.
"Um... Shelly," I started, feeling a little uncomfortable at the situation, not to mention turned on. After all, she wasn't wearing anything but a swimsuit.
Shelly quickly pulled her hand away then looked down, her cheeks turning bright red. "Sorry," she apologized in embarrassment, "I didn't mean to stare. It's just... just that."
Suddenly, Shelly stood up, still looking embarrassed, "Shit."
"What?" I gasped in surprise.
"I think you're... pretty," Shelly admitted quietly, obviously embarrassed. She couldn't even bring herself to look at me for a moment. When she finally did, she blurted out, "I've never felt this way about a girl before." She sounded a little confused by her own emotions, though I was just as confused if not more.
"Feel about..." I whispered, my eyes going wide in realization.
Shelly looked away, still blushing. "I keep thinking about you turning into a girl and I get... excited."
All I could do was stare at her in surprise for a moment before gulping and whispering, "Wow. I... I don't know what to say." If I still had my dick, I would have had a major woody right then. As it was, my nipples were all hard and poking out.
Suddenly Shelly looked away and gasped, "I've got to go." She surprised me again though by quickly darting forward and kissing me straight on the lips. Then she pulled back, blushing badly before turning and hurrying away.
I just sat there for another few minutes, feeling completely stunned and confused. I'd had more than a few fantasies about Shelly, but never in a million years would I have thought that she'd actually come on to me. Especially not since I'd been turned into a girl too. Then, I reached for my clothes with a shaky hand and started to get dressed again, unable to get how good that kiss had felt out of my mind.
I grimaced as I sat in the hard chair, having endured unimaginable torture for the last half hour and knowing that I had even more torture to suffer through before I was finally finished. Before I was finally free to leave the prison that I was trapped within and escape the control of captor.
"Sit still!" Mom snapped, her hand digging into my shoulder to push me down in the chair.
"But Mom..." I complained.
She let out an exasperated sigh, "I'll be done in a minute. Just be patient honey."
I sighed and tried to calm down, but it wasn't easy. Mom had insisted on trying something out on me, saying that she'd always dreamed of having a daughter to do it with. And unfortunately, I was stuck having to humor her... much to my embarrassment.
Finally Mom announced proudly, "I'm done. You can look now."
Gulping, I was finally able to look into the mirror of Mom's makeup table and gasped at the results of the makeover. I was barely able to recognize the face as my own, but that wasn't too surprising. It just wasn't even too recognizable as the new me.
"Wow," I whispered, then quickly clamped down, refusing to give Mom the satisfaction of seeing my reaction.
For the first time since my change, my hair wasn't just pulled back in a ponytail. Instead, it was hanging down around my shoulders, looking rather nice. My lips were covered with lipstick, just as the rest of my face was also covered with makeup. I wasn't too heavily made up, but it was the first time I'd ever worn makeup in my life so it sure felt like a lot to me.
Then I looked down at my hands, stretching my fingers and then wiggling them experimentally. My nails were all covered with a shiny light red polish that was almost a dark pink, about the same color as the lipstick that I had on.
All in all, I knew that I looked rather nice, though I wasn't sure how that made me feel. Embarrassed to be sure, though it also seemed to satisfy a faint curiosity that I'd been feeling since I'd finished changing. Though I didn't like to admit it, I had been wondering how I'd look if I was done up like a real girl. And it certainly wasn't a disappointment.
"Well?" Mom asked, "What do you think?"
"Interesting," was all that I could manage to say. "And kinda weird."
She sighed. "I know that you won't be doing this all the time, but I appreciate your humoring me like this."
I grinned back, "No problem," while at the same time, hoping that I'd never have to go through that torture again. Still, it was kind of nice to make Mom smile just by sitting still for awhile.
"You know honey," Mom started, "You should probably learn to put on makeup yourself now." Just as I started to protest, she held up her hand to stop me. "You might not like it now, but you may change your mind."
"I don't think so," I responded with a shudder, "No how, no way."
Mom shrugged. "You're a girl now honey, so it won't hurt you to at least be able to wear some makeup every now and then." Then with that, she quickly left the room before I even had a chance to argue. Probably to get a camera too.
Sighing, I shook my head and turned back towards the mirror, staring at my reflection for another minute. It was definitely strange seeing myself like that, but then again it was strange enough just seeing a girl's reflection in the mirror. Now I really did look just like any other girl in school.
"Next thing you know," I snorted, "she'll be trying to get me into a dress."
Then, after taking yet another surprised look at my reflection, I absently thought that I should have earrings in if I was going to look like that. I scowled in surprise at that thought then quickly left, trying not to think about it too much.
I went to my room and sat down, staring at my computer screen saver for a minute and starting to think back to the day before. Specifically, the incident in the locker room with Shelly. It had definitely been a surprise, and an extremely pleasant one at that. But definitely a shocker nonetheless.
Of course I hadn't told Kyle about it. I mean, how could I possibly tell a guy that I not only kissed his sister, but that she might be a lesbian too? I just shook my head, knowing that it was a bit of a mess, but then again everything seemed to be since I caught the Bug. I was just glad that it was a Saturday and I didn't have to go to school again.
"Damn it," I grumbled, getting up and leaving my room.
As I passed through he living room, Elliot was suddenly in my face and pointing at me, laughing. "You're wearing makeup. That's gross..."
I sighed, exclaiming, "Watch it twerp, I think you're beginning to look a little like a girl too." I paused and stared at him intently for a moment before gasping, "You have Burke's!"
Elliot's eyes went wide in horror and he gasped loudly before suddenly turning and running, calling out, "MOMMY!"
I just chuckled and continued on my way, glad to have gotten the twerp again. It was always a good thing to have such a gullible brother.
A moment later though, my Mom was standing there with an exasperated look on her face. "What did you just tell your brother?"
I gave her my best 'innocent' look and asked, "What did I do?"
She glared at me for a moment before shaking her head and saying, "Just stop it. Leave your brother alone." However, I could tell that she wasn't really angry about it, just a little annoyed.
Shrugging, I told her, "I'm going over to see Kyle. I'll be back in a bit." Then, I was out of the house before Mom could protest.
Several minutes later, I was standing at Kyle's door with his Mom staring at me in surprise. It was only then that I realized that I'd been in such a hurry to leave the house, I hadn't taken off the makeup.
"Kyle's not here," his Mom said, giving me an odd look. "He went over to visit his friend Mark."
I gave a disappointed, "Oh." I was about to turn away, when on an impulse, I asked, "Is Shelly here then?"
"Upstairs," she answered slowly, looking a little uncertain. Then she stepped aside and opened the door for me to go in while yelling out, "Shelly, you have company."
I just muttered a quick thanks and hurried towards Shelly's room, blushing with embarrassment as I did so. I told myself that I was just going to talk to her until Kyle got back home, but somehow, I kind of doubted my own rationalization.
Just as I reached Shelly's door, I stopped, hesitating for a moment. I was strongly tempted to just turn around and go home, coming back later when Kyle was home. Or better yet, go over to Mark's and see both of them. After all, I suddenly remembered, it looked like Mark had the Bug too.
However, before I could act on my change of heart, Shelly came out and stopping, staring at me in surprise. "Dylan..." she gasped, blinking several times, which only made her slanted eyes more noticeable.
I gulped in embarrassment, half tempted to just turn and run. "Um... hi."
Shelly just stared at me for a moment more as an embarrassed and even somewhat shy smile formed on her face. I'd never known her to be shy at all before. Suddenly, Shelly looked around nervously before gesturing for me to go into her room.
Once I was inside, she nervously asked, "What are you..." Then she paused, looking down at the ground before continuing, "About yesterday..."
"Um...yeah," I started, then stopped shyly, uncertain of what to say.
For the next several minutes, Shelly and I just sat there on her bed in uncomfortable silence. We were obviously both badly embarrassed and uncertain of how to act in the strange situation that we found ourselves in.
"I normally don't like girls," she quickly explained, looking right at me and blushing badly. "I'm not like that."
All I could do was gulp, "Oh."
We were both silent for a few seconds again before I managed to respond, "I... I like you too." Then at the look of pleasure on her face, I quickly added, "I've had a crush on you for a long time."
Then without warning, Shelly threw her arms around me in a hug. I was too surprised to respond, at least for a few seconds. It didn't take long though before I was hugging her back, and then kissing her.
When we pulled apart a minute later, Shelly looked at me and giggled. "Your makeup is smeared." I blushed at the mention of the makeup, but Shelly continued, "It does... did look good on you though."
"My Mom made me," I told her, still embarrassed, not to mention turned on. I was definitely nipping out and the juices between my legs were really flowing, feeling kind of weird but definitely nice.
"You do still like girls?" Shelly blurted, then she stared at me and giggled. "I guess you do."
I nodded, "Um...yeah."
"Bet that makes things really interesting in the locker room," she suggested with a wink.
I just blushed but nodded. "You could say that."
Shelly shook her head and 'tsked', adding, "The things you boys will do to get into the girls locker room." Then she giggled again, quickly apologizing, "Sorry, but it's just so...interesting."
After this, Shelly and I continued to talk, largely about what it was like for me and how I was adapting, though she also offered a few bits of advice. However, several times in our conversation, we went through spurts of making out, then finally, even fondling each others breasts.
"Oh God," I moaned as Shelly rubbed at one of my nipples through my bra. It felt SOOO good. I could just imagine what it would feel like to actually have sex as a girl, not that I'd had it as a guy though. "More..."
Shelly giggled and whispered, "I never would have thought that another girl would feel so nice. Even if she was a guy."
Finally, Shelly said, "I guess we shouldn't be doing this now."
I felt a wave of disappointment and quietly asked, "Why not?" I was half afraid that she'd say that she didn't feel right messing around with another girl.
However, Shelly blushed, "My folks might walk in."
"Oh," I gasped, blushing and quickly darting forward to give her another kiss. I was definitely beginning to like this.
Then Shelly looked at me and giggled, "You really should get cleaned up. Your makeup is like, totally smeared."
I just stuck my tongue out at her, adding, "Yours too." We both started laughing before quickly moving to the bathroom to clean up.
A short while later, Shelly and I were both cleaned up and back in her room, this time behaving ourselves. Somehow though, I doubted that we'd remain that way. At least any longer than we really had to.
"You know," Shelly started in a thoughtful voice, "you really ought to think about a new name. I mean, now that you're a girl..."
"I know," I sighed, staring at the wall thoughtfully.
I'd been thinking about a new name ever since my Mom had suggested that I take one several days earlier. In fact, I'd even come to a decision, though I hadn't had the courage to tell anyone. Changing my name was such a big step.
Finally, I gulped and looked back at Shelly. "I have one," I told her quietly.
"Oh?" she prompted, obviously burning with curiosity. I just smiled and let her wait for a moment.
Then, with a gulp, I spoke the new name that I'd decided on out loud for the very first time. "Deanne." It was strange to my ears, but it sounded similar enough to my old one that I wouldn't have too much trouble answering to it.
"Deanne..." Shelly repeated, testing the name out loud. She nodded, "Nice. I think it suits the new you."
Embarrassed, I just looked at the ground and smiled at that. "Thanks."
Suddenly there was the sound of a door slamming just next door, nearly making me jump.
"Kyle's home," Shelly told me, looking disappointed.
I nodded, feeling a little disappointed myself. "I guess I'd better go see him then," I told Shelly.
"Just come back some time," Shelly told me. Then she smiled, "Or better yet, go to the mall with me tomorrow." She winked, "And we can get your ears pierced."
The thought of getting my ears pierced made me wince, but I nodded. At least to go to the mall. As for the ears, I'd have to think about that, but somehow I suspected that Shelly would be able to talk me into it, no matter how much I protested.
A minute later, I was standing in Kyle's room, telling him, "I've been waiting for you to get back."
Kyle looked at me suspiciously for a moment, as if I'd suddenly changed sides. Then again, I guess I kind of did change sides, but not by my choice. However, he quickly grinned, locking his bedroom door and explaining that he didn't want his 'nosy sister' to 'butt in'.
"So how's Mark?" I asked Kyle, unable to help but worrying about him. There was no telling what the Bug would do to a person. "I mean, what's the Bug doing?"
Suddenly Kyle laughed, slapping me on the back just like old times. "Naw, it was a false alarm. He's just got the flu."
I let out a sigh of relief, "Lucky him."
"Until next time," Kyle shrugged. I just nodded, knowing exactly what Kyle meant. Sooner or later, just about everyone got the Bug. It was about as common as the flu.
With that, Kyle and I turned our attentions to something far more important. Namely, the new video game that he'd just bought. I already knew that we were going to have a blast trying to beat it.
It was several hours later and I was walking home from Kyle's house, my thoughts filled not with the time I'd spent with Kyle, but with his sister instead. Especially the goodbye kiss we'd snuck before I left. I still felt like jello because of it.
"Shelly," I whispered, shaking my head faintly as I thought about her, still amazed at how quickly we'd gotten together and how close we'd become in such a short time. And though I knew it could only be a temporary thing, I had a strong feeling that it wasn't. Somehow... somehow I suspected that we were going to be very... very good friends.
I licked my lips in anticipation, knowing that it wouldn't be long before we were actually in bed together. I didn't think that we could have avoided it if we even tried, not that either of us was going to. I just wondered what I'd tell Kyle since he was bound to find out sooner or later.
"Oh well," I hummed with a smile on my face. I'd worry about that when the time came.
Then, just as my house was within sight, I whispered, "Deanne," deciding that I did kind of like the sound of it. Then again, I'd better since it was probably going to be my name for the rest of my life. There wasn't much hope that the Bug would turn me back into a guy, not much hope at all. Elvis coming back would probably be more likely. "I wonder what Mom will think of it," I mused, knowing that I'd find out in just a couple minutes.
"Deanne," I whispered again, smiling faintly. "I can live with that." After all, I added silently, it wasn't like I really had much choice.
I chuckled a little weakly and shook my head, knowing that a new name was definitely the least of the things I'd have to get used to. Hell, just about everything had changed, just because I'd caught a stupid Bug.
That was something that still amazed me. Just how much a single virus could change someone's life. But then again, Burke's was certainly no ordinary virus, having changed the entire world. Changed how people looked at each other, even those who hadn't caught it yet. What was one person's life compared to the world?
As I stepped inside the house, I was immediately confronted with an interesting sight. Elliot was standing there next to my Dad's chair, looking rather miserable. That alone would normally have been enough to catch my attention, but what happened next drew it even more.
"I don't feel very good," Elliot complained in his whiniest voice, "I hurt all over."
My eyes went wide at that, then even wider as my Mom walked in, rubbing at her temples and muttering, "I'm not feeling too well myself."
"Speak of the devil," I whispered, staring at my family in some surprise.
Beginning to smile faintly, I started towards them, knowing without a doubt that I wasn't going to be the only one around the house dealing with some changes. And of course, there were going to be some very interesting days ahead, and not just for me. Some very interesting days indeed.
With that in my mind, I chuckled and whispered, "Deanne," one more time, deciding that it was about time to tell them my decision. Before things got too confusing.
In a world where a virus can mutate the human body, a man finds himself infected and dealing with the changes that the Bug brings.
A Burke's Virus Story
Author's note: This story takes place in the same universe as my story A Plague of Changes though it is a stand alone tale.
Howard Bell frowned as he tore his eyes from the computer screen in front of him, tired of looking through reports and eager for the day to end. Fortunately, it almost was. Or at least it was almost time for him to go home from work and get some rest. And with the way he felt at the moment, he needed it.
"Time for a smoke break," Howard sighed as he got up from his desk and left his office.
After Howard had finished with a quick cigarette, he made his way back into the building, nearly running into Todd Haskins, one of the people who worked for Howard. Todd was fairly tall and thin, a far cry from the shorter, stocky man who had first come to work for Howard a year earlier. But that was before he'd caught the Bug.
"You all right?" Todd asked, looking a little concerned.
Nodding slightly, Howard responded, "Yeah. I'm just a bit tired."
This time, it was Todd's turn to nod. "I had some questions about the Murphy account..."
Howard managed to keep from letting out an exasperated sigh. That account seemed to have caused nothing but trouble for him and his department. If it wasn't so valuable for the company, he would have just said the hell with it. However, it was important and he couldn't just ignore it because it was troublesome.
"Mary has been working with Ian Matthews on the project," Howard told Todd thoughtfully. "She should be able to help get what you need for your part. If not, send me an E-mail reminder."
Todd gave a quick, "Thanks," then hurried back to his desk to get back to work. That just made Howard chuckle, as did it did nearly every time when the people who worked for him made a bit of a show that they were working, just because he was around.
Then with a, "Damn Murphy account," Howard went into the bathroom.
Once Howard had finished relieving himself, he washed his hands and looked up into the mirror above the sink. The reflection was that of a 36 year old man with a slightly receding hairline. And though it wasn't obvious from the image in the mirror, he stood 5 foot 10 and was beginning to get a bit heavier around the middle. It was a reflection that Howard was very familiar with. The reflection of Howard Bell, a low level manager for the company he worked for.
"Damn," Howard muttered as he splashed some water on his face.
He couldn't wait to get home and get some rest, especially not with the way he'd started to feel a bit tired over the last hour. It was as though the energy had just been slowly draining away from him. Obviously, he decided, the stress of dealing with the Murphy account was beginning to get to him.
With that, Howard turned and headed back to his office. Though it might be close to the end of the day, it wasn't over yet and he still had a lot of work to do.
When Howard finally returned home some time later, he quickly reheated some leftovers for dinner, feeling too tired for anything more. The weariness that he'd started to feel at work had only gotten a bit stronger, and he'd even started to feel some small aches in his muscles as well. While eating, Howard also realized that he just wasn't as hungry as normal either.
"So much for dinner," he muttered to himself as he dumped what was left of it into the garbage, not having the appetite to finish his meal.
A minute later, Howard sat down in his favorite recliner, giving a brief glance at the TV but not bothering to turn it on. Instead, he reached for the mystery novel that he'd been reading lately, curious to find out of his suspicions about the killer were correct. He smiled faintly, knowing that the book's author always had a knack of throwing in unexpected twists.
"The butler did it," Howard chuckled to himself, repeating the same joking phrase that he always said when he started reading a mystery novel.
Mysteries were Howard's favorite type of book, followed closely by true crime. He didn't think that anything could beat the enjoyment of trying to solve the mystery before it was actually spelled out. Something about putting together the pieces of a puzzle, deciphering all of the clues and figuring out 'whodunit' was always a bit of a thrill.
After several minutes though, Howard sighed and closed the book, unable to keep his concentration on it. He was feeling too tired... too ill, and seeming to grow even more so with every minute. The book would have to wait until he was better able to focus on it.
Howard grunted as he climbed out of the chair, staggering just slightly as he did so. At the moment, he decided that the best thing that he could do was to sleep it off and hope that he felt better in the morning. With no further hesitation, he started towards bed... and hopefully a good nights sleep.
When the alarm went off in the morning, Howard grunted and buried his head deeper into the pillow. However, that failed to silence the incessant beeping, forcing him to sit up and turn off the clock. For a moment, Howard just remained motionless, feeling even worse than he had the night before.
"Damn it," Howard grumbled as he strained to get to his feet.
It was a much more difficult task than it should have been, with every muscle in his body aching. He almost felt like he did when a half dozen guys had beaten the crap out of him back in college after a minor 'disagreement'... except that this was worse. Then Howard staggered towards the bathroom, never having imagined that it could seem so far away.
After splashing some cold water on his face in an attempt to help wake up, Howard looked up at his reflection and suddenly froze. He was instantly aware that something was wrong, though in his still half asleep state, it took several seconds to realize what it was. Then, Howard felt a cold chill shoot down his spine.
With a gulp, Howard squeaked out, "Oh shit..."
Howard's eyes widened as he stared into the mirror. There was no doubt that his hair was over an inch longer, as well as a little darker. The normal morning beard stubble was conspicuously absent and there was something else about his face that just seemed wrong, though he couldn't quite make out what it was.
"Shit," Howard repeated, tearing his eyes from his reflection and looking down at his body.
Again, there were noticeable changes. For one, most of his body hair seemed to be absent, and for another, his 'spare tire' almost looked as though it had deflated a little. His waist actually looked as though it was just a little thinner, though Howard knew that it could just be his imagination. However, after standing on the scale and seeing that he was 8 pounds lighter than he should be, Howard knew that it wasn't.
Then, Howard sat down on the toilet seat and stared at his hands in horror. At first, he'd thought that he just had the flu, or maybe food poisoning from the office cafeteria. But now...now Howard knew what was wrong with him. He had the Bug.
Suddenly, a thousand thoughts ran through Howard's mind, a thousand fears. He remembered everything he'd heard about the Bug... The Bug, officially known as Burke's Biomorphic Virus, had appeared out of nowhere several years back and had quickly spread over the entire world. Now, catching it was almost as common as catching the flu, and you could even get it more than once, though this was the first time that Howard had gone through it.
However, it was what the Bug did that send chills down Howard's spine. Somehow, the virus changed people. It worked differently every time, sometimes doing such minor things as changing eye or hair color, but other times it could get much... much more extreme. It could even make someone look like an entirely different person. And there was no telling what it would do until it did it.
After a steady stream of curses that lasted for nearly two minutes, Howard grunted and made his way to the other room. With a deep scowl, he picked up the phone and made a call that he really didn't want to.
"This is Howard," he told his supervisor on the other end. "I'm afraid that I won't be able to make it in today." Then almost as if on cue, Howard started coughing.
"Are you all right?" the voice of Theresa Sanchez asked from the phone.
Howard just nodded, even though she wouldn't be able to tell he had. A moment later, he gritted his teeth and said, "I've got the Bug..."
Theresa made some sympathetic noises, "The flu is going around..."
"No!" Howard said a bit more shortly than he should have. "I have THE Bug. Burke's."
There was a moment of silence before Theresa responded with an, "Oh." Then she said, "I'll let everyone know you won't be in for a couple days then and I'll have Brad cover for you."
"Thanks," Howard told her with a sigh.
Then in a sympathetic voice, Theresa told him, "I hope it works out all right."
Howard just nodded again, knowing exactly what she meant. He'd pretty much said the same thing to friends who'd caught the Bug when he offered his hopes that the virus didn't do anything too extreme to them. Unfortunately, this time it was his turn.
With another, "Thanks," Howard hung up the phone and made his way back to bed.
It was just after noon when Howard sat at the kitchen table, staring down at the jam and toast in front of him. He wasn't really hungry, especially as he felt a bit nauseous, but he told himself that he'd better eat something.
Howard had spent most of the morning slipping in and out of sleep, tossing uncomfortably and quickly waking to the cramps that permeated every muscle in his body. Even his bones hurt, feeling strangely as though they no longer quite fit his body right. But at the same time, as uncomfortable as it all was, Howard was relieved that it wasn't as painful as he would have expected.
Ever since climbing out of bed a short time earlier, Howard had made it a point not to look down at himself. No matter how tempted he was to check the damage, he knew that he didn't want to face that yet. For a short while at least, he wanted to pretend that he just had the flu. That he didn't have something so serious that it could have serious repercussions on his entire life... even on his very sense of self.
Taking a bite of the toast, Howard closed his eyes, trying not to think about how wrong his body felt. It wasn't just the aches and cramps, but something more as well. Something a lot deeper, that the aches might even be helping to mask. The fact that his shorts were hanging loosely about his waist when they were normally a good fit only served to confirm this to him.
When Howard had finished eating, he finally let out a sigh and exclaimed, "Time to see the damage." He winced as he said it, taking a deep breath before looking down at himself.
For several seconds, Howard carefully ran his eyes over his body, trying to retain some degree of emotional detachment. To pretend that it was happening to someone else. It gave him some illusion of being in control, of being more separated from the situation... but not much.
Howard's body was noticeably thinner, looking smaller all around. He let out a faint sigh of relief, having imagined it as having been much worse.
"Nothing wrong with losing a few pounds," Howard told himself with a forced smile, beginning to wonder for the first time if he might actually come out of this ahead of the game. After all, it was certainly known to happen. He'd even seen it a few times.
But then as he looked down at himself again, he felt the 'but'. As in, but that didn't explain why he'd lost all of his body hair. Or why all of his skin was now so soft and smooth. It was a question that wouldn't let him take much delight in just losing a little weight. Not when he was a firm believer in the most sacred of natural laws... Murphy's Law.
"Damn it," Howard spat as he got up, holding onto his shorts to keep them from sliding down as they were now inclined to.
A moment later, Howard went to the bathroom to relieve himself. That was what he told himself, though he knew that it was also because he wanted to take another look at his reflection. To see if there was anything more in his face that was different. It was a morbid curiosity, but it was something that he had to know.
The mirror showed little more than it had earlier that morning, though there were more changes. His hair was another inch longer, and his face seemed just a little more different as well. Howard wasn't sure exactly what it was, but his face looked a little... younger. A little... softer.
"What are you doing?" Howard quietly demanded of the strange virus that ran through his body.
Again, he silently thought about the Bug. About the strange Burke's virus that no one would have even imagined possible just six years earlier. The virus that still remained a near complete mystery, even after five and a half years. All there was were rumors and theories, though Howard suspected that the truth was in there somewhere. Not that did him or anyone else much good.
"You'd think that they'd have found a cure by now," Howard muttered, "Or at least a vaccine."
Then, just as Howard started to turn away from the mirror, he noticed something on the wall. One of the tiles had a crack in it. A crack, which was normally just below eye level, but was now just a tiny bit above it. A chill ran down Howard's spine at the sudden realization.
"Shit!" he cursed as he hurried to get his tape measure as fast as his shaky legs would carry him.
It only took Howard a minute to mark the top of his head against the wall and then to measure it. The results were what he suspected...what he feared. He had grown shorter by over an inch and a half. But even worse, by how recently the Bug had just started to hit him, Howard had a horrible feeling that he hadn't stopped shrinking.
After this, Howard sat down to brood and think about what that meant. There was a growing surety that he was going to be one of those to go through a rather extreme change. And there was absolutely nothing that he could do about it. However, he reminded himself that he was far from the first to deal with that problem.
"Get practical," Howard told himself firmly, hoping that it would help take his mind off of the changes. Or at least let him regain some feeling of control when he knew that he had none.
With that, Howard realized that there were going to be a number of problems for him if he underwent an extreme change. Though he didn't want to face it, there was little choice. And at the moment, he knew that he could at least do something to ease a few of those problems.
Several minutes later, Howard used the timer on his Polaroid camera to take a picture of himself. He grimaced at the sight of it but knew that it wasn't going to be the first. There were going to be more pictures before his change was completed. And between those and the picture of himself from several weeks ago, he knew that it would do a great deal for proving his identity after the Bug was finished with him.
"That should do it," Howard muttered, knowing as any manager did that proper documentation would go a long way towards covering his ass. His current situation was no different in that regard.
Once this was taken care of, Howard made his way back to the bed, knowing that at the moment it was the best place for him to be. And since he wasn't ready for more sleep, he occupied himself with reading his mystery novel and occasionally turning on TV to watch CNN. But still, the time crawled by at an agonizing pace.
By the time Howard was ready to go to bed early that night, he had not only taken several more pictures of himself, but had only gotten thinner and lost over another inch in height. He went to sleep in silent dread of what the morning would bring.
Howard stood in front of the wall mirror in his bedroom, staring at himself again in silent frustration. It was only midmorning, a short time after he had finally climbed out of bed. There were of course more changes during the night. Changes that he forced himself to confront immediately.
"Damn," Howard stated, his voice sounding off in his ears.
During the night, Howard had shrunk another 3 inches, making him feel tiny. Everything around him looked off... looked wrong. Of course, he knew that it wasn't his surroundings that were wrong, but himself. His altered size only made everything in his home seem that much larger.
The change in height was not the only thing that Howard noticed though. His whole body was smaller and thinner, showing little sign of muscle or even much fat. Howard's shorts, which had hung loose the day before now seemed almost ridiculously oversized. His hair seemed just a tiny bit darker than before, though it was definitely longer, now brushing against his shoulders.
Taking a deep breath, Howard bent forward and ran a hand across his face. "Is that me?" It didn't seem at all possible, though the face was staring right back at him from the mirror.
Even Howard's face had changed a little more, barely being recognizable at all as his own. It looked a lot younger for one thing... softer. And the features all seemed subtly different from even that, though it was hard for Howard to point them all out.
Then Howard gasped in realization, "I look like a teenager..."
However, he quickly revised his opinion to that of a late developing teen as his body showed no signs of puberty. Even his genitals were now completely clean of hair. Then, as he looked closer, Howard noticed that even his genitals were smaller. They looked small, even in proportion to his smaller size. Almost like they belonged on a child.
"Damn," Howard spat, as he turned away from the mirror, "I need a smoke."
It was only then that Howard realized that he hadn't had a cigarette for several days. Not since he'd left work the day before while suffering the first effects of the Bug. Obviously, he decided, all of the aches and pains of the virus had been a powerful distraction.
"Might be a good time to quit," Howard told himself thoughtfully.
Then with a sigh, Howard decided to consider that later. At the moment though, he wanted to take care of the picture while he was still thinking about it, and get something in his stomach. He still wasn't very hungry, but thought that it would be a good idea to at least have something to eat.
The day passed with agonizing slowness, with Howard fighting the growing feelings of helplessness that filled him. He was sure that he could feel himself getting smaller by the moment, as if he was just dwindling away. Though Howard knew that he was imagining it, or that he had to be since it was happening so slowly, that didn't make him feel any better. In fact, he woke from one nap after a nightmare where he had shriveled away to absolutely nothing.
"Oh God," Howard cried into his much smaller than normal hands, no longer feeling at all sure of himself. He couldn't help shaking in fear at what was happening to him. Though he tried to remain calm, reminding himself that almost everyone got the Bug sooner or later, it didn't do much good.
Once Howard had regained control of himself, he realized that there was something that he had to take care of. Something that he probably should have done earlier, and made him feel somewhat guilty that he had not even thought to do so until that moment. Then with a nervous gulp, Howard reached for the phone...
"Hi," Howard nervously said to his mother on the other end.
There was a moment of silence before his mom asked, "Who is this?"
Howard took a deep breath, silently cursing the fact that he hadn't thought about how much his voice had changed as well. "This is Howard," he finally blurted out, "I caught the Burke's virus."
"Howard?" she gasped half in surprise and half in disbelief.
"I've changed a little..." Howard joked weakly, looking down at himself. Then he sighed, "Make that a lot."
It took nearly a minute to fully convince his mother that it was indeed him and that it wasn't just some sort of joke, then some time more as he explained what changes his body had started to go through. Howard hated having to tell her the bad news, especially after his father had passed away just two years earlier, but he thought that she deserved to know right away. Of course, he also knew that he never would have heard the end of it if he hadn't called and told her.
In the end, Howard was thankful that he'd made the call. Telling someone else what had happened to him and sharing his fears made him feel as though a huge load had been lifted from him. And of course, his mother's comforting words made him feel just a little better as well, a little more confident that things would work out.
When Howard went to bed that night, little of that confidence remained. The changes had only continued and he knew that he faced yet more in his sleep. There was little telling with the virus would finish with him, but Howard doubted that there would be much recognizable about his body by that time. Still, there was nothing he could do but wait it out and hope for the best.
Morning brought little relief for Howard, though he was almost feeling Zen-like about the whole situation. The Bug was beyond his control and he had even come to accept this to some degree. He was so tired of the sickness and the changes that he just wanted it to get over with. One way or another.
The alterations to Howard's body during the night were of little surprise. He was smaller and thinner than before, looking even younger. Even looking like a teenager might be beyond him now. Though his hair had not really become much darker, it was definitely longer. His eyes however, formerly a grayish blue had darkened, becoming a dark brown that almost seemed black.
"A kid," Howard told himself grimly, "I'm turning into a kid." There was no longer any doubt of that. Not with the way he'd been changing.
Then Howard took a look at his crotch, frowning even more deeply. His testicles were... empty and the skin tight. It was as though they were pulling up inside his body. And there was the fact that his penis was extremely small, looking almost like a toddler's. For some reason, the sight sent a chill down Howard's spine.
With a grimace, Howard demanded of the virus, "Just get this over with already." There was no use fighting the inevitable so all he could do was hope that it would end soon.
Most of the day followed the same pattern as the ones before it, with Howard spending nearly all of his time resting in bed or leaning back in his now oversized recliner and reading from his latest novel. It had come to the point where the boredom was nearly as unbearable as the aches and uncertainty of his future.
Fortunately though, the aches and pains that had been tormenting him since it all began seemed to be receding. Even his appetite was beginning to return a little. These were welcome relieves for Howard, not just for the obvious reasons. It meant that the Bug was nearing the end of it's course. That soon, it would all be over... and he would be free to start dealing with the consequences.
Late in he afternoon, Howard stood once again in front of the mirror, doing what had almost become a habit for him and scrutinizing himself... looking for further changes. He felt somewhat grim as he took in the latest additions, calmly putting it all together. The clues had already been there, but now there was little doubt as to what was happening.
Howard scowled, feeling an almost clinical detachment as he once again looked at his crotch. There was no longer any sign of his testicles and what was left of his penis was ridiculously small. All that remained was little more than a nub. The final proof in Howard's mind, confirming what he'd been suspecting for more than half the day.
"Not just a kid," Howard finally said it aloud. "A girl."
Oddly enough, the words were something of a relief for Howard. He was almost surprised that he wasn't more shocked at that... more outraged. Perhaps, he considered, he had just burned out on those emotions. And it could have been that he'd been going over every worst possible situation in his mind since the changes had begun. Either way, knowing what was happening alleviated some of his fears.
With a sigh, Howard announced, "Tomorrow."
There was no doubt that it would all be over the next day. He was almost there already and there seemed little more for the virus to do. Even the symptoms were fading so he suspected that it could very well finish up sometime during the night. It was with a strange mixture of apprehension and anticipation that Howard went to bed, preparing himself for what the morning would bring.
Howard awoke to a nervous calm, capped with a faint sigh of relief. All it had taken was his first breath of morning air and he knew that it was done. For good or ill, the Bug had run it's course and was through with him. He remained absolutely motionless for several minutes, taking slow breaths and just savoring the absence of any aches or pains... even the minor ones, which had troubled him for several years.
Finally though, Howard reached down between his legs, his fingers nervously probing his crotch. As he had expected, there was no sign of his penis, only a female slit. Then, he pushed his covers aside and sat up, taking several deep breaths before bringing himself to look down at his finished body, specifically the point where his fingers still lingered.
"Interesting," was all that Howard could bring himself to say as he stared at the smooth and hairless vagina of a little girl.
After several minutes of just silently staring at himself, Howard turned and dropped his legs over the edge of the bed. It was still a little bit of a surprise at how much further away the ground seemed than normal. However, he didn't dwell on that as he hopped off of the bed and hurried to the mirror.
The reflection that met Howard in the mirror was what he had expected, being almost identical to what was there the night before. But that didn't make it any less amazing. Any less mesmerizing. Howard stared intently as it sank in that this was his face now. That this was the reflection he would see in the mirror from then on.
"Shit," Howard sighed, then gave a weak chuckle as he told himself, "Little girls shouldn't use such language."
A girl of approximately 9 or 10 years old stared back at Howard from the mirror. She had extremely dark brown hair that was almost black and dark eyes to go with it. Her face was rather cute, giving Howard the impression that she would one day grow up to be a real beauty. That was something that he was not looking forward to and decided not to think about just yet.
"One day at a time," Howard told himself as he tore his thoughts away from what he might one day become if the Bug didn't get to him again. With a faint smile, he decided to make that his new motto. "One day at a time..."
Several minutes later, Howard turned away from the mirror, realizing that for the first time in several days... he was hungry. Really hungry. With that, he halfway ran to the kitchen to get something to eat. As he did so, he was surprised at just how wide awake and energetic he felt for the morning. And that was without even a single cup of coffee.
"Well, I guess there are benefits to being young again," Howard told himself, realizing that he felt much better than he could ever remember feeling. Not only was he nearly bursting with energy, but he didn't feel any of the tiny aches and discomforts, which came with growing older. The ones he'd grown so used to that he didn't even usually notice. "Wow..." he gasped in amazement, "I feel so... alive." It was a strange realization for Howard, but true nonetheless.
Just then, Howard's stomach grumbled in reminder that it was still there and that it had not been properly filled in several days. He wasted no more time in pouring himself a bowl of Cheerios, which he quickly wolfed down. It also filled him up a lot quicker than was normal. Then, once Howard was finished eating, he took his morning pictures, the last he would need for the documentation of his changes.
A short time later, Howard leaned over the bathtub, watching it fill up with warm water. A faint smile formed as he thought of how nice it would feel to sink into, though he was not consciously aware of it. It had been several days since he had last taken a shower, since the morning before he had found himself infected with the Bug. There was no doubt that Howard was in desperate of it as well.
"Oh... yeah," Howard sighed when he climbed into the tub, smiling a little more openly. "That feels nice."
Howard just leaned back in the tub, soaking up the warmth from the water and marveling at just how much larger the tub seemed from normal. He had to admit that he rather enjoyed the extra room, as he no longer felt cramped in there. That was one of the reasons that he normally never bothered with a bath. Or at least the reason that he hadn't before the change.
Eventually, Howard sat up and reached for the soap and washcloth. He took his time as he washed up, carefully going over every inch of his body and studying it... familiarizing himself with the nearly alien form he now wore. There was little doubt in his mind that he was going to be wearing it for some time to come.
Then there was the thought that he might not necessarily be stuck as a child. With the Burke virus, Howard knew that in just another month or two, he might catch it again and get turned back into an adult... and a man. But then, he cut those thoughts short, knowing just how unlikely something like that would be. The fact was, he told himself, the only way he was probably going to become an adult again was the old fashioned way. With time.
With a wry smile, Howard reminded himself, "One day at a time."
Still, the peaceful bath proved a natural place for Howard to think about his situation. And by the time he climbed out of it, he was not only clean but inspired. He was filled with a calm determination and a sure knowledge of what he was going to need to take care of.
"First thing first," Howard stated as he looked down at his body, wrapped up with the towel he had used to dry himself with.
Not wanting to waste time, Howard went to the phone and made several calls. He called his supervisor Theresa and let her know what had happened to him as well as that he would not be in for another two days. Though he might no longer be sick from the Bug, he was still going to need the time to get things back together. Then Howard made a second call, this time to an old girlfriend whom he still remained on good terms with.
"Hello..." Howard started nervously, feeling extremely uncomfortable with this but knowing that it had to be done. "Patty?" He took a deep breath when he recognized Patty's voice on the other end, asking who it was. "This is Howard," he told her in embarrassment.
"Who?" Patty asked, sounding a bit confused.
Howard frowned, suspecting that she thought he was some kid playing a practical joke. "This is Howard," he repeated, trying to keep his voice calm and even, "Howard Bell." There was another pause where he was sure that he could feel the disbelief from the other end. "I came down with a case of Burke's."
Patty gasped, "Is that really you Howard?" Once he had assured her that it was, she exclaimed, "I'm so sorry. What... what did it do?"
Pausing for another moment to look down at himself, Howard told her, "Do you still have some clothes that Amber might have outgrown?"
Amber was Patty's daughter, an 11 and a half year old girl who was not too much larger than Howard was now. She would be a good source of the clothes that Howard was in desperate need of. Or at least enough to get him started.
"Yes, I..." Patty gasped in realization, "Oh dear..."
"Would you mind my borrowing some of them then?" Howard asked, trying to keep the embarrassment from his voice. "I'm afraid that my own clothes don't exactly fit anymore... and I thought that Amber was close to my size..."
"I've got a lot going on at work today," Patty started to say, then added, "But I'm sure I can make a quick stop at home and drop some things off for you..."
Howard thanked her, then told her, "I'll see you then." When he hung up the phone a moment later, he let out a faint sigh of relief and silently checked off the first item on his mental checklist.
It was nearly an hour later when the doorbell rang and Howard went to answer it, wearing nothing except one of his old shirts. However, at his current size, it fit him more like a dress. Then with a grimace, and mixed feelings of nervousness, embarrassment and relief, he answered the door.
"Oh my God!" Patty exclaimed from the doorway, one of her hands going to her mouth in surprise as she looked down at Howard. "I know you told me... I can't believe it."
Cringing faintly in embarrassment, Howard looked up at Patty and gave a forced though weak smile. She seemed so tall... At 5 foot 4, she had always been 6 inches shorter than him, though now it was more like the other way around. She was at least that much taller than him now, possibly as much as 8 inches. It was an extremely strange feeling for Howard to look up at her, but he tried not to show his discomfort... at least not too much.
"Thanks for coming," Howard told her, gesturing for the woman to come inside.
Patty quickly came inside, holding a garbage bag in one of her hands. She seemed a bit uncomfortable herself as she went by Howard, staring at him with pure amazement in her eyes. It was obvious that she wasn't too much more at ease with Howard than he was with her, which in an odd way gave him a faint sense of relief.
"This is really weird," Patty announced as she set the bag on the floor. "Sometimes I think that Burke's virus is God's idea of a joke."
"Tell me about it," Howard joked weakly, "You wouldn't believe how weird this is for me." Then he added, "At least when you caught the Bug, all you had to worry about was a little bit of weight."
"A little bit?" Patty gasped, her eyes going wider, "It made me gain nearly 20 pounds. You know how hard that was to get rid of?" She shook her head, then admitted, "I guess it would be a little easier than this..."
There was an uncomfortable silence for a minute as both of them just stared at each other, not sure of exactly what to say. Then Patty reached into the garbage bag and began pulling out clothes and setting them on the floor.
"I brought some of Amber's old clothes," Patty said, "But I'm afraid that a lot of her older stuff has already been given away." She looked apologetic at that, but then grinned as she added, "But I did bring a pair of her old shoes." And with that, she held a pair of pink sneakers up for Howard's inspection.
Though he winced at the girlie pink, he responded with a sincere, "Thank you. I really appreciate this."
Patty just shrugged it off. "What are friends for?"
For a moment, Howard regretted that their relationship hadn't worked out. But in the end, he suspected that it was for the best. Patty and him had gotten along great when they were together, though there was a noticeable lack of passion. Overall though, she made a far better friend than a girlfriend, and he was sure that she was of a similar opinion.
Then Patty looked down at her watch and frowned slightly. "Do you need me for anything else right now?"
"Not at the moment," Howard responded quietly, still staring at the clothes. He looked back up at her, remembering that she said it was busy at her office. "Now that I've got something to wear, I can manage everything else."
With an apologetic look, Patty gushed, "I really wish that I did have more time to help you out, but I've really got to get going. My desk is probably buried by now..."
"I understand," Howard told her with an honest chuckle, "Thanks again for the clothes. You have no idea how much I appreciate this..."
After several more apologies and good-byes, Patty hurried out the door, leaving Howard once again on his own. This time, with a small pile of clothes in front of him, which he returned to looking through. He was surprised to find that there were not only a couple pairs of socks included, but an unopened package of girl's underwear.
"Thank you Patty," Howard exclaimed with heartfelt gratitude.
It didn't take very long before Howard was fully dressed in his new clothes. The underwear was just a little big for him, though at least they were still quite wearable. Not at all like his old ones. The rest of the clothes were actually a better fit, even if he wasn't particularly thrilled with the girlie styles.
With a frown, Howard looked down at the pink shirt he was now wearing, clearly labeled with the words 'Girl Power' across the front. There hadn't been a lot of choice though as there had only been 3 shirts with the clothes. One of the others had said 'Princess' on it and was covered with hearts and unicorns, while the last shirt had been decorated with those old cartoon characters The Powerpuff Girls.
"At least it's something to wear," Howard told himself with a faint smile. That was a lot more than he could have said just a short while earlier.
Once Howard was sure that he was ready, including tying his hair back into a ponytail, he took a deep breath and stepped out the front door. A chill ran down his spine as he took the first step, as well as a growing fear. The outside world was suddenly a lot bigger and more dangerous than it had been for him before. Still, he refused to just sit inside and cower.
"I may look like a little girl," Howard hissed as he started walking again, "But I'll be damned if I act like one."
Just a short walk later, and Howard found himself at the nearest bus stop, and soon riding on the bus itself. He grimaced when the bus driver asked him where his 'mommy' was, but Howard had kept his cool and calmly pointed out that he was just a victim of the Bug. That quieted the bus driver down, as well as gave him sympathetic looks from the small number of other passengers.
Howard frowned as he looked out the bus window, then turned his attention to the newspaper that someone had left in the seat beside him. A moment later, he had picked the paper up and was reading through it. An article on the front page particularly caught his attention.
The article was on a pedophilia case that looked as though it might head up to the Supreme Court. Apparently, the 'model' of some pictures was a 33 year old former Penthouse model whom the Bug had changed into a 7 year old girl. And there was some question as to whether or not she and the photographer could be charged with pedophilia since she was an adult woman, albeit with a child's body. The situation seemed to be fairly controversial.
Just the week before, Howard knew that he would have just skipped past that story, though now it seemed a lot more relevant to his current situation. It also seemed to touch on him personally, on the question of whether he would be considered a child or an adult.
And for the first time, Howard was suddenly thankful for the anti-discrimination laws that were put into effect to protect victims of the Bug. For him, like so many others, it meant that he couldn't be fired from his job just because his body had changed. Not unless he was no longer capable of doing it, that was... or if some reasonable adjustments couldn't be made.
"Who ever would have thought I'd be thankful for that law," Howard muttered, knowing that he hadn't really given it a second thought before.
Howard was somewhat frustrated by the long bus ride, especially when he had a car sitting in his driveway. Unfortunately though, he knew that he wouldn't be able to reach the pedals or drive the car. That left him with public transportation, and a transfer to another bus. Fortunately though, he was able to make it to his destination with no more problems than being stared at and patronized because of his appearance.
Eventually, Howard looked up and muttered, "Finally here," reading the sign for the Department of Motor Vehicles.
He slowly made his way inside and stood in line, pulling out his own driver's license to stare at it while he waited. It certainly didn't do him much good anymore, which was why he was there. It didn't take long before he was directed to fill out some paperwork and then sent to an office where he faced a woman behind a desk.
The woman behind the desk was a black woman who looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties. A placard on the desk said that her name was Ms. Lee. And at the moment, she was reading through the pages of paperwork that Howard had filled out a short while earlier.
Finally, Ms. Lee looked at Howard, a sympathetic expression on her face, "We get a number of people who need new licenses because of the Burke's virus." She flipped through the papers, then continued, "I'll need to verify your identity before I can issue you a new one though."
"I understand," Howard responded quietly, feeling a bit unsettled though determined not to show it.
Then feeling a little more confident, Howard handed her a manila envelope that was filled with all of the pictures he'd taken during his transformation. He smiled faintly at the look of surprise on Ms. Lee's face when she looked at them.
"Wow," she chuckled as she flipped through the photos, "This will definitely help speed that up."
"I thought that it might," Howard told her, feeling relieved at having thought of it.
Ms. Lee just shook her head, still looking amused. "It would certainly make my job easier if everyone documented their changes like this." Then she looked up at Howard and sighed, "I wish that I'd thought of doing it. It certainly would have made getting my license changed a bit easier."
Howard blinked in faint surprise, "You had to go through this too?"
She just smiled a little self-consciously before admitting, "I used to be Asian."
Feeling a little more at ease with Ms. Lee after that admission, he admitted, "I don't know what good the license is going to do me though. I can't exactly reach the pedals of my car anymore."
"Oh," Ms. Lee responded with a nod, reaching into one of her desk drawers, "I might be able to help you a little with that." Howard was a bit unsure of what she meant until she handed him a business card, saying, "Give this company a call. They install adaptation packages into cars for people in your situation. They even do house calls for people who can't bring their cars in."
All Howard could do was stare at the small business card in surprise, as well as relief before responding, "Thanks."
Ms. Lee nodded, "We get a few people in who need help with special circumstances like yours, so I try to help send them in the right direction."
Smiling to himself, Howard decided that he wasn't going to badmouth the DMV ever again. At least not until the next time he got a hassle for a license renewal.
After this, things went quickly and a short time later, Howard left the building with a brand new driver's license clutched in his small hands. He smiled as he stared at it, noticing how much different it was from the old license. But then again, that was no surprise as people who'd been drastically altered like him received a special license.
The outside of Howard's new license had a blue border, showing that he had a special 'Burke's' license and was indeed an adult, in spite of his appearance. The license even had two sets of information on it, such as his real name and date of birth. However, it also included details on his current physical statistics and apparent age, even with a picture that looked like it had come from some elementary school yearbook.
But there was one other thing on the license, which Howard stared at specifically. He'd been a bit startled when Ms. Lee had pointed out the option and suggested that he use it. However, after brief consideration, he realized that it made a lot of sense. The name 'Howard' didn't exactly fit his new gender.
Ms. Lee had told him about 'alternames', which a lot of people who'd changed gender were starting to use. It was sort of a legalized nickname for his new gender, or an easy to do name change at the same time. Not only did the DMV put that onto his license in addition to his real name, but they sent paperwork to other agencies, and his bank, which would have his new 'altername' made official so that he could actually use either that or his real name to sign legal documents and even his checks.
Then, Howard read the altername he'd chosen off of his new license again and tested it aloud. "Hayley."
It sounded a little odd his ears, just as it had when he'd given it in Ms. Lee's office, though he knew that he'd get used to it. He already rather liked the name, as it was simple, non-presumptuous and not overused. After all, those were some of the reason's that he'd chosen it, though if he would have had more time to think about it, he might very well have chosen something else instead. But even though he rather liked the name, Howard doubted that he'd ever actually think of himself by that name. He'd been 'Howard' for far too long.
"Hayley," he repeated again before putting the license away and pulling out the business card Ms. Lee had given him instead.
After locating a nearby pay phone, Howard called the number on the card and made an appointment for later that afternoon. He was relieved to find out that he'd be able to have his car available for use again that soon. It was far better than he had hoped for.
With that completed, Howard checked off several more items on his mental checklist then looked down himself with a faint sigh. The very next thing he was going to have to do, Howard decided, was get some decent clothes. As appreciative as he was of Amber's hand-me-downs, he would rather have had something a little less... girlie.
Howard sighed and started on his way towards the store for some new clothes. He still wasn't used to the fact that everyone he walked past was much taller than him, making him feel incredibly small and insignificant. People didn't even seem to notice him and there were a number of times that they nearly bumped into him, mostly without even so much as an 'excuse me'.
One particularly obnoxious woman bent down with a smug 'know it all' expression and told Howard, "Little girls like you should not be out here alone." Then before Howard could even think of anything to say, she grabbed hold of his arm and started to drag him down the street announcing, "The police will get you home..."
Though Howard tried talking to the woman, she refused to listen, not even seeming to hear him. It was as if being in the body of a kid made him beneath her notice, except to boss him around. Howard was pissed and getting more so with every passing second as he struggle to get away.
Finally, on a sudden inspiration, Howard bent forward and bit the woman's hand. She howled in pain but let go of him, much to his relief.
"You nasty little girl!" the woman screamed at Howard.
He just jumped back, glaring up at her, "Shut the fuck up you stupid BITCH!"
Everyone in the street suddenly froze and stared at Howard in shock, obviously not expecting a 'little girl' to use such language. The woman just stood there with her mouth open, "Why I never..."
"NO," Howard spat, "you don't listen... or think either for that matter."
The woman grabbed at him again, her expression indicating and the way she was raising her hand indicating what she had in mind, "I'll teach you to mind your elders..."
However, Howard had absolutely no intention of being spanked by this stranger and jumped back, "You touch me again and I'll have you arrested for assault and battery lady, as well as attempted kidnapping."
"Kid..." some man off to the side started to get involved.
Howard held a hand out to indicate that the man should stay back, then snarled, "I'm 36 years old... not some damn kid." He glared at the surprised woman and then the people surrounding him, forcing himself to calm down. "You can't just go grabbing people off of the street and dragging them around."
Taking a hard glare at the obviously offended woman who looked as though she still wanted to throw him over her knee and give him a spanking, Howard snapped around and hurried away, trying to ignore the strange looks he was getting from the people on the street. And as he left her behind, Howard still got pleasure from the wish that she not only catch the Bug, but come out of it as an infant.
By the time Howard got to the store, he had almost put the incident with the mad woman out of his mind. Instead, he focused on what he was going to need from the store at the moment, and then on going to find it.
"Shoes, shirts, underwear..." Howard muttered to himself as he pushed the large cart in front of him.
Then he saw a man giving him a look, similar to what he'd gotten from a number of other people, including the mad lady on the street. It was a recognition that he was a cute kid, as well as curiosity as to what a 'little girl' was doing pushing a shopping cart on her own, without sign of any parent in sight.
Howard let out a sigh and thought about the driver's license that he'd put into a convenient pocket. After getting the 'kid treatment' and patronizing tone several times, he had found that showing people his license and proving that he was really an adult was a good way of getting them to leave him alone. However, afterwards they tended to treat him more as though he was handicapped than a kid, which was nearly as annoying.
Deciding to get ahead of the game, Howard made a faint show of pulling out his license and taking a look at it... making sure that the man who'd been watching him could see the blue band on the outside. Then he put it away, noticing the look on the man's face before he turned and left Howard alone. It almost brought a smile to Howard's lips.
The shopping took a little longer than Howard had expected, mostly because of the trouble getting the cashier to accept his credit card. In the end though, he managed to convince them that he was who he said he was, and he walked out of the store with several bags full of new clothes. And they were heavy enough to make Howard decide to take a taxi home instead of struggling through the bus again.
"Three things down," Howard told himself tiredly as he climbed into the waiting taxi, "and only a million more to do." He frowned, deciding that being turned into a girl was turning out to be a real pain. And somehow, he suspected that work wasn't going to be any better.
Howard stood in front of the mirror with a faint scowl, looking over his clothes and making several adjustments. Even though these clothes looked rather businesslike... or as much as he could get them without having them custom made, he still was not happy with his appearance. It just wasn't professional enough looking.
"Damn," Howard muttered, letting out a sigh of near defeat.
With a scowl, Howard tossed himself onto his bed, not aware that he looked as though he was pouting. His mind was filled with fears and worries as he confronted his first day back to work. All he could think of was how humiliated he'd be when everyone saw him like that, that they wouldn't take him seriously at all. It took every bit of willpower that he possessed to fight back the urge from calling in sick again.
"I have to get this over with," Howard told himself, knowing that he couldn't hide forever.
It had been two days since he'd woken up, completely transformed into a girl and with the Bug having finished it's work. Though he'd accomplished most of his necessary tasks during that day, he had still being doing more of them the day before. Though in fact, Howard knew that a large part of that was just him trying to get used to what he'd become, and in a way... hiding from it.
Taking a deep breath, Howard hopped back off the bed, still amazed at just how energetic he now felt first thing in the morning. He returned to the mirror, adjusting his hair again and making sure his ponytail was done up tight. Just the day before, he'd gone to the barber to get it cut short, but changed his mind at the last minute and only had it trimmed instead. Though he wasn't sure why, he found that he rather liked the feel of the long hair against his back. It made him feel a little more comfortable, reminding him somewhat of a security blanket, even if he wouldn't admit it to anyone else.
"All right then," Howard exclaimed, giving a forced smile as he turned and headed for the door, picking up his much larger seeming than normal briefcase on the way.
Howard paused in the driveway once he'd opened the car door and stared at the adaptation package that the company Ms. Lee referred him to had installed. Fortunately though, it was cheaper than he'd expected. The package looked something like child's car seat, which had been strapped in to position Howard to see out the window and reach the wheel with ease. Several extensions had been added to the pedals so that Howard was now capable of reaching those as well.
"Good thing I had an automatic," Howard chuckled, remembering how the people who'd installed it told him how much more difficult driving with a stick shift would be, not to mention more expensive. As it was, he'd already found that the package worked wonders and had returned full auto mobility to Howard. It was an incredible relief for him, as well as a large boost to his weakened sense of independence.
As Howard climbed up into his seat and positioned himself, he couldn't resist smiling faintly as he thought about what the people who saw him driving thought. He'd already gotten some funny looks just the day before, as well as being pulled over by a cop who thought it strange for a little girl to be driving. Fortunately, he had thought to get his new license before anything else.
A short while later, Howard stood in front of the doors to his office building, looking ahead of him with a nervous scowl. There was still a strong temptation to just turn around and leave, to call in sick. Taking more time to get used to his altered body was sounding more and more reasonable with every passing moment. However, Howard had never been one to run away from a challenge and wasn't about to start now.
Letting out a sigh, Howard reminded himself, "Just take it one day at a time."
With that, he stepped through the doors and faced the security desk. The guard who was sitting behind it gave Howard what had by that time become a familiar look. One of helpful patronization.
"Are you looking for your parents?" the security guard gently asked Howard.
Howard just rolled his eyes, getting more than a little tired of that reaction. He scowled as he held out both of his hands, one holding his security badge with the now outdated picture while the other revealed his new driver's license.
"I'm going to need an updated badge photo," Howard stated calmly, faintly amused by the expression on the guard's face.
Gulping in obvious embarrassment, the guard blurted out, "I'm sorry Mr. Bell," Then he added, "You'll need to go to the security office and get that taken care of today."
"Of course," Howard agreed as he walked on past, feeling just a tiny bit better.
When Howard made it to his area, he was quite aware of all the odd looks he was getting. He wasn't surprised though, knowing how odd the sight of a little girl carrying a briefcase through there was. The thought of just what had to be running through their minds even brought a faint smile to Howard's face. However, the butterflies in his stomach quickly made the smile fade away.
Finally, Howard decided to get it over with. He paused, surprising several people when he climbed onto one of the desks and stood up.
"Look everybody," Howard called out loudly, gesturing for everyone's attention, "This is me... Howard." He looked around, seeing that he had everyone's undivided attention. "Yes, I caught Burke's... so take a good look now and get it over with." With that, he spun around to give everyone a good look at him.
There were a lot of gasps and whispers from all around, but not quite as many as Howard had expected. He suspected that Theresa must have spread the word to expect something like this. In a way, it was a bit of a relief for Howard, though at the same time, he felt a little disappointed that he didn't create more of a stir. It was almost anticlimactic in a way.
Once Howard had finished answering all of the questions, he retreated to the safety of his office and collapsed into his chair. At the same time though, he was immediately struck by just how much larger both his chair and desk were than normal and knew that he'd have to adjust the heights a little bit. Or at the very least, sit on a phone book for the moment.
"I feel like a damn midget," Howard muttered as he tried getting himself back into the swing of things and at least catch up on what he missed while sick. "Or a little kid..."
Howard quickly discovered that even his computer keyboard now possessed certain size problems for him. His fingers were no longer long enough to use it in the manner that he was used to, leaving him with little choice but to go back to the old 'hunt and peck' method of typing. It was far too slow for his tastes, not to mention frustrating.
"Mental note," Howard finally exclaimed in exasperation, "Call I.T. and see about getting that voice control package installed." He'd been offered the package some months earlier but had turned it down, not seeing any need to talk to his computer. However, he knew very well that circumstances had changed.
After several hours, Howard had managed to go through a large amount of the papers on his desk, but he still had a bit to catch up on. The process of catching up had been slowed down though due to the fact that nearly everyone seemed to find some excuse to poke their head into his office. In spite of Howard's show upon first arriving, they were still filled with curiosity and he suspected they would be for awhile. Or at least until they got used to seeing a little girl in the manager's office.
Deciding to take a break, Howard hurried out of his office, feeling a little antsy and in need of some movement. He smiled faintly to himself, realizing that having the energy of a little kid had a downside as well. It made sitting for long periods of time quite a bit more difficult to do than before.
Almost as soon as Howard started moving towards the break room, he found himself face to face... or face to stomach with Bill Preston, a friend from another section.
"Wow..." Bill exclaimed as he looked down at Howard, the amazement obvious in his face. "I'd heard about you Howard, but..." He shook his head and said, "My mother in law got a similar treatment... Turned into a teenage girl."
"That's nice," Howard sighed, rolling his eyes slightly and wishing that he'd gotten off so easily.
"Um... so," Bill started, obviously as uncomfortable as Howard and a bit unsure of what to say, "Going out for a smoke?"
Howard just shook his head, giving a wry grin, "No. I figured that this was as good a time to quit as any."
"Yeah," Bill chuckled, weakly joking, "I guess you don't want to stunt your growth."
That nearly made Howard chuckle himself, "Yeah. I suppose that I'll have to cut out coffee as well."
Bill grinned at that, looking a little more comfortable with Howard now that they were talking. "Well, I can hear the nicotine calling me so I'll see you later." And with that, Bill continued towards the exit door.
With a slight smile, Howard continued towards the break room, pleased that at least some things hadn't really changed. It certainly made it easier to get along with all of the things that had.
Once Howard got to the break room and sat down, he mumbled, "Apple juice and gummy bears."
It hardly seemed the proper snack for a 36 year old man, even if he was in a child's body. However, he had decided to take his joke about cutting down on the coffee seriously. The reason though was not what he and Bill had joked about, but the fact he had tried some earlier that morning and found it far too bitter. Coffee was an acquired taste, and one which he had apparently lost. As a trade off though, Howard found that he seemed to have acquired a bit of a sweet tooth.
"Just what I need," Howard halfhearted joked to himself as he a gummy bear, "A sugar rush." He felt hyper enough as it was half the time.
Several minutes later, Howard sighed and got up, deciding that it was time to relieve himself. He cursed his 'tiny' bladder under his breath as he made his way towards the rest rooms, pausing once he was there to look back and forth between the men's and women's, unsure of which he should use. Of course his body was currently female, but he knew that his mind was still very well that of a man. Going into either restroom could provide embarrassment as well as possible problems with anyone inside.
"Damn it," Howard muttered to himself before hesitantly entering the women's room. "I hope no one thinks I'm a pervert."
At the same time, he blushed in embarrassment, halfway feeling like one. Fortunately though, no one else was inside... at least not that time.
When Howard finally returned to his office, he was almost immediately faced with Todd, who stood there with a folder in his hand and a nervous expression on his face. He looked down at Howard, obviously a bit unsure of how to deal with the situation. As much as it annoyed Howard, he already knew how to deal with it.
"What is it?" Howard asked a little sharply, having already found that it eased the situation if he took charge and reminded them who he really was inside.
Todd blinked in faint surprise but immediately recovered as his professionalism took over. "There's another problem with the Murphy account..." Howard managed not to give an audible groan as Todd started to give him details.
"All right," Howard told Bill, who was obviously uneasy, "calm down." He gave his best calm and assuring expression, hoping that it didn't look too ridiculous from his childish face, "Here's what we're going to do..."
Howard spent the next several minutes carefully explaining what he had in mind while Todd listened in rapt attention. When Howard finished, Todd gave him a smile of relief before rushing out the door to get to work on it, more than satisfied that Howard was indeed the same person inside. And at the same time, Howard smiled as well, feeling a little more sure of himself now that he was getting back into his normal routine and proving to still be capable.
It was nearly lunchtime when Howard was staring at his computer screen and absently tugging at his ponytail while he considered his options. The monitor in front of him showed several options available for the latest in personal self defense tools, specifically small stun guns and pepper spray. Ever since Howard had been accosted by the mad woman on the street several days earlier, he had been thinking about getting something of that sort. It was obvious that he was no longer quite as capable of taking care of himself as he once was, being much smaller and more vulnerable. Instead, he was going to need something to defend himself with and one of those would do nicely.
Then, not for the first time, Howard sighed, "Why couldn't I just have been turned into some sort of bodybuilder instead?" It certainly would have made things a whole lot easier. After a moment though, Howard reminded himself that it was no use in crying over spilled milk. The changes had happened, and like them or not, he would just have to deal with them. "If wishes were horses," Howard announced aloud, "We'd all have to watch where we stepped."
With a shrug, Howard hopped off of his chair and stretched his body, deciding that it was time to go out for another walk around. He was beginning to feel a bit antsy again and nearly any excuse to move around would be welcomed.
As Howard made his way down the hallway just a minute later, he carried a thick folder, which he was going to deliver to Theresa. Though he could have easily just had it delivered by someone else, it gave him the excuse he needed to go see her. Or more specifically, to let her see him. He hadn't seen his supervisor since coming to work that morning and thought that it would be easier if he got the first face to face meeting with her since his transformation out of the way. At the same time, Howard felt apprehensive about, as well as embarrassed and a bit worried, though he tried to keep those emotions under control.
Just then, a woman turned the corner in front of Howard and started walking down the hall towards him. It was Susan Shweitzer, a friend of his who worked in another section. She blinked upon noticing him, obviously still unsure about Howard's changes.
"Hi short stuff..." Susan said as she stopped by Howard, deciding to take the casual route.
Howard just winced at that, especially at the irony of the fact that Susan was only 5 foot 1 but now seemed rather tall in comparison. There was also the fact that she had just called him short stuff, something which he had called her once or twice before. She was obviously amused by the sudden turnabout and Howard suspected that he was going to hear that one for some time to come.
"At least I'll grow taller," Howard teased her back, "But you'll always be short."
Susan just laughed and stuck out her tongue. "I guess you've got me there... short stuff." They both shared a chuckle at that before Susan turned more serious. "How are you doing?"
That was a difficult a difficult question for Howard, but he did his best to answer it. "I'm not really sure yet." He frowned thoughtfully, "Physically, I feel fine, but... Let's just say that I'm adjusting... or at least trying to."
"Oh," Susan responded, looking a little uncomfortable again, as well as sympathetic. "I couldn't imagine going through what you have to be." She shook her head with a frown and sighed, "What kind of disease can do something like this?"
There was no response to that though as they both knew that question had been asked countless times since Burke's Biomorphic Virus had been discovered, and they still seemed no closer to a real answer. All they... or anybody really knew for sure was that its effects could be quite drastic on a person's life.
After several seconds of uncomfortable silence, Susan stared down at Howard intently for a moment before gently asking, "What's it like?"
Howard frowned, not sure how to answer that or if he even should. Then he leaned back against the wall and looked up at Susan, who quickly crouched down so that they could be on more even level.
"It's strange," he finally answered in a quiet voice that Susan could barely hear. Then in a slightly louder tone, he continued, "And scary."
"I'm sorry..." Susan started.
But Howard cut her off by holding up one hand slightly and stating a little more confidently, "Changing gender isn't all that different, except for having to sit down to take a leak." Then Howard looked up and gave a forced smile, "But I think that might change in a few years... when puberty kicks in again."
He shuddered at the thought of having periods, silently thankful that he had plenty of time to get used to the idea first. There was even a moment of flickering wonder of whether or not the new hormones in his body might make him start liking guys. He could still appreciate a nice woman's body, but he hadn't felt any real sexual stirring since his change. But he knew that this was something to worry about later.
"The hard part," he continued, staring down at his tiny hands, "is being a kid again. Being so small..." Howard took a deep breath, fighting back the tears of frustration that threatened to come. "Everything seems so huge... and I feel so small and helpless. Even normal things that I took for granted can be real hard. But I think that the worst thing is that everyone keeps treating me like a kid... like my opinion doesn't matter. I have a college degree, yet people assume that I'm too stupid to even cross the street on my own. Do you have any idea of how infuriating it is to be constantly patronized... even by people young enough to be my own kids?" There was both force and venom in Howard's voice as he finished this last.
All Susan could do for a moment was nod sympathetically. "I've got some idea," she finally told Howard, giving a weak smile. "I've gotten that a bit myself, both because I'm a woman and my height." She let out a sigh, fighting back the temptation to put a hand on Howard's shoulder, "I guess a lot of people just assume that anyone who's too short must be incapable."
After a moment, Howard chuckled and forced a smile. "At least it's not that bad around here." He had been nervous about coming in that morning because he had half expected to get that treatment. It was bad enough from strangers, but from people he'd worked with and even considered friends... Fortunately, his fears had been mostly unrealized. "Probably because everyone knows who I really am now." Then Howard grinned, "And it might have something to do with the fact that they know I still fill out their performance evaluations."
"It might at that," Susan laughed.
For the next several minutes, Howard and Susan continued to talk, with Howard feeling relieved by the normalcy of it all. And by the time he and Susan went their separate ways, he was in a better mood, as well as grateful his friend had not treated him much different than before. The feeling of normalcy was not only welcome... but almost necessary for maintaining his sanity.
Some hours later, Howard was sitting in his office and scowling as he held the phone to his ear. At the moment, it was taking nearly every ounce of willpower that he possessed to keep from screaming at the person on the other end, or do something else that could just as easily be taken as a temper tantrum.
"Look," Howard told the secretary on the phone, "I told you already, I need to talk to Ian Matthews..." Then he rolled his eyes, clenching his fists as she interrupted with the now familiar patronization. "Tell him that it's Hayley Bell," Howard insisted, interrupting the secretary in turn. "He knows me as Howard Bell from before I contracted Burke's..."
There was a moment of dead quiet before the secretary weakly responded, "Of course Mr... Ms... Bell." Her whole tone changed a bit at that point and Howard knew that she recognized his name.
Once Howard had gotten past the secretary, it only took a few minutes to take care of the business he needed to with Ian Matthews, setting the Murphy account back on track. At least for the moment. And before hanging up, Howard finished with, "...and remember, I'm going by the name Hayley now."
Almost as soon as Howard had put the phone down, he was startled with a voice asking, "Hayley?"
"Huh?" Howard nearly jumped in surprise to see Vic Charles, one of his workers standing at the door. The new 'altername' was still strange to hear.
"Interesting name," Vic commented noncommittally.
With a shrug, Howard muttered, "Well, Howard didn't exactly seem appropriate anymore."
"That's cool," Vic nodded, an amused smile beginning to form, "But maybe you shoulda called yourself Tinker."
Howard quickly glared at Vic, who just laughed in response. "I just needed your John Hancock," Vic announced, then added, "Or is that Jane Hancock?"
"Just give it," Howard grumbled as he took the paper Vic offered, quickly scanning it and seeing that it was in order before he started to sign it. He paused for a moment though, not sure exactly which name to use before deciding that he might as well get used to his new one.
Vic gave a quick thanks before ducking back out the door, leaving Howard to shake his head slightly and hope that he hadn't just gained a new nickname around the office. It was going to be hard enough to keep everyone's respect and he didn't need the added challenge of people calling him Tinker Bell behind his back. Or to his face for that matter. But on the other hand, he had to admit that it was almost amusing.
For a moment, Howard just closed his eyes, absently running his fingers through his soft hair as he thought and tried to let himself relax. There was a meeting he was scheduled for in just a short while and he had been dreading it all day. Howard cringed at the thought of facing the other managers in his new body, already feeling the humiliation.
"Damn," Howard muttered to himself.
Though Howard had already run into one or two of the other people who would be in the meeting, Howard knew that facing everyone together was an entirely different matter. It was not the same situation as dealing with those who worked for him. This was something else entirely different, and quite possibly lethal to his career.
"Damn," he repeated, still running his hands through his ponytail, finding it oddly soothing.
Howard had tried not to think about it during the day, but the meeting was the place where office politics could come into play. Just as in every office, there were some of the politics and infighting for position, and Howard's new situation left him with a new vulnerability. If he didn't convince everyone that he was still just as capable as always, it could and most likely would erode any respect and support for his position. And without that, he might as well just empty his desk.
Finally, Howard opened his eyes and announced, "Enough of this self pity."
With a snort, Howard started grabbing his presentation materials, still feeling nervous but even more determined. There was no way that he was going to cower like a scared little girl afraid of being bullied. That was a self fulfilling prophecy that he wanted nothing to do with. In spite of his body, he was still an adult inside and was damn well going to act like one.
Then, Howard reached back and pulled his ponytail tight, adjusted his clothes and smiled as confidently as he could. "Go knock them dead kid," he told himself as he started for the meeting.
Almost the second that Howard walked into the meeting room, he could feel all eyes locking on him. Of course, he knew that it was unusual to see what looked like a girl waking into a meeting like that, but it was the fact that the eyes seemed to be weighing him and finding him lacking that annoyed Howard. However, he refused to show any sign of what he felt, taking his seat and letting the meeting start.
"Maybe we should have brought a high chair for her," Greg Peters commented from the other side of the table with a smirk.
Howard frowned slightly in annoyance, having suspected that Greg would be the first person to start up. He and Greg had never really gotten along, especially since their offices often had to compete with each other for recourses and budget. And Howard suspected that Greg would really have liked to get someone a little more... favorable to him, into Howard's job.
Greg continued with several more snipes and comments during the first several presentations, even getting a few of the other's to snicker along with him. Though it was a little annoying, Howard just kept a casual expression and pretended that he didn't even hear Greg. It was obvious that Greg was trying to push his buttons, to get him to make some sort of reaction, and Howard wasn't about to let that happen.
When it was finally time for Howard's presentation, he stood up, ignoring yet another of Greg's barbs. He casually put his slides into the projector then pulled a chair up to give him a little more height advantage. Then he stood there, looking over the table and the faces that all faced towards him, a mixture of expressions visible.
"Hello," Howard announced, "I'm sure you've all noticed a few changes since my report last week."
Almost as if on cue, Greg asked, "Your diapers?"
"I've decided to change my hairstyle for one," Howard continued with a pleasant smile as if Greg hadn't spoken, earning a number of chuckles from around the room, "and I've started using the name Hayley for another."
Then Howard started to give his presentation, having to stop after several sentences as Greg's comments were getting not only more numerous, but more disruptive.
Finally, Howard decided that he'd had enough and gave a calm smile in Greg's direction, announcing, "Please use your indoor voice Mr. Peters." He made sure to use his most patronizing tone and was amazed by the reaction.
Greg suddenly paled at having what appeared to be a child patronizing him, while several of the other managers chuckled weakly while most just stared in surprise.
"What?" Greg started.
"Mr. Peters," Howard asked as calmly and pleasantly as he could, "Why are you wasting, not only my, but everyone else's time?" Greg was obviously surprised at this, and before he could say anything, Howard continued, "This is a place of business... not a school playground. If you wish to act like some gossiping little girl, please go do it elsewhere."
For a moment, Greg's expression paled as he started to get angry and everyone was looking back and forth between Greg and Howard. This particular reaction on Howard's part was a surprise to everyone and they were all waiting silently... wondering what was going to happen next.
Howard just continued to remain as calm, pleasant and in control as he could while finishing, "I gave you the courtesy of not interrupting your presentation and would appreciate that same courtesy in return."
There was a sudden tenseness around the room and Howard prepared himself for whatever might happen. However, Greg quickly looked around at the others and pushed himself back into his seat, seeming to sink down in his chair.
A single look around the table revealed the renewed respect in the eyes of those present. And after glancing at Greg, who was now silent in his seat, Howard allowed himself the faintest of smiles, knowing that he had won. However, he didn't waste time savoring it as he quickly returned to his presentation, not wanting to show any lapses in his professionalism.
By the time the presentation was over, Howard was smiling confidently to himself, no longer afraid of being intimidated by his now much larger peers. There was no longer even any fear of being pushed out of his position by the time the meeting was over as everyone was snickering quietly at Greg and making comments about gossiping little girls.
When the meeting ended and everyone was leaving, Chris McDonald told Howard, "Impressive presentation."
Several other people gave similar comments, congratulating Howard on his detailed presentation, though he knew that it wasn't the presentation they were really congratulating him about. Greg had been an annoyance to a number of other people in the building as well, and Howard was startled to realize that he'd just gone from potential victim to being a minor hero.
"However long that lasts," Howard chuckled to himself in amusement as he returned to his own office.
He couldn't keep the smile off his face though as he thought back to Greg and the look on the man's face when he realized that his plan had backfired and just how childish he had come off as. Rather ironic, Howard thought since he was the one with the child's body, but that only made it all the better.
The rest of the day passed by in a blur, with Howard finishing up what he needed to for the day. It was a little difficult as people kept sticking their heads in to congratulate him on the success of the meeting. It was obvious that word of what had happened had quickly spread around the building.
By the time Howard left for the day, he had lost his doubts about being able to do his job and maintain the respect of those he worked with. It wouldn't be as easy as it had been of course, but that didn't mean he couldn't and wouldn't do it. He even paused once he arrived as his car to turn and look back at the building, shaking his head slightly at how nervous he had been to go inside that morning.
Then Howard looked down at himself, sighing at the little girl's body that was still present. He then moved over to see his reflection in the rear view mirror, a cute little girl's face staring right back. It was still strange for him, but not quite as much as it had been at first. Still, Howard knew that it would take some time to really get used to his new self, but there was no doubt that he would. After all, he wasn't the first person that the Bug had done something like that to and he sure wouldn't be the last.
Suddenly, Howard chuckled to himself, "I don't think that this was what they mean when they talk about getting in touch with your inner child."
With that thought in mind, Howard started to wonder if maybe he should stop off at a playground on the way home from work. He smiled at the thought, thinking that it could definitely be an interesting way to get his exercise and burn off some of the energy that he'd been filled with all day. Perhaps he could even get in touch with his 'inner child' since he was already so much so with his outer one.
Still chuckling to himself, Howard climbed into the car and started to take off, deciding that whatever else happened, he was just going to take it one day at a time.
After Jim catches the Bug, he has to deal with the ramifications for himself and his family.
A Burke's Virus Story
Author's note: This story takes place in my Burke's Virus universe which was introduced in A Plague of Changes and continued in A Touch of the Bug.
I grimaced as I heaved my load, a heavy steal pole. I would have wiped the sweat from my eyes, but both hands were needed to hold the pole. It was big, heavy and awkward. As annoying as this was, it was nothing new to me. In fact, it was just another day at work.
My name is Jim Brody and I was a 6 foot 1, well muscled construction worker. I had a bit of a beer gut and tended to forget to shave every once in awhile, but I was still a pretty handsome guy... or at least I liked to think so and my wife Brenda seemed to agree.
Once I dropped the pole off where I needed to, I paused to wipe the sweat out of my eyes and take a little breather. It was late in the day and I was usually a bit tired by then, but for some reason, it was really hitting me harder than normal. I was feeling sore and achy all over.
"You're getting old Jim," I told myself with a sigh, though the truth was that I was only 39. Still, that was plenty old enough to feel all the aches and pangs of aging. Especially when you worked in a physically demanding job as mine.
When my shift was over a short while later, a couple of the guys and I went out for a few beers before I finally started for home. I'd thought that a cold beer was just what I needed to relax after a hard day, but unfortunately, my stomach disagreed. By that time, I was beginning to feel kinda sick and the beer just wasn't sitting well down there. In fact, I was even starting to think that I was going to hurl. So instead of humiliating myself in front of my buddies, I chose the lesser evil of leaving my beer unfinished when I left.
The moment I stepped through the door at home, I was suddenly hit with all the familiar sounds of my family. Mostly, yelling and screaming across the house. And it came not only from my kids, but from Brenda screaming for them to stop arguing.
"Hi dad," my 15 year old Jack called out to me as he ran past.
His sister, 16 and a half year old Megan came past just seconds later, yelling at Jack about something or other and seeming to ignore me entirely. I shrugged, just being thankful that she wasn't on the phone for once.
"Will you two settle down!" Brenda's voice rang from the next room.
"What's for dinner?" I asked as I stepped in.
Brenda paused from the stove long enough to give me a quick kiss that seemed to contain more habit than passion. "Meatloaf..."
"My favorite," I lied, having learned from 18 years of marriage that telling her I'd rather have a steak was not a good idea.
While we sat down to eat, Megan complained almost nonstop about some other girl down the street and about some boy she liked but who didn't like her. It was pretty normal conversation. I just gave a few grunts and nods every once in awhile to pretend I was listening, pretty much the same thing that I did with her mother.
Jack barely said a word during dinner, gulping down everything so fast that I wasn't sure that he even chewed. Brenda made a few comments about Jack having a hollow leg or something to store all he ate, but I proudly reminded her that he was just a growing boy.
However, my own appetite just wasn't up to its normal level. In fact, I was barely able to eat much of anything because I was so nauseous.
"Are you all right?" Brenda asked me, not for the first time shortly after we'd finished with dinner. She was looking a bit concerned.
"Just tired is all," I told her, letting out a loud yawn.
Jack piped in, "You look like shit dad..."
"Jack!" Brenda gasped at his language. Personally, I didn't see what the big deal was since it was just a word, and one that could be heard just about anywhere. But Brenda could be a little funny about things like that.
I grunted, "I think I'm gonna hit the sack early." I let out another yawn before adding, "It's gonna be a busy day tomorrow..."
With that, I said goodnight to Brenda and the kids, then started for bed. I winced slightly as I undressed, feeling each and every one of the aches. Jack might have pointed out that I looked like shit, but I sure as hell felt like it. So it was with great relief that I crawled into bed, hoping that I'd feel better in the morning.
I awoke in the morning to the most annoying sound in the world... or at least the second most annoying sound next to screaming babies... or possibly the third if you considered fingernails on a chalk board. Of course, I meant the horrible sound that could only come from an alarm clock when the last thing that you want is to get up.
At first, I just groaned, then tried to cover my head with a pillow. Finally though, I reached over and turned it off, obviously to the relief of Brenda who hadn't enjoyed being woken up either.
"Damn," I groaned, still lying in bed, feeling far too tired to get up.
Though I'd hoped that a good night sleep would have been all I needed to feel better, it appeared that the opposite had happened. I felt even worse than I did when I'd gone to bed. My whole body ached and I felt nauseous and tired. I closed my eyes... just for a moment... or at least I'd thought it was just a moment.
"Get up," I awoke again to Brenda shaking me, "You're late for work..."
I groaned, not liking the interruption at all. With a grimace, I opened my eyes and sat up, feeling horrible as I did so. However, I firmly reminded myself that a man couldn't let a little sickness keep him from doing what needed to be done. Such as going to work.
After a minute though, Brenda came over and stared at me, a look of surprise on her face. She gave a deep frown, then ran her hand over my cheek, continuing to give me a strange look.
"Oh dear," Brenda gasped out as she took several steps back. At my blank look, she told me, "I... I think you have the Bug."
I froze at that. The Bug. Burke's Biomorphic Virus as it was more accurately known, was not something that I generally considered a good thing to catch. It was a strange virus that had appeared out of nowhere some years back, though no one knew where or how, yet it transformed just about anyone who caught it. It could change them... anywhere from just making their hair grow a bit longer, to turning them into someone completely different. No, hearing that I might have the Bug was not good news.
"You're kidding," I responded, not too confidently. I felt weak and sore, symptoms that I'd frequently heard attributed to the Bug. And I seriously doubted that Brenda would suggest something like that without good reason. But then again, I tried telling myself without much hope, it could just be the flu.
"Your hair," Brenda rushed out, "It's longer... And your arm hair..."
I looked down at my arm hair, surprised to see that it was almost entirely gone. Normally, my arms were covered with enough hair that I might be mistaken for a gorilla, but now the hair was sparse and my arms fairly smooth. Definitely not a good sign if I was looking for it not to be the Bug.
With that, I hurried to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, carefully looking my features over. Of course, I knew that the Bug usually worked over a couple days to a week, but I thought that I should see something if that was what I had. Of course, most times the Bug only gives smaller changes so I wouldn't notice much anyway.
Then I saw that Brenda was right. My chestnut brown hair looked at least a shade darker, not to mention nearly an inch longer. It was almost as if all the hair that had disappeared from my arms had suddenly been added to the hair on my head.
"God Damn," I cursed, not at all happy with the thought of having the Bug.
Unfortunately, the Bug was not a rare disease. In fact, it was one of the more common ones, almost as common as the flu. It wasn't at all unusual for people to catch it again about every year or so. Though until that moment, I'd been fortunate enough never to have caught it at all.
"Are you alright?" Brenda asked, the concern evident on her face.
"Just great," I grumbled back, staggering back to the bedroom and reaching for my pants. I felt like shit but I still had to get to work. Bills don't pay themselves, sick or not. Unfortunately, my legs didn't want to cooperate and they suddenly seemed to turn to rubber.
"You can't go to work like that," Brenda firmly insisted, pushing me back towards the bed, "Not with the Bug. You sleep in and I'll call to let them know that you won't be in..." I started to argue, but she wouldn't have any of that and I was soon back in bed.
I spent most of the day in bed, napping off and on. While I was awake, I couldn't help worrying about the Bug, and what I'd heard it could do. Just about everyone got it at one time or another, but it was still scary.
There was a real good chance that it would only change me a little bit, like my eye color or something. But it could do more than that, making me get fat... or get older. And though it wasn't quite as common, the Bug sometimes changed people so completely that they looked like completely different people.
Later that night, Jack came in to see me. It was the first time that either of my kids had come in, at least while I was awake and knew about it. Jack stood at the door for a minute, looking rather worried. Of course, I remembered that he'd had the Bug just the year before and had been sick for nearly a week. Fortunately, all he'd gotten from his bout with it was that he'd developed a nice splattering of freckles on his nose and cheeks.
"You okay dad?" Jack asked me, then added, "Man you look bad..."
"Not as bad as I feel," I chuckled weakly.
We sat together for several minutes, neither of us really saying much. Finally, Jack left... only to be replaced by Megan, who said even less than he had and left within several minutes.
When I got up the next morning, I felt just as crappy as the day before. And as I made my way to the bathroom, I couldn't help noticing that my shorts were pretty loose on me. I grimaced at that, not liking what it might mean. It was obvious that I wasn't going to get off with just a few freckles like Jack had.
"Damn Bug," I grumbled to myself, wondering just how the hell I was being changed.
Though I had originally intended to just take a piss and go back to bed, I stopped in front of the bathroom mirror first. I just had to know. My eyes widened at my reflection and all I could do was stare at it in disbelief.
Like the day before, my hair had grown longer, by several inches, as well as had become a bit darker still. My eyes, normally brown had turned a dark gray. There wasn't a hint of a 5 o'clock shadow, even though I hadn't shaved in several days.
I blinked, then muttered, "Shit!" And that was only my face.
The rest of my body had changed as well, and not for the better. Well, except for my waist, which was noticeably lacking my normal spare tire. However, all of my body hair was missing, and my arms and legs seemed thinner as well.
Without looking into the mirror again, I finished my business and returned to bed, knowing that Brenda would bring me breakfast a little later. And it was with a strange sort of resignation as I pulled the blankets back over myself, knowing that whatever was going to happen to me was going to, regardless of what I did. A part of that though may just have been that I was too damn sick and tired to care at the moment.
The second day of my being out with the Bug was pretty much like the first. I didn't do much of anything except stay in bed, sleeping off and on while Brenda checked up on me. I even watched a bit of TV.
Of course, the changes continued, becoming more obvious as the day progressed. And by that night, I was beginning to suspect what the Bug was turning me into...even though I didn't want to admit it. However, I couldn't deny all the clues, no matter how much I wanted to.
I had shrunk several inches, which wasn't noticeable while in bed, but definitely was when I stood next to Brenda. My whole body had shrunk in other was as well, becoming thinner and less muscular. Then of course, there was my reflection. My hair had continued to get longer and darker, now coming down to my shoulders, while my face had become noticeably younger, not to mention softer... almost... feminine.
By late the next day, I looked much younger, in my early twenties or possibly even late teens. I not only looked younger...but almost girlie as well. And it wasn't just my longer hair and more feminine looking face. My whole body was thinner, without all the muscle that I'd built up over decades of hard work.
However, what troubled me most was the fact that my chest had been feeling extremely tender, even swollen. Add that to the fact that my testicles had shrunken and pulled up into my body while my dick was about the size of a little boy's... and this offered a bit of proof for my suspicions from the night before.
"No way," I complained bitterly, not for the first time.
Brenda hadn't said anything about my changes, nor had I. She'd only looked at my sympathetically, while the kids had been avoiding me for the most part. They obviously didn't know how to take the fact that the Bug was doing a heavy change on me. Of course, I didn't know how to take it either.
"It's been six years," I complained to Brenda, thinking about how long the Bug had been around, "You'd think that they'd have a cure by now. Or some kinda vaccine..." However, I knew that neither of those existed. Or at least if they did, it sure as hell wasn't public knowledge.
"You're..." Brenda gulped as she looked me over, her expression pretty uncomfortable, "When are you going to stop changing..."
I just wished I knew. However, I was pretty sure that the Bug wasn't through with me yet. From the changes I'd already gotten, I had a good idea of what direction they were taking... like it or not, and I had a feeling that they weren't going to stop until they had finished.
The next morning, I awoke to find that my fears had been confirmed even more... as if they hadn't been enough already. And as strange as it was, I wasn't surprised. Unhappy, but not surprised. I had been half expecting something like that since the day before.
During the night, my chest had become swollen... much more so than the slight swelling that I'd noticed previously. In fact, my chest now pushed out into two very noticeable bumps. And with a single glance, there was no doubt that they were tits. Boobs... or breasts as Brenda called them.
"Damn," I grimaced as I nervously poked at my chest.
They felt so... strange. I scowled much deeper, knowing that I should have been yelling and screaming about this humiliation, but it wasn't like it was a big surprise or anything. That and the fact that I still felt too tired for something like that. So instead, I hurried to the bathroom to relieve myself.
"God damn Bug," I muttered to myself, repeating the mantra that I'd used countless times over the last few days.
When I looked in the bathroom mirror, I let out a gasp. My reflection had changed yet again since the last time that I'd seen it. It had become even softer... more feminine. I looked much more like a girl than a guy now, especially with my new tits.
Letting out a deep sigh, I spat, "Damn," though without as much force as I had used previously. That was due mostly to the fact that I'd been watching it slowly happen... and had plenty of time to get used to the idea. Not that it made me like it any better.
As it was though, the changes were coming to their end. At least I was pretty sure that they were. My body was mostly female now, with only the tiniest trace of my manhood down below. I looked like maybe an 18 or 19 year old girl, twenty years younger than I actually was. No, there couldn't be much left for the Bug to change. Not much at all.
"Damn," I repeated, this time more tiredly than anything else.
With that, I turned and went to the kitchen for a quick bite to eat. I was still feeling like shit, but I had enough energy to move around the house a bit. Then again, I expected that I'd be back in bed in about an hour and collapsed from exhaustion. The Bug was like that.
"Um... hi dad," Jack greeted me uncomfortably. Jack stared at me for a moment, then quickly turned his head, being overly obvious about the fact that he was trying not to stare at me.
"Morning," I muttered back, my voice sounding like a girl's... even to my own ears.
Breakfast was quiet and uncomfortable on both of our parts. I cringed in shame, feeling humiliated at what I was becoming... at what I already was. How could I let my son see me changing into a girl? However, it wasn't like I had much choice.
Once I finished eating, I muttered a quick good-bye to Jack, then started back to my bedroom, to the one place that had almost become a haven of security for me. At least there, I didn't have to face my kids... didn't have to let them see me...
Then I nearly ran into Brenda, who stood and stared at me in silence. "Oh my God," she whispered, quickly averting her eyes. I just winced, feeling another surge of shame run through me.
"It'll be over soon," I told her, though I'm sure that it wasn't necessary.
Brenda just nodded weakly. She'd been through the Bug herself several years earlier. However, she'd just gotten away with it turning her auburn hair into a strawberry blonde. Of course, one trip to the hair salon and she was pretty much back to normal.
But me... It wasn't going to be that easy. Of that I had no doubt. This wasn't like a few freckles, or a change in hair color which could easily be changed back. What the Bug did to me... and was still doing, was much more serious.
After a minute, I went past Brenda and returned to the bedroom. I told myself that it was because my legs were shaky...that they were beginning to feel like Jello again. But I couldn't really lie to myself. I was hiding... hiding from my own family. Hiding from the shame of having to face them.
I awoke with a faint grunt, grimacing at the sunlight in my eyes. I turned to avoid it, but the damage had already been done. I'd come out of my nice restful sleep and couldn't quite get back to it, though I did try for another half hour.
When I finally sat up, it was with a realization. A realization that the aches and pains were all gone. I took a deep breath, not feeling any of the illness and discomfort that came along with the pain. In fact, the only real discomfort that I felt was with my own body, which just didn't feel quite right.
"It's over," I stated aloud, my feminine voice reminding me what it was that all those days under the suffering of the Bug had done to me. Not that I truly needed any further reminders.
Though I was briefly tempted to just climb back under the covers and try pretending that everything was normal, I knew that it wasn't. I was gonna have to face this sooner or later and decided that I might as well get it out of the way.
I grunted unnecessarily as I climbed out of bed, delighted at the complete lack of aches and pains. Even the normal aches and pains that I'd felt before the Bug. Strangely enough, I felt... great. I felt more healthy and energetic than I'd felt in years. No... more than just years.
"At least there's one good thing," I told myself as I stood up and stretched, feeling strangely limber too.
Of course, a quick look down at myself showed that I hadn't changed too drastically from the day before. I had just continued changing in that direction just a little bit more. Filling out the details so to speak.
Then I looked between my legs and winced, though it was exactly the sight that I had expected. Little Jim was gone. I'd lost my dick... my pride and joy. And in its place was a girl's glory. That was not at all unexpected though. In fact, I had said 'good-bye' to the tiny little nub of nothing which had been all that remained of my dick the night before. When I'd gone to bed early, I knew that it would be the last time I'd see it. I hated being right.
After nearly a minute, I turned my attention to the rest of my body, running my smooth feminine fingers over my perfectly smooth skin. My skin now seemed a little darker... having a faint tan over it all. Of course, that had slowly appeared over the last several days as well, so was not quite new.
My hands slowly went to my tits, which seemed just a little larger than they had been the night before. They were a little rounder... and the nipples were just a bit wider. They were definitely tits... and as strange as it seemed, they were mine.
I looked over my body for several more minutes, taking in all the changes that had happened during those miserable days, seeing how they had finally all come together. I had a feeling that I would be seeing those changes for some time to come. Then finally, I went to the bathroom mirror to see them from that perspective.
"Damn," I muttered as I stared at my reflection.
My reflection wasn't much different from the day before. The final changes over the night had been subtler ones, finishing up what was already close to being done. So the fact that stared back at me was not unexpected, though it did have a different impact. This time, it dawned on me that this very face would be staring back at me from the mirror every morning from then on.
"Double damn."
The face that stared back from the mirror was that of a teenage girl, about 16 or so. Around the same age as Megan. She had tanned skin, long black hair and large dark eyes. And she was also very pretty.
"The same age as my daughter," I winced as I said it. I'd always thought that it would be great to be a little younger again, but this was too much.
I could hardly believe that this was me... that I looked like I could be one of my daughter's classmates. There was a knot in the pit of my stomach as I thought about it. Somehow, I had a hard time believing that I'd ever get used to seeing her in the mirror.
Then I let out a deep sigh, muttering, "Damn Burke's."
The only consolation that I had was that I wasn't the first person that this had happened to. I sure as hell wasn't the first person to be drastically changed by the Bug, nor would I be the last. Extreme changes like this weren't exactly real common, but they weren't really too uncommon either.
"I can't believe I had a sex change," I growled out, thinking that I'd probably be able to get used to being younger, but being a girl... Never.
Then again, I silently reminded myself, there were lots of other people who'd gone through the Bug and gotten used to it. There were even all sorts of shrinks and support groups that specialized in helping people with extreme changes to adapt. In fact, Brenda had even hinted vaguely about something of the sort the day before.
I stared at myself for a little longer, wondering what my family would think about what the Bug had done to me...and fearing it. I didn't want them to see me like that... To see me weak. To se me as a girl. I was filled with shame at the very thought.
"No," I growled to myself, "You might not look like a man anymore, but you can damn well act like one."
With that, I took a deep breath, becoming determined to face my family, no matter how much I might not want to. I silently put on Brenda's robe, finding that it was a decent fit, when normally it would have been far too small. Then after waiting yet another minute, I left the sanctuary of my bedroom.
Megan sat in the living room, talking to one of her friends on the phone. I groaned slightly, though wasn't surprised. She was killing me on the phone bill. She looked up at me and paled slightly.
"I've got to go," Megan quickly told whichever friend was on the other end, "Talk to you later." Then she turned to me, staring for a long minute before gasping, "Wow dad... you look..."
"Strange?" I asked with a frown. When Megan nodded, I sighed, "But not as strange as I feel..."
"You're like... really a girl?" Megan asked hesitantly. I hadn't seen her too much while I'd been sick with the Bug.
I rolled my eyes, then looked down at where my chest pushed out, "Yep... it sure seems so."
"Oh," she responded, staring at me. "You look like you're the same age as me..."
All I could do was grunt at that, "I know."
After a few more minutes, I went and got myself some breakfast. Megan followed after me, apparently unable to get over my changes. She stared and chattered away, while I started to tune some of her more inane comments out.
"Where's your mother?" I asked Megan after awhile.
With a shrug, Megan told me, "She went to work..."
I just nodded at that. Brenda had taken several days off in order to take care of me while I was out with the Bug, but I guessed she couldn't afford to take any more. Not that I blamed her at all, though I did feel a little disappointed that she wasn't there now.
A short while later, Jack came out of his bedroom and stared at me silently for a minute before grabbing something to eat. He'd apparently seen enough of what I was going to look like the day before that he didn't feel the urge to stare quite as much as Megan, and he was trying to pretend that everything was normal. However, he wasn't pretending all that well and I kept catching him staring when he didn't think I was looking.
Before long, I decided that there were some things that I was going to have to do. I quickly located the tape measure and measured myself up against the wall, finding that I was now 5 foot 6. I had lost 7 inches in height, as well as a whole lot of mass. Of course that wasn't surprising, but it was still somewhat shocking at the same time. I was now 2 inches shorter than my own wife.
While I was doing all that, Megan watched me curiously, while Jack excused himself to rush back to his room. I was making him uncomfortable, even if he wouldn't admit it. And to be honest, I was uncomfortable being around him as well. How could I be a good male role model when the Bug had done that to me?
Once Jack was gone, Megan gave me another careful look, then surprised me by suddenly reaching for my rope and pulling it open... at least enough to reveal my new tits.
"What are you doing?" I snapped as I pulled the robe closed again, blushing horribly in embarrassment.
"You look like maybe a C cup," Megan told me, "Or maybe just a large B..." I blinked at that and she continued, almost with a pout, "You're bigger than me..."
"Just great," I groaned, feeling even more embarrassed about my situation because of that. The last thing that a father wants to hear is that he has bigger breasts than his own daughter. That just isn't right. "Do you mind?" I complained.
After this, I went back to my bedroom, telling myself that I'd already faced my family... or at least Megan and Jack. Because of that, I couldn't be running away. Yet somehow, a part of me felt as though I was.
I sat on the edge of my bed for a long time, staring down at myself in silence. My body... it looked so different... felt so different. Everything about my body was almost alien, and for the first time, I was feeling well enough to really notice that.
As horrified as I had been by the realization that I had turned into a teenage girl before, the true immensity of what had happened was only just beginning to sink in. I was a girl... and would probably be one for the rest of my life. The Bug might wear off after a few days... but its effects wouldn't. I'd be stuck with them unless some day the Bug changed me again.
"I wouldn't count on it," I muttered bitterly, knowing that the odds of getting another drastic change... and then one back into a guy were pretty slim. And even if by some miracle it did happen, it probably wouldn't happen for years and years. I was realistic enough to know that I shouldn't hold my breath.
All I could do was think about what I'd lost. I'd lost my size, my strength... my manhood. How could I face my kids like I was? My wife? How could they respect me? I didn't know.
But after several more minutes, I took a deep breath and firmly told myself, "Take it like a man." I might be stuck looking like a girl, but that didn't mean that I was going to whine and cry like one. "Just take one thing at a time..."
With my reaffirmed decision to be practical, I knew that the first thing I needed to take care of was a shower. I'd been in bed for days and had kind of forgotten that sort of thing. So new body or not, I definitely needed one.
A minute later, I stood naked in the bathroom, forcing myself to keep from looking in the mirror. It wasn't easy. Not when all I really wanted to do was stare at the strange reflection, though somehow I managed to keep from doing that.
I was equally determined to keep my mind on business while I washed up, but I didn't succeed quite as well in that department. My whole body felt strange, with all sorts of new curves and crevices that I'd never possessed before. And as I washed my smooth skin, I couldn't help pausing, going over certain parts a bit slower than others.
Shampooing my hair proved a bit different from normal as well, though I'd never thought of it until that moment. Instead of the small dab of shampoo that I usually used, I required a full handful just to get all my hair.
And once I was done with my hair, I found myself going back over my delicate smooth skin again. It felt so soft... so sensitive. Like everything else about my new body, I could barely believe that it was mine.
As I climbed out of the tub and started to dry myself off, I became lost in how sensitive my new skin was. And my nipples... They were as hard as rocks, feeling sort of like a couple of tiny pricks that just happened to be located in the wrong spot.
Then I caught sight of myself in the mirror again. Damn, I was a hot little thing. Hell, I was really beginning to turn myself on. But then I suddenly froze, filled with a surge of mixed emotions.
"My God," I gasped in sudden shame, "She's just a teenager..."
For moment, I felt dirty... like I was some kind of pedophile or something. I mean, the girl I was getting horny for was the same age as my own daughter.
With a grimace, I snapped, "Get a hold of yourself. THAT'S YOU!"
And besides, I added in silent rationalization, she was the legal age of consent. Of course, that didn't mean I'd be willing to accept that excuse if I caught some guy with Megan... But hey, that was different.
Once I'd calmed down a bit more and got away from the mirror, I realized that I had yet another problem that I would have to deal with. Clothes. My own were now too large for me, leaving me with very few other choices at the moment. Then, to my simultaneous relief and humiliation, Megan came up with the solution of offering to let me wear some of hers for awhile.
I stood in Megan's bedroom, wearing Brenda's robe once again and scowling as my daughter dug through her closets, pulling out one item after another. I'd already vetoed a few things as being WAY too revealing... or just embarrassing. Some of them were bad enough seeing on my own daughter, but I sure as hell wasn't going to put them on myself.
"Dad," Megan let out an exasperated sigh as she rolled her eyes, "You've got to wear something..."
"I think I know that," I snorted, then pointed out, "And that's why I want to wear something. And that..." I pointed at a particularly revealing item, "Looks more like nothing. Hell, I've got more fabric in my handkerchief..." It wasn't technically true, but it was the way I felt.
Eventually Megan found some clothes that I agreed to wear, albeit somewhat reluctantly. However, it wasn't like I had a whole lot of choice in clothes... and I suspected that I would have been reluctant to wear anything even the least bit feminine.
"You'll look great in this," Megan told me, which was what I half feared.
The clothes that Megan provided consisted of a pair of slacks, which I thought were much preferable to those tight pants that seemed real popular with girls her age, and a sweater which did a bit to hide my new curves. Megan had told me that I'd regret it since it was summer, but I figured that being a bit warm was better than being embarrassed.
Thankfully, Megan's bras were too small to fit me and Brenda's wouldn't fit either. That meant that I had a great excuse not to even have to try one on, though Megan kept making noises about how I'd need to get some.
"That reminds me," I told Megan once I was fully dressed and we were walking through the living room, "I suppose I'm going to have to go shopping today for some clothes of my own to wear."
Just then, Jack started laughing, "You've only just turned into a girl and you're already talking about going shopping..."
"Ha ha," Megan responded sarcastically.
Jack just grinned more, "I KNEW it had to be genetic..."
I just glared at my son, "Watch it boy..." I was not all that thrilled about having to go waste my day looking for clothes, though honestly, I could see Jack's point. I'd probably be laughing too if it hadn't been happening to me.
Jack was still watching me with an odd expression that seemed half amusement and half discomfort, though he was quiet for the moment. Not that it lasted long though as he and Megan were soon in the middle of an argument.
Since the clothing situation had been taken care of for the moment and the kids were busy, I decided that it was time to think about other practicalities. I frowned deeply as I went for the phone, definitely not wanting to make that call but knowing that I needed to.
I called my doctor and arranged to get an appointment for a physical. Fortunately, there had been a cancellation so that I was actually able to get in later that afternoon. That was mixed news since I wasn't sure I wanted to face the physical just then, but at least I wouldn't have to have it hanging over my head for long.
When it was time to go about an hour later, Jack disappeared into his room while Megan decided to come along. I wasn't really comfortable with having her around for the physical, though I'd probably need her help when I went shopping afterwards. I didn't know the first thing about women's clothes.
Before we could actually go anywhere though, I spent several minutes in my truck, adjusting the seat and all the mirrors. I cursed at this reminder of my new smaller size, then glared at Megan who was doing all she could just to keep from breaking up laughing.
"You try getting shorter," I grumbled.
Once we arrived at the doctor's office, Megan got comfortable in waiting room with a magazine that had probably been printed before the Bug appeared. She had hinted that she wanted to come along in with me, though I firmly put my foot down at that. I was dreading this enough as it was and didn't want the added embarrassment of my daughter watching.
The physical went a little quicker than I expected, though at the time it seemed to take forever. I grimaced as the doctor poked and prodded me, even taking a blood sample. However, that was all nothing compared to what came next. That almost made me feel like I'd been kidnapped by aliens and taken aboard a UFO. The exam was very cold and extremely uncomfortable. And all I could say was that afterwards, I had a hell of a lot more sympathy for Brenda's gynecology visits.
After the doctor had finished, he sat there staring at me for a moment, as if trying to decide exactly what to say. Finally, he just came out and told me, "The results from the blood test won't be back for awhile, but you appear to be a perfectly healthy teenage girl."
"A real girl?" I asked quietly, then cursed myself for the stupid question.
The doctor nodded, looking serious. "I'm afraid so. I've checked everything other than your chromosomes and can tell you that your physical body is now completely female." He paused for a moment before adding, "With all that entails."
I blinked at that, feeling a sinking sensation in my stomach. I definitely didn't like the sound of that. "Everything?" I suddenly thought of what Jack had said earlier and wondered if maybe I'd start feeling some sort of compulsion to go shopping or something.
"Well," at this point he became a little uncomfortable, "I can't say for certain, but most... women in your situation... that is former men who just recovered from the Burke's Biomorphic Virus start their periods a month after their transformation, though there are cases where they start immediately."
"Oh shit," I gasped, not having really considered that aspect of my transformation.
"If you don't start your period within the next two days," he told me, "You will probably be safe for about a month."
Then while I was just sitting there in stunned silence, the doctor continued, going on about how I could now get pregnant and would have to learn feminine hygiene stuff. He even handed me a pamphlet, which I didn't really bother looking at just yet.
"A period," I muttered, "I can't get a damn period..."
The doctor gave me a somewhat sympathetic look, then handed me a card. "This is the number for a good counselor, in case you have a hard time adjusting or just want someone to talk to..."
I nodded at that as I accepted the card. A shrink. I wasn't too surprised. Ever since the Bug had shown up, the shrinks had been getting a lot of business from people who'd gone through drastic changes like I had... and I guess from their friends and family. Not that I had any intention of going to see a shrink myself.
"How'd it go?" Megan asked me as soon as I stepped back into the waiting room.
"It went," I grumbled, not wanting to talk about it. It had been humiliating.
A minute later, we were back in my truck and heading to a place that I'd always avoided as if my life depended on it. As hard as it was to believe, I was willingly going clothes shopping.
It was bad enough even walking into the women's clothing section of the store, but I nearly passed out of embarrassment when Megan lead me straight to the unmentionables department. I was surrounded by panties and bras, with a weight in the pit of my stomach as I realized that I was going to have to wear this kind of stuff.
"Don't look so gloomy dad," Megan told me with a roll of her eyes, "They're just clothes. Now we just need to get your measurements..."
The saleswoman came over and helped take my measurements, much to my further embarrassment. She didn't seem all that surprised by my situation when Megan explained, apparently getting a number of customers who'd undergone changes of one sort or another due to the Bug and needed to be measured for size.
Once we had the measurements done, I had thought that all I needed to do next was just grab some clothes off the shelf and run. However, Megan had other ideas... and I ended up spending a lot longer going through clothes than I would have imagined. Finally, I had to put my foot down and say I was done, or Megan might have kept me there all day long.
"I bet you thought this was just like playing with your Barbies," I spat out as we left the store with several bags in each of our hands, all of them for me.
"I don't play with dolls," Megan snorted as if offended.
I just nodded my head at that, not wanting to push it any further. However, it had been my experience that every girl... well, every real girl, likes playing with dolls. Whether they're 5 years old or 35, women like playing dressup... especially with other people.
After we had stopped off for a few more things that I was going to need for my altered body, some of them hopefully not for a month, Megan and I finally went home. I was just relieved that the day was over and I could finally relax.
But even as we got home and stepped out of the truck, Megan complained, "You should have at least tried the skirt... or the high heels..." I just grimaced, thankful that I'd put my foot down and insisted on somewhat more practical clothes... jeans and T-shirts. And not the really tight ones either.
With a shrug, I started for the door, the paused as I noticed my next door neighbor Barney standing in his yard and staring at me. He was a big guy, about 6 foot 4 and nearly as hairy as a bear. There was a strange look on his face as he watched me. A look of envy.
Barney was one of those people who felt like they were born the wrong sex and that he should have been born a woman instead. When the Bug had first appeared, it must have seemed like a godsend to him. A chance to finally get turned into the woman that he always wanted to be. But ironically, when Barney did get a big infection of the Bug, instead of becoming a woman... he got even bigger and more masculine than before. But I guess that's Murphy's law for you.
As I waved at Barney, he blushed and quickly looked away. It was obvious that someone, probably Brenda or the kids, had told him about me and the Bug. And I could just imagine just how hard it had to be for him, seeing me get exactly what he'd been longing for. As far as I was concerned, I'd gladly trade Bug changes with him in a moment... if that were possible.
It was just a short while later that Brenda got home from work. She stared at me for a minute after she came in the door, paling slightly and then rushing into the kitchen to make dinner without saying a word. I frowned, feeling somewhat hurt, though I didn't push the issue. I guessed that I wasn't the only one who had to get used to this whole situation.
Dinner passed without much comment from Brenda, except for a few polite but distant words. It was an uncomfortable meal, though oddly enough, Megan seemed even more eager to talk with me than normal. I guessed the fact that I looked more like a girl she'd go to school with than her dad made it easier to talk with me.
Brenda continued to act distant towards me for the rest of the night, with Jack alternating between staring at me and avoiding me. I guess I was pretty embarrassing to have as a dad at the moment. I sure as hell wasn't the figure of manhood that I had been before.
When it was finally time for the kids to get going to bed, I decided that I might as well go to bed as well. I had only just recovered from the Bug and it had been a rather busy day for me. However, as I started for my bed, Brenda protested.
"I don't think that's such a good idea," Brenda firmly told me, giving me a strange look. "I'm not comfortable with sleeping in the same bed with another woman."
"But I'm not a woman," I protested, standing my full height and trying to push my chest out. Unfortunately, that didn't quite have the effect I was used to. "I'm Jim."
Brenda rolled her eyes slightly, "Just the same, I'd prefer it if you slept in the spare bedroom... Just for now..."
I glared at Brenda, but it was obvious that she'd made up her mind, and I well knew after nearly two decades of marriage that arguing with her now would be next to pointless. I'd get a more reasonable response from a damn brick wall. So with a deep sigh, I went to our guest bedroom instead.
Even though it wasn't the first time, I felt extremely strange as I undressed and stood there naked. I frowned, staring down at my body, feeling a bit turned on at the sight but ashamed as well. It was a strange mix of feelings that shot through me, making me briefly wonder, though only for a moment, if I should talk to a shrink.
"Damn," I sighed, slowly looking over my body again, running my hands over my soft skin and muttering, "It's all yours now Jimmy boy. Might as well get used to it."
After another minute, I turned off the light and climbed into bed, though my hands continued to slowly roam over my skin, almost as though they had minds of their own. To my surprise, my body was beginning to respond... My new equipment was getting wet and my nipples were poking out. It was with some reluctance that I stopped, feeling a bit too uncomfortable to continue at the moment. And as difficult as it was, I let myself slowly drift to sleep.
The next morning, I felt surprisingly awake and refreshed, which I supposed shouldn't have been a surprise since my body was now that of a healthy teenager. Even as I climbed out of bed, I almost immediately had more energy than I normally did after my second cup of coffee.
"At least there's something good about this whole thing," I told myself with a wry grin.
Though I still wasn't all that comfortable with the fact that I now possessed the body of a teenage girl, I knew that I couldn't just hide. I had things that I had to do, whether I was embarrassed about what I looked like or not. My vacation was over and it was time to go back to work.
After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, I hurried off to the work site. I frowned as I started walking towards my buddies, feeling extremely nervous and self-conscious. As it was, I could feel their eyes on me... taking my measure, not as a man but as a woman. It was NOT a feeling that I liked.
"Whatcha want?" My boss Darek asked me, obviously wondering what a teenage girl was doing on a construction site.
"It's me," I growled, "Jim..."
I was about to explain that it had been the Bug that had done that to me, but Darek gasped, "Your wife called and said you'd had the Bug..."
"Unfortunately," I muttered bitterly.
Darek just stared at me for a minute, an uncertain expression on his face. Some of the other's were watching as well, while a couple of them were just staring at me. It took all I had to ignore them.
Finally, Darek snorted, calling out loudly, "You're not being paid to stand around gawking. Now get your asses to work..."
With that, I turned and started to get to work. Unfortunately, I quickly discovered that I was nowhere near as strong as I had been and could barely even budge some of the items that I used to carry around the work site. It was frustrating to no end, especially when some of the other guys saw me and started laughing.
And it wasn't just lifting things. I found that there were a lot of parts of my job which I had taken for granted, but which I just couldn't seem to do with my new smaller body. I couldn't work the jack hammer for one, nor could I really handle some of the other heavier tools.
Throughout the day, I was embarrassed time after time as I was unable do my normal job, and humiliated when some of my buddies... or at least guys I'd thought were my buddies, started making snide comments. One of them even pinched my ass, and I probably would have kicked his if he wasn't now three times my size.
Then, there was Janet. She was a fairly large woman, and I'd given her a hard time when she joined our crew a couple years earlier, at least until she proved that she could handle the job. Now, she was one of the worst to me, apparently seeing this as some sort of chance for payback.
By the time my shift was only half over, I was already feeling about as tired as I normally did after a full day's work. My new body lacked not only my old strength, but my old endurance too. However, it was not the being tired that bothered me most, it was all the built up frustration that had developed... not to mention embarrassment.
"I can't believe they're treating me like that," I growled to myself, thinking how one guy I'd gotten drunk with more than a few times had whistled at me. And Jerrod had even had the nerve to try asking me out on a date. It took every once of willpower that I had to just give him the finger and walk away rather than punching. Fortunately, I'd never been one to get into fights I knew that I had no chance of winning.
Finally, Darek pulled me off to the side. "I'm sorry Jim," he started out, a grim expression on his face. He went on for a couple minutes about how sorry he was that he had to do it, but it all boiled down to the fact that I was a distraction on the work site now, and I was getting underfoot more than actually getting anything done. "I can't have you on the site anymore... I'm sorry..."
For a moment, I stared at Darek, burning with anger. He was my friend... so how could he do that to me? How could he fire me? Of course, there were laws that protected people who got changed from the Bug from being fired because of it... unless they could no longer do the job. And unfortunately, I was forced to admit that I couldn't. As much as I hated it... I couldn't really blame Darek.
"I understand," I finally told him in a quiet voice before leaving.
Once I was sitting in my truck, I cursed and punched at the steering wheel for nearly a minute, feeling tears beginning to come to my eyes. I grimaced, telling myself that they weren't tears... but I didn't believe it. My body was betraying me the same way everything else was since the Bug changed me.
"Fucking Bug," I growled out bitterly, wondering how many other people's lives that horrible virus had ruined.
Then I took off, driving home as quickly as I could. I was burning with rage, frustration and embarrassment, but struggling to keep it all in check. And just as I was beginning to calm down, that prick Murphy struck again. There were cop lights flashing behind me.
When I'd pulled over, the cop came up to my window and told me that I was speeding. I grimaced at that, showing him my license and registration. However, his eyes widened at the sight of my license, reminding me at that moment that I no longer exactly matched my picture.
"I just got over the Bug," I explained to the somewhat skeptical cop.
He stared at me carefully, then at my license, asking me several questions like my birthday, height and address. Finally, he nodded slightly, "All right, I'll let you go with a warning this time." Then he frowned, "But you're going to have to get this updated and SOON. You can't be driving with an out of date license..."
"I was just on my way to take care of that," I lied to him, not having thought that until he'd mentioned it.
A minute later, I was on my way again, but this time I was heading for the DMV. I figured that the cop was right and I really should take care of that as soon as possible. Without a license that matched, I was effectively without legal ID... which could cause some problems.
But unfortunately, once I got to the DMV, I found that they couldn't just update my license like that. Not without my birth certificate, social security and some witness who could swear that I was who I claimed to be. Apparently, teens trying to get adult licenses by claiming to be adults who'd been changed by the Bug was getting fairly common.
I cursed all the way home, wondering what else could possibly go wrong. But at the same time, I dreaded having to find out. That bastard Murphy and his fucked up law really seemed out to get me.
After I got home, I went to my bedroom and locked myself inside, lying down to take a nice long nap. I wasn't tired and didn't go to sleep, but just sitting there by myself let me slowly calm down.
"Life sucks," I firmly told myself, not for the first time, "Deal with it and move on."
Taking a deep breath, I left the safety of my bedroom, standing outside the door with my hands on my hips... silently daring the world to throw the worst at me. I could handle it. No crying and whimpering about it for me, I silently resolved. I was going to take it like a man.
When I looked around the house, Brenda was gone... still at work herself, while Megan had disappeared as well. Probably out with her friends, though I didn't know for sure. However, Jack was in the driveway, practicing throws at the basketball hoop.
I watched Jack for a couple minutes, then decided to go join him. He gave me a weak smile, staring at my chest for a moment before he suddenly turned away in embarrassment. Hell, I was embarrassed too but determined not to let the boy see.
"So... um... how was your day?" Jack asked.
"Shitty," I responded with a shrug.
With that, I snatched the ball out of Jack's hand, grinning as I stepped back and tossed it towards the hoop. It seemed a little further away than normal, but my aim was still good enough that I was able to get the ball through the hoop.
"Good shot," Jack grinned, grabbing the ball and asking, "How bout a game of horse..."
Within minutes, we were lost in playing ball, with my problems drifting to the back of my mind. Jack seemed hesitant at first, but quickly got over that once he saw that I was beginning to outscore him. And before long, he was almost acting as though I was just the same as always... much to my relief.
"Great game dad," Jack told me after we had finished.
I just smiled, feeling rather pleased with myself, "I guess your old man still has it..."
Jack just stared at me, then burst out laughing, "Yeah... old man... right."
With an even bigger smile, I gave Jack a hug... at least until he pulled back in embarrassment a few seconds later. It was great to know that even with everything that was going on, I still had my kids.
It was the day after I'd gotten laid off and I was sitting around the house, feeling simultaneously bored and antsy at the same time. I no longer had a job to go to, nor did I have the excuse of being sick. All in all, it was pretty depressing.
Then, Megan decided to do something about that by coming up behind me, "Hey dad... you need a haircut... and a style." She looked at me critically, while I rolled my eyes, "Maybe a manicure and a makeover..."
"My hair's fine," I grumbled, feeling embarrassed by that kind of attention.
However, Megan wasn't going to let it go. "No way. It looks like a mess... I mean, it just grew out and you haven't done anything with it..."
Megan kept at it for over ten minutes, pushing and pushing until I finally agreed to go get my hair cut... just to get some peace and quiet if nothing else. She was a bit like her mother that way.
As left the house though, I reluctantly handed Megan the keys, "You drive..."
Of course, I could have done the driving, even with my license out of date... but I didn't want to take the chance in case I got pulled over again. I'd mentioned wanting to go take care of that the night before after Brenda had gotten home from work, but she'd told me that she was too tired. So, I was going to have to wait a little to get my license updated.
By the time we got to the salon, I thought that Megan was going to jump out of her skin with excitement. I never understood this thing that all females... or at least all true females seemed to have with playing dress up... be it with dolls, pets, kids or other people.
"No makeover," I growled out as Megan started to get carried away, "And I don't want anything fancy or feminine... In fact," I growled, "Just cut it all short..."
"No way," Megan gasped almost in horror, as did the woman who was awaiting instructions, "You've got gorgeous hair..."
At first, I insisted on getting it cut short, but once again, Megan started going on. She told me how great a shame it would be to cut it off... and lots of other things, though she did score a point when she said it would be sort of like giving up. I wasn't no quitter. And in the end, I agreed to at least try the long hair for a little longer to see if I'd get used to it.
"Long hair it is," the barber... or whatever she was finally sighed, obviously relieved that we'd stopped arguing about it.
While she got to work on my hair, I just remained where I was, feeling a bit impatient. It seemed like she was doing a whole lot, just to give me a bit of a trim. However, I was determined to remain patient... no matter how hard it was.
Of course, while I was there, someone else grabbed at my hands and started working on my nails. I gave Megan a glare, but she grinned back at me, obviously having made some arrangements beyond what I'd wanted. But again, reminded myself to just grin and bear it.
Once it had all been finished up, I was startled to see just how different my hair looked, even though it was still about the same length. I suddenly looked even more like a girl who could have been in Megan's class, though fortunately, they'd avoided going too far with the hair styling. As it was, it was still a bit more than I was comfortable with. However, as far as I was concerned, the manicured nails were definitely going too far, though I wasn't going to give my daughter the satisfaction of making a big deal of it.
But once I saw the bill, my intentions to play calm went out the window. "WHAT the HELL?" I gasped in shock, "That much for a damn hair cut..."
"DAD!" Megan gasped, grabbing my arm, "You're embarrassing me..."
I grumbled about it, unable to understand how a simple hair cut could cost such a ridiculous amount. It made no sense. But of course, I did pay it... even if Megan was embarrassed by my complaining.
"Money doesn't grow on trees," I pointed out after we'd left, "And It's not like I've got another job yet..."
Megan rolled her eyes, "Jeez dad, it's just a salon visit..." Then she paused, looking at me and suddenly adding, "You know... it's kinda funny calling you dad when you look like... like that." She blushed.
"I guess," I sighed, having noticed the odd looks we got from people who'd overheard her calling me that.
Then she abruptly asked, "Have you thought about an altername yet?"
I frowned at that, not wanting to admit that I actually had. An altername was sort of a legalized nickname, used by people who'd been pretty drastically altered by the Bug. Specifically, by people who'd changed sexes and weren't exactly comfortable going by their old names. I'd already realized that it might be a bit silly for people to be calling me Jim, looking like I currently did.
"Maybe Jane," I sighed. It was short, simple... and most importantly, not too frilly or feminine. If I had to go by a girl's name... which wasn't technically required, though would make things easier, I figured that this one would do.
After a long minute with Megan looking somewhat uncomfortable, she hesitantly asked, "Do... do you mind if I call you that?" Then she rushed out, "I mean it's weird calling you dad like that..."
I stared at Megan, feeling a bit hurt at that request. It was as though she were trying to separate herself from me, as if she was embarrassed by what I was and didn't have to admit that I was really her dad. However, it did make a bit of sense, and when I looked into her eyes, I saw something there that reassured me a little bit.
"All right," I responded slowly, hardly able to believe that I was saying that, "You can call me Jane." But I just had to add, "But you'd better remember that it's still your old dad in here..."
"I won't forget dad... Jane," Megan grinned as she suddenly threw her arms around me in a hug.
Once we broke apart and climbed into the truck, Megan suggested that we go to the beach for awhile. The beach was on a lake and provided a great place to cool off during the summer, as well as for kids to hang out. I'd been there with Brenda and the kids plenty of times, and since it was a fairly warm day out, I nodded my agreement.
As soon as we arrived at the beach though, Megan reached behind the seat and grabbed her gym bag, surprising me when she pulled out a couple towels, but not nearly as much as when she pulled out several swim suits. Girl's swim suits.
"You just happened to have brought swim suits," I commented wryly.
Megan looked a bit embarrassed, then urged, "C'mon... you need to relax... Have some fun..."
I stared at the swimsuits for a moment before absolutely refusing. I told Megan that she was more than welcome to hand around the beach and I'd even be there with her, but there was no way in hell that I was going to put that skimpy thing down.
"But you'd look so hot in it," she added in one last attempt.
"Maybe so," I reluctantly admitted she might be right, "But I just changed into this..." I gestured down at myself. "Maybe some day I will be comfortable enough to try something like that on, but no way am I doing it now." I gave her a steady look to let her know that this time I was putting my foot down.
Megan pouted for a couple minutes, but that was all. Once she'd changed into her bikini, she didn't seem to mind that I was still wearing my normal clothes.
I felt embarrassed as I walked on the beach and a number of teenage boys stared at me, or at least gave me looks that I was not comfortable with. Still, I wasn't about to let Megan see how uncomfortable that made me, so I did my best to ignore them, frequently reminding myself that I'd be doing the same thing if I saw a girl who looked like me back when I was their age.
However, as uncomfortable as I was with the way the guys were looking at me, I was even less comfortable with the way they were looking at Megan. I knew that she was a very attractive girl and that all the boys were interested in her, but she was my daughter and it wasn't easy to see her growing up like that.
Then, Megan gasped, "Nina... Sue..."
I blinked, just in time to see two of her friends coming towards us. I'd seen Megan's friend's Nina and Sue at the house a couple times, but I didn't really know them very well.
"Hey," Megan grinned when we were all together, "This is... Jane..."
I glanced at Megan, wondering what she was up to introducing me as her friend rather than her father. Was she embarrassed about me? But after taking a good look at her, I decided that she was probably just messing with them instead and decided to play along for the moment.
For a long time, Megan, Nina and Sue just wandered about and chattered away, while I nodded now and then, occasionally putting my own two bits in. I was surprised by just how much the topic of boys came up, and several times I nearly started laughing at their misconceptions about guys.
All in all though, I had a bit of fun hanging around with the girls. It was even more amusing, knowing that they thought I was one of them, and I was pretty sure that Megan was getting a kick out of that as well. I just wanted to see the looks on Nina and Sue's faces when they found out who I really was.
While I was there, I couldn't help giving a few looks at some of the older, and even better built girls. There wasn't much shortage of adult women around the beach either. I was pretty thankful to realize that I was still attracted to women and found nothing interesting about guys.
I'd heard stories about some people whose sexual interests had been changed by the Bug, with them going from straight to gay or vice versa. I'd never been sure I believed that, or if they were just using the Bug as an excuse or a way to rationalize what was already there. All I could say though was that I was thankful I still liked girls. I couldn't imagine not... even if I was one now.
A little later on though, a couple teenage boys, just a year or two older than Megan came over and started hitting on her and the other girls. I didn't like the look of them, and apparently they didn't like the way I was glaring at them because they left me alone. And though I was pretty tempted to kick their asses and tell them to scram, I didn't want to embarrass Megan in front of her friends.
"You wanna go out with me tonight?" one of the boys asked Megan.
Megan frowned, not looking as interested in him as he was in her. That was one of the reasons that I didn't get too worried about the situation.
"I don't think my dad would let me," Megan responded, giving me a look that seemed to simultaneously beg for help yet announce that she could take care of it by herself.
"You don't have to tell him," the boy told her with a smirk. "It's not like he'd know. I mean, old people are stupid..."
That little prick was definitely NOT getting on my good side. Especially with the way he was cozying up with Megan and trying to pinch her ass.
"Leave me alone," Megan growled at the boy, then glared at both him and his friend before starting to walk away, with Sue and Nina following. I smiled faintly, feeling proud of my little girl before moving after her as well.
However, the two boys didn't seem to want to take that as an answer. Even the quiet one who hadn't done much talking was getting on my nerves, the way he'd been standing around with those ridiculous poses and eying the girls. So when they both started following after us, I nearly lost it.
"Didn't you hear her," I snapped at the boy who'd been going after Megan, "she said leave her alone. Now get your sorry asses away from us..."
The boy looked shocked at that, then quickly got angry, grabbing my arm painfully, reminding me just how much bigger and stronger than me he was. "This is none of your business..." he sneered.
That was it. I'd had more than my fill of that little prick and let him know exactly what I thought, with one swift punch into his solar plexus, followed by a hard kick to his shins. He gasped as he went down, the air knocked out of him.
His buddy, glared at us, obviously intending to do something himself. However, one look at me... the three girls standing behind me, not to mention a couple other guys nearby who didn't look happy with the way they were treating us, and he turned to leave, helping his downed buddy first.
"Wow," Sue gasped, "That was incredible..."
Nina giggled, "Did you see the way he went down..."
I shrugged, feeling embarrassed at their praise. It wasn't the same now that I'd been turned into a girl. Still, it was well worth it to see the way Megan was looking at me, as if I was her hero... just like she did when she was a little girl.
We said good-by to Nina and Sue a couple minutes later and started back to the truck. Megan was still grinning and talking about how I'd dealt with that boy.
"That was cool," Megan told me, "but why didn't you kick him in the nuts. I bet he would have gone down even faster..."
I paused to stare at her with a scowl. "You can't go kicking a guy there just because you're mad at him," I told her firmly, having been hit there myself once or twice and wincing at the memory, "That just ain't right. Don't you EVER kick a guy there unless there's no other choice..."
Megan gave me a blank look at that, obviously not realizing just how serious something like that was for a guy. So I pointed out, "Who knows... with the Bug going around, some day you might have to feel what it's like for a guy to get kicked there..."
"EEEEWW!!" Megan gasped at that, obviously not liking the idea.
However, she quickly shrugged it up and changed the topic as we got back to my truck. I let out a long sigh as I climbed into the passenger side, reminding myself that I'd be able to get my license updated when Brenda got home.
Unfortunately, once Brenda did get home that night, she told me, "I'm sorry honey... but I've got too many things to do tonight."
"Look Brenda," I started, getting a bit annoyed, "this is kind of important..."
Brenda suddenly snapped back, "Don't you DARE take that tone with me..."
I glared at Brenda for a moment, but it was obvious that she'd made up her mind. Whether she actually had time or not didn't seem to matter anymore, only that she'd made up her mind... and apparently my having 'taken that tone' with her had encouraged that decision. Needless to say, I wasn't happy, but I knew enough to keep my mouth shut for the moment.
The rest of the night didn't go much better. Brenda kept snubbing me, treating me more like I was one of Megan's friends than her own husband. Every time she talked to me, it was with a somewhat patronizing tone in her voice, as if I was no longer worth taking seriously now that I was a girl. Needless to say, that didn't help my own mood any though I did an admirable job of keeping my temper.
But then, it came time for the kids to go to bed. Brenda told them, "Time to hit the sack you two." Then she looked at me and added, "That goes for you too."
Since she'd already made it clear that she had no intention of sleeping in the same bed with me, I didn't take this as a come on. Especially not with the serious expression on her face. So instead, I ignored her. However, that only made her angry.
"I said it's time for you to go to bed," Brenda snapped, grabbing the TV remote from off the coffee table and turning the TV off on me.
"What do you think you're doing?" I growled back at her, quickly getting fed up by that weird attitude of hers. It was like she was trying to deny that I was even her husband and treat me like I was the teen girl I appeared to be.
Brenda puffed herself up as she glared at me, "As long as you're in my house, you have to obey the rules..."
"God DAMN it!" I growled as I stood up, glaring at her angrily. "YOUR house? Remember, I'm the one who paid for it..."
Don't you dare talk to me that way," Brenda raised her voice even louder.
"NO," I screamed back, "Don't you talk to me like that. I am not some little kid. In spite of my appearance, I am STILL and adult... And your husband at that..."
Suddenly, Brenda's hand shot out and slapped me. My cheek stung as I stood there in surprise, never having expected that. She'd never hit me before, and I'd never seen her hit anyone except Megan once when she'd gone through a particularly rebellious stage and had told Brenda to 'fuck off'.
"You're not an adult," Brenda sneered, "Not anymore. You can't even get a drivers license without my permission..."
Permission? All I needed was someone to act as a witness that I was who I said I was, preferably a spouse. I stared at her in shock for a moment, wondering if she'd flipped her lid. She was certainly acting like it.
Brenda and I argued for another few minutes, getting louder and louder as we did. Finally, she gave up and left me, going up to our bedroom and slamming the door. I glared in that direction for a long time, tears threatening to come to my eyes as I did so.
"Damn," I whispered as I sat back down on the couch, no longer really feeling like watching TV. "How can this happen..."
I remained where I was, feeling extremely depressed. If we had any booze in the house, I would have gone and gotten blind stinking drunk. But at the moment, that wasn't really an option.
And as I sat there, it dawned on me that my marriage was going to end. Brenda couldn't handle what had happened to me. She couldn't deal with it. She couldn't accept that her manly husband and this pretty teen girl were the same person, so she'd gone into denial.
When I did finally go to bed a little later, I was barely even aware of my new body while getting undressed. Whether that was because I was beginning to get used to it, or more likely, because I was so distracted, I neither knew nor cared.
By the time I got up the next morning, Brenda had already left the house. For that small favor, I was very thankful. I didn't want to have to face her after that argument the night before.
Once I was done showering and getting dressed, I went downstairs to find Jack sitting in front of the TV watching something or other. Megan was on the phone and only barely looked up at me when I came in.
"Morning Da... Jane," Jack told me, looking rather nervous. It was obvious that Megan had already told him about my chosen altername, and just as obvious that he'd heard his mom and me yelling. I would have been surprised if the whole block hadn't heard.
"Morning," I responded grimly, not feeling much in the mood for pleasantries.
Then while I was eating a quick breakfast, the phone started ringing. The regular one, not the cell phone that Megan was using. Though I didn't feel like talking to anyone, I answered it anyway, half hoping that it was Megan calling to offer her apology. However, to my surprise, it was someone from the company I worked for.
"We're all sorry to hear about your unfortunate circumstances," Mr. Duncan, the man on the other end of the line told me, "But we'd hate to lose all of your experience. We have a place for you in our main office if you're interested..."
It went on like that for another minute, but the main point was that I had a job again. All I had to do was show up at the main office and I could get started. The sooner the better. As I slowly hung up the phone, stunned at the one piece of good fortune, I let out a sigh of relief and smiled faintly.
"Guys," I told my kids with a grin, "I've got some good news. I've got a job again..."
"Really?" Megan gasped in excitement, "That's great..."
Jack nodded, "Cool..."
However, I was a bit embarrassed as I told Megan, "But I'll need a ride to and from work..."
Without missing a beat, Megan snapped the cell phone shut then hurried to the counter and grabbed my truck keys. She even gave me a smile as we left the house, while Jack gave me a thumbs up.
By the time we arrived at the main office, I was feeling a bit nervous. I'd been in there a number of times, but that wasn't where I worked out of. I spent most of my time working out on the construction sites, going from one to another as the jobs were finished. So being there... knowing that I was going to be working out of there from then on was a bit strange.
After saying bye to Megan, I went inside, slowly looking around. There were a number of people who worked there, arranging the contracts to build things, doing all the coordination, getting blue prints, not to mention all the permits and the like. I just wasn't certain what exactly I was going to do.
"Can I help you?" a woman's voice asked from the side. I turned and saw an attractive, thirty something red head. However, the most noticeable thing about her was the fact that she had three tits.
I'd met Karen Stevens a couple times before, though we weren't exactly close friends. She was one of those extremely rare people who'd been given a real odd change from the Bug. Every great once in awhile, the Bug does even stranger than normal things to people, like maybe giving them extra genitals... or in Karen's case, an extra breast... right in the middle of the other two. And a nice sized one at that.
"Hi Karen," I told her, catching her a little by surprise since I'd used her name, "I need to see Mr. Duncan."
She blinked, "And you are..."
I blushed, feeling embarrassed and looking down at my feet as I half mumbled, "Jim Brody..." Then I forced myself to look her in the eyes as I added, "But I've started calling myself Jane now..."
Karen's eyes widened, then she smiled nervously, "I'd heard about how you got Burke's..." Then she blushed, "You know office gossip..."
I nodded, definitely able to imagine everyone talking about what had happened to me. I was sure that a lot of people even found it pretty funny that a real man like me could have been turned into a teenage girl. The former buddies I used to work with sure seemed to think so.
After a few seconds, Karen shook off her surprise and gave me a more genuine smile. "Well, I'm sorry to hear about your not being able to work with your normal group, but I'm happy you'll be working here."
A minute later, I was in Mr. Duncan's office and sitting across from him. He stared at me for a moment, obviously just as amazed as everyone else to know that there was an adult man's mind inside of this teenage girl's body. However, I'd heard the rumors that his own brother had gotten the old sex change treatment from the Bug as well, so he probably wasn't as startled by it as most people.
"I'm glad that you could make it," Mr. Duncan told me as he held out his hand.
I shook his hand, responding, "So am I."
With that, we began talking about what would be expected of me at the main office. My new job was going to be mostly behind a desk, though thankfully not as a secretary. If he'd offered me a job as a secretary, I would have told him 'hell no' and walked out. I might need a job, but I still had my pride to think about.
Unfortunately, there would be a bit of a decrease in my pay since I wouldn't be running around and doing some of the more dangerous stuff. But with the way Mr. Duncan put it, there was also a bit more room for advancement with my new position.
Once Mr. Duncan was through explaining what I would have to do, we shook hands again and I left his office, only to be met by Karen again outside the door.
"I guess I got the job," I told her with a faint smile.
"That's great," she beamed at me, "Let me show you your desk and introduce you to everyone..."
With that, Karen began my tour of the office and the introductions to everyone I didn't knew or was only barely acquainted with. Before long, I was sitting down at my new desk, beginning my new job. I was still working with construction, though only now more the contract side of things.
Before I realized it, the day was over, or at least my work day. My new schedule was a little more 9 to 5 than my old one, which made the day seem to fly by, especially since I had come in late and I was let off a bit early. When I was done, I was about to call Megan for a ride, though decided against it. It was embarrassing having to ask my daughter to give me a ride. So instead, I took the bus.
When I got home, I found Megan in the living room with her friends Nina and Sue. Both of them stared at me with a strange expression, then quickly glanced at Megan.
"I see Megan told you who I am," I told them with a faint smile.
"Um... yeah," Nina answered, looking faintly embarrassed before suddenly smiling, "I never would of guessed that you were really old..."
"Old?" I blinked. 39 wasn't old. Sure, it wasn't exactly young, but I wasn't old.
Nina looked embarrassed again, "You know what I mean..."
I just chuckled as I left the living room. But just as I was leaving, I overheard Sue exclaim, "Wow... your dad is so cool..."
"I know," Megan's voice responded proudly, which was nearly enough to bring tears to my eyes.
"Yeah," Nina added "He's taking it so good too. I mean..." then she giggled, "my dad would throw an absolute fit if it had happened to him."
I just shook my head and went to find Jack in his room. We went out into the driveway and played a little one on one basketball for awhile, with me doing nowhere near as well as I once did. I just didn't have the height anymore, though that didn't stop me from trying and even having fun.
"You know dad," Jack told me after we were done, "It's pretty weird seeing ya like this... but I'm glad you're still my dad..."
With that and what Megan had said earlier, tears actually came to my eyes. Of course, I denied it and said that I'd gotten an eyelash in my eye or something, but I couldn't deny the truth to myself. The fact was, at that moment, I was the proudest dad in the world.
When Brenda got home from work, she barely said a word to me. However, she did take me to the DMV with a minimum of convincing, apparently feeling a little guilty for the night before. I showed them my old driver's license, my birth certificate and social security, while she signed the papers swearing that I was who I claimed to be. And by the time we walked out, I had my driver's license back, even recording 'Jane' as my official altername.
Over the next week, I tried to work out my problems with Brenda... even going so far as suggesting a marriage counselor, which was something I never thought that I'd do. However, she refused to even consider it. Her stubbornness had come into play once again. Once Brenda made up her mind, you could never get her to change it. And unfortunately, she'd decided that I was no longer her husband.
As much as it hurt, I couldn't really blame Brenda. She was being true to herself, and I was well aware of the fact that I was no longer the man that I once was. I couldn't be the husband she needed. But still... it hurt. There was no doubt that our marriage was at its end.
In the end, I couldn't handle the way Brenda was treating me anymore. The whole house was filled with so much tension that I thought it would explode, and every time she snubbed me... it hurt. So finally, I did the only thing that I could... for her... for the kids... and for myself. I accepted that it was over, or at least tried to...and moved out and into an apartment.
The Bug had cost me nearly everything. It had robbed me of my body... my manhood... my own manly identity. It had cost me my job, the one that I'd worked so hard at for so many years, not to mention all the friends that I'd built up over those years. Though perhaps those friends weren't as real as I had once believed. And worst of all... that damn virus had cost me my marriage.
Of course, I was more than 20 years younger and as healthy as a horse, but as nice as those aspects were, they were small compensation for all that I'd lost. Small compensation indeed.
However, whenever I thought about all that I had lost as a result of the Bug, I remembered that there was one thing that I had not. Or two. My kids. Megan and Jack were still my kids... and they still loved me... just as I still loved them. And strangely enough, my relationship with them seemed to have only gotten even better since I had changed.
Perhaps our improved relationship was because they now saw me differently since I looked like their own age. Maybe it was because I myself have changed... in more than just looks. And maybe, it was both of those or neither. All I knew was that this closer relationship was very important to me, and all that the Bug had not been able to take.
Most of the changes that the Bug brought to me, both directly and indirectly, were hard to deal with. The changes had left me to face periods, woman problems and countless other issues I hadn't been able imagine before. They had torn my life apart and left me to pick up the pieces and move on. But still, I refused to just lay down and cry about them. No matter how hard it was, I was going to take it like a man.
But still, as years of experience in construction had taught me, even the toughest man sometimes needed a hand. That was what I had my kids for. And perhaps... I might even talk to that shrink that my doctor recommended. Perhaps.
As much as things had changed, I constantly reminded myself that inside, I was still me. I still had my kids. No matter what chaos some strange virus can cause, those thing will always remain. No matter what happens, what shit is thrown at you, all you can really do is deal with it and move on. Such is life after the Bug.
Invisible No More
By
Morpheus
A teenage boy who is a self-described geek catches the Burke's Virus and suddenly finds his life changing. This story takes places in the Burkes Virus universe
Part 1 of 6
By Morpheus
The high school hallway was full of noise as well as the hustle and bustle of nearly the entire student body rushing about lunch. I grimaced as I made my way through the crowd, completely ignored by just about everyone as I found the lunch room.
"Watch it dweeb," a large guy exclaimed as he stepped into my path and I nearly ran into him.
"Just great," I grumbled, quickly dodging away from what could easy escalate into an unpleasant situation. It was embarrassed about how I didn't stand up for myself, but I was used to it.
My name is Lee Forrest, and I was a 16-year-old guy, and a junior at my high school. Unfortunately, since I was 5 foot 9 and looked pretty young, I was frequently mistaken for a freshman and sometimes even picked on by kids younger than me. It was pretty embarrassing.
"It's better when they don't notice me," I sighed, adjusting my glasses.
Then I reached the cafeteria and paused at the entrance to glance into my lunch bag. I frowned at the sight, wishing that my dad would make me something other than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was getting a little old and I wouldn't mind a little variety.
That just reminded me that dad was working late tonight so I would have to find my own dinner. In fact, I would probably make something for him to eat when he got home. As dad liked to say, since it was only the two of us, we had to help each other out.
A moment later, I spotted my friends sitting at our accustomed lunch table. It was in the back corner, right next to a couple of large garbage cans, so it wasn't exactly prime lunch real estate. But that meant few people wanted to eat there, leaving it usually open for us.
"Hey guys," I said as I joined them.
"Hey," my best friend Toby nodded to me.
Toby was the same age as me and was pretty average looking, though over the last year he'd had a bit of an acne problem which earned him the name 'Pizza Face' among a few people.
Sitting next to Toby was Edgar, a rather large guy...and I didn't mean tall. He was about my height, but at least double my weight. In fact, Edgar was probably one of the fattest kids in school. He usually told people that this is only because the Burke's Virus did that to him and that he had been skinny before, though I knew otherwise. Edgar had come by his size the old fashioned way, not due to the Bug.
And then there was Jessie, the fourth member of our little group. He was a tall, skinny boy with thick glasses and a less than perfect complexion, though not nearly as bad as Toby's. Even as he sat there eating his lunch, his eyes darted around nervously.
I felt a bit sorry for Jessie. Just the year before, he had been Jessica, one of the prettiest and most popular girls in our entire class, and even in the school. She had even been a cheerleader. But then she caught the Burke's Virus, and the Bug really did a job on her, turning her into geeky looking guy. Almost immediately, all of her old friends had turned on her, cruelly taunting her at worst and completely ignoring her at best. Even less popular kids, who had been jealous of or attracted to her before, took the opportunity to make her...now his life a living hell.
In the end, Jessie had lost everything that he'd had before. He'd lost his beauty, his friends and his popularity, becoming a social outcast instead. We were the only ones to really accept him and welcome him into our group, which made us his only friends in the world.
Our little group was composed of social outcasts. None of us were rebellious enough to be goths or smart enough to be nerds. We were the social nonentities. As far as most people were concerned, we didn't exist. We were invisible. So that was what we jokingly called ourselves, the Invisibles.
"You need the secret handshake to sit here," Toby grinned at me as I sat down.
"And what is the secret handshake?" I asked him with a sigh.
"I'd tell you," Toby smirked, "but then I'd have to kill you..."
"How about this one?" I responded, flipping him off before digging into my lunch bag.
"So anyway," Edgar continued with whatever he had been talking about before I arrived, "My uncle goes to this big signing and gets me this..." Then with a big flourish, Edgar pulled a framed picture out of his backpack and set it on the table in front of us. He sat there with a smirk, letting us all get a good look. "It's autographed..."
The picture was an autographed publicity photo of a gorgeous looking brunette with sultry eyes. I immediately recognized Shanna Sinclaire, a big-time model who had recently started making a few movies. She was very popular among the teenage boys of our school, and I knew more than a couple of guys who had pictures of her in their lockers. Edgar and Toby were both nearly drooling over the photo, though I just glared at it in disgust.
Jessie just let out a sigh, shaking his head. As a girl, Jessica had been straight and only attracted to boys, and after being changed by the Bug, that hadn't changed. Or at least the being attracted to boys hadn't, though you couldn't exactly call him straight anymore.
"It's autographed," Toby exclaimed, "My God she's hot..."
"She's an angel," Edgar sighed.
"She's a bitch," I spat out bitterly.
All three of my friends stared at me in surprise, and Toby shook his head, "No way... Any girl who looks as hot as that has to be an angel..."
Jessie just shorted at that while Toby laughed at me, "Like you've ever met her..."
"I have," I muttered under my breath, earning a few skeptical looks from my friends.
"Yeah, right." Edgar snorted, "And I've been on a date with Celia Hansen..."
At the mention of Jessie's former best friend, the girl who was generally believed to be the hottest one in school, he scowled. Obviously, he didn't like to be reminded of the way she'd turned on him after his change. I'd seen some of the things that Celia had said to his face, and they weren't pretty.
I scowled as I looked around the table, seeing that my friends were all looking at me as though I'd just claimed to have seen a UFO in my back yard. I knew that I probably shouldn't say anymore, but I didn't like my friends giving me that look.
"She only looks like that because she caught the Bug," I grimaced, suddenly having the full attention of my friends.
"And I suppose you knew her before she caught the Bug," Toby snorted in disbelief.
I just nodded sadly at that, clenching my fists at the same time. "She was my mom," I whispered, tears beginning to come to my eyes. I quickly pulled off my glasses and wiped them away, embarrassed to be crying in the school cafeteria.
"Bullshit," Toby said, though he didn't look completely convinced of that. My tears were obviously making me look a lot more sincere.
"A few years ago," I started, my voice shaking, "she got changed by the Burke's Virus. She was sort of average... Suddenly, she was beautiful and popular, with guys throwing themselves at her. I guess she decided that she could do better than my dad, and that she could start over again with a perfect life. So she left me and my dad, changed her name and went into modeling... I haven't heard from her since... I guess she didn't want to be held back by a kid either..."
"No way," Toby whispered, staring at me with an expression that was part sympathetic and part amazement.
Edgar didn't say a word as he slipped the photo back into his backpack. He looked just a little less enthusiastic about having it all of a sudden.
"I bet you could sell that story to the tabloids," Toby told me with a weak smile. "They love to know that kind of stuff about celebrities...."
"She's kind of the opposite of me," Jessie sighed, looking jealous.
I just scowled and got up, "I'm not all that hungry anymore..." I tossed my lunch into the garbage and gave my friend's a weak smile, "I'll see you guys later..."
After this, I went to my next period, though I had a hard time focusing. Not only was I thinking about my mom, and the way she'd abandoned my dad and me, but I was also feeling a bit sick. I kept getting cramps in my gut and feeling kind of nauseous. I'd felt a bit off all morning and hadn't really thought much about it, but it was getting worse.
When the class was over, Toby appeared next to me in the hallway and asked, "What you said at lunch...about Shanna... Were you telling the truth?"
"Yeah," I grimaced.
"Why didn't you tell me before?" Toby frowned, looking as though I'd insulted him by failing to trust him with such an important fact.
I frowned, not sure what to say to that. I wasn't exactly eager to go around telling people, even my closest friends, that I was so worthless that my own mom had ditched me. In spite of what Toby might think, the fact that 'Shanna Sinclaire' was my mother wasn't something that I was proud of. Every time I saw one of her pictures, it made me sick to my stomach.
Then, almost as if on cue, I was hit by another wave of nausea. My stomach recoiled so badly that I thought I was going to puke right there in the school hallway. Fortunately, it didn't quite go that far.
"Dude," Toby trapped my shoulder, "Are you okay?"
"I don't feel very good," I told him with a weak smile, just before a massive cramp hit my leg and I had to grab the wall for support. "In fact, I feel like shit..."
"You'd better see the nurse," Toby frowned, looking concerned. "C'mon..."
Toby helped me to the nurse's office, then he hurried off to his next class so that he wouldn't be late. The school nurse looked at me skeptically, trying to decide if I was faking or not. I didn't really blame her since my next class, gym, was my least favorite, and I had faked being sick to avoid it before.
"Tell me what's wrong," she finally said, deciding to be patient and go through the motions rather than just dismissing my complaints. After I told her about my cramps and nausea, she had me stick a thermometer under my tongue. And when she checked it a minute later, she looked a bit surprised. "You have a fever..."
"I do?" I blinked, not having noticed that part.
The nurse stared at me for a minute, a thoughtful expression on her face. Then she asked me a few more questions about my symptoms and how long I'd had them before she finally reached into a drawer and pulled out a something that looked a bit like a stun gun.
"We just got this in a few weeks ago," she told me, pushing a few buttons on the front. "It's a new tester that will make this much faster and more accurate..."
"What does it do?" I asked nervously, then paused to wince as my arm started to cramp.
"It takes a small blood sample and tests it," she told me holding the small device to my arm. "This will sting for a moment."
When she said that it would sting, she was right. I automatically jerked my arm away when it felt like a bee stung it. My flinching didn't bother the nurse, who seemed to have gotten what she needed.
"Ouch," I complained as I rubbed my arm. There was a red spot on my arm where the device had stung me, along with a single drop of blood. She didn't say a word as she put a Band-Aid over it.
"This will take just a minute," she told me, keeping her eye on the tester. After a minute, she nodded faintly and said, "I thought so... You have Burke's..."
"WHAT?" I gasped in surprise. Then I gulped nervously, "I've never had the Bug before..."
"Really?" the nurse looked a little surprised, "It's quite common..."
"I know," I responded quietly.
Ever since Burke's Biomorphic Virus had first appeared about six or seven years ago, it had become so common that a lot of people had started to treat it sort of like the flu. However, what did was quite different from the flu or any other virus. It caused the human body to change...to different degrees and in different ways from person to person. It could change your eye color, or turn you into a supermodel...like it had my mom. The very thought of having the Bug was frightening, especially since you had no idea of what it could do to you.
Fortunately, the virus wasn't lethal. In fact, I had learned in health class that about the only ones who ever died of the virus were people whose bodies were so old or frail that they couldn't handle the strain of the changes. For most people, it would change you but you wouldn't have to worry about it killing you.
"I've had it twice," the nurse continued, "The first time, I didn't notice any actual changes, but the second time, a few scars that I've had since I was a little girl vanished."
I just nodded at that, then paused as a powerful wave of nausea hit me. I bent over, feeling like I was going to throw up. The nurse immediately set a small bucket in front of me, though I didn't have to use it just yet.
"Here," she said, going into a cupboard and pulling out a large plastic bottle that looked like it could hold Gatorade. However, this bottle was full of a thick looking brown liquid and had medical stuff written all over it. "Take a drink of this..." She unscrewed the cap and handed it to me.
"Ugh," I winced after taking a deep gulp, "That's gross..."
"A lot of people call it bug juice," the nurse gave me a sympathetic smile. "It's a mixture of protein, enzymes and vitamins that your body is going to need for any changes. It will help the virus run it's course more quickly and help ease some of the discomfort. I suggest that you have your parents buy several bottles of this from the store."
"Okay," I responded weakly, then suddenly bent forward and used the bucket, emptying my stomach into it.
"Do you have anyone who can come pick you up?" she asked gently. "You need to go to bed and get a lot of rest..."
"My dad," I told her quietly, knowing that he was going to hate having to leave work early.
When my dad came to pick me up a half hour later, he wasn't mad like I'd feared, only worried. He gently got me into the car, then stopped by the store on the way home to pick up a couple bottles of that 'bug juice', which turned out to be fairly expensive.
As soon as we got home, dad made me drink a glass of the bug juice, then he sent me to bed with the instructions, "Take it easy and relax..."
--------------------
I awoke with a groan of discomfort and stared at the ceiling, something which I had been doing off and on for the last day or so. Sometimes, it seemed like I had been laying in my bed for years, not just since the day before.
My whole body ached, from the bones and muscles to my very skin. Everything hurt, which made it all the more difficult to sit up in bed. I looked around the room, seeing that everything was a big blur. But when I put my glasses on, that didn't really help any. In fact, after a minute, I realized that everything was just a little less blurry without my glasses, so I left them beside my bed.
"Time for my medicine," I croaked, drinking a glass of the nasty tasting bug juice, followed by another glass of water. I was thankful that I had bottles of both beside my bed, though I would rather do without the bug juice.
Just then, my body reminded me of my other needs. I grimaced and slid out of bed, trying to ignore just how much my entire body ached. And to make it worse, I was dizzy and half-blind, so needed to use furniture and walls for support. If there was such a thing as Hell, I was pretty sure that this had to be close to it.
Since my dad didn't come rushing to my aid when I left my bedroom, I knew that he must still be at work. He'd come home during his lunch break, but other than that and the occasional visits from the neighbor woman who was checking up on me, I was by myself. But that suited me fine as I'd spent most of my time just sleeping...or trying to.
After I'd relieved myself in the bathroom, I slowly made my way to the kitchen, my stomach growling more insistently with each passing moment. I couldn't believe how hungry I was... When people were sick, they were supposed to lose their appetites, though that was certainly not the case with me. I felt famished...starving. And no matter how much I ate that day, I kept getting hungry again just a short time later. Since I woke up that morning, I'd already had two bowls of cereal, two slices of leftover pizza, a leftover pork chop, three cans of soup, and an apple. And there I was, ready to eat yet again.
"Just great," I groaned as I tried finding something in the kitchen to eat...again.
Ever since I'd first climbed into bed the day before, I found myself settling into something of a routine. I would sleep for a few hours, wake up and relieve myself, then go and gulp up as much as I could eat before returning to bed again. And the cycle continued.
I rummaged through the kitchen and finally ended up toasting two slices of bread while microwaving a TV dinner. It was hard to stay there that long, and I ached to just get back in bed, but my grumbling stomach wouldn't let me. I just had to get something to eat.
As soon as my food was ready, I gulped it down, then got up with a groan. I had to catch myself against the kitchen counter as a wave of nausea hit me, but I managed to keep from falling flat on my face. It wasn't easy though as every movement I made hurt like hell. It was like my entire body was one big charlie horse.
Then, just as I had finished eating and was heading back to bed, the doorbell started ringing. My first impulse was to ignore it completely, but I remained aware enough to be curious as to who it was. So with an immense effort, I made my way to the door and opened it up.
"You look like shit," Toby exclaimed the moment that I'd opened the door for him.
I stared at him for a moment, having to squint a bit as he was all blurry. "I feel like it," I croaked out a bit, slowly going back inside.
"I came over last night but you were asleep," Toby told me, looking worried. "Your dad said I shouldn't come over till you were done with the Bug, but I wanted to see how you were doing..."
"And how I was changing," I gave him a weak smile, knowing how he thought.
Toby looked just a little self-conscious at being that transparent, but he shrugged, "I was kind of worried..." Then he paused to stare at me, "You do look a little different..."
"Really?" I croaked, curious in spite of myself. I hadn't looked into the mirror lately, not that it would do me much good with my eyes all blurred over at the moment. I couldn't help but be a bit curious, not to mention worried. You never knew what the Burke's Virus would do to you, but I figured that I didn't really have much to lose.
"Your hair's a little longer," he said thoughtfully, "And maybe just a bit lighter..." Then he stood back to look me over again before adding, "And I think you might be a little taller..."
"Really?" I felt a surge of hope. I'd always wanted to be just a little taller. At 5 foot 9, I wasn't the shortest boy in our school, but I'd always felt short.
Toby just nodded, "You really look bad..."
"Thanks, "I mumbled, then said, "My dad has a digital camera on the counter... Can you take a picture of me with it? He says recording my changes will make it easier to prove my identity if I change a lot..."
"Good idea," Toby nodded. "My aunt Clara changed a lot and she's still trying to prove that she is who she is... Of course, some woman went in and claimed to be her so that she could get aunt Clara's money... Identity theft really sucks..."
I could only nod at that as I was too tired to have much of a conversation. And the fact that I was being hit with another wave of dizziness didn't help.
"Whoah..." Toby stared at me, "You'd better get back to bed..."
"Yeah," I nodded weakly, my energy level dropping through the floor again.
Toby helped me get back to my room and back into my bed. Then he told me, "I hope you feel better soon." And with that, he was gone and I was collapsing back into unconsciousness.
--------------------
I sat back on my living room couch and watched the TV with a faint smile. For the last several days, I had been consigned to my bed, too sick and tired to do much. But I was currently having a brief period where I had enough strength to get up and move around a little, and I meant to take full advantage of it while I could.
But I held no illusions that my bout with the Burke's Virus was over. In fact, I was only about halfway through it. The brief respite that I had at the moment could very well be the calm before the storm. There was no longer any doubt that I was getting an extreme transformation from the virus, that I would probably no longer be the least bit recognizable as myself once it was through. I wasn't sure whether to be excited about that or extremely worried.
My body had continued to change, and by now I could see enough of the changes to guess what I might be once it was finished. However, these changes also left me even more confused.
Toby had been right when he said that I was getting taller, but that wasn't all. I had grown in other ways too. My whole body was getting bigger...even more muscular. I had always been skinny, so having even a bit of muscle growing on me was cause for celebration. Over the last few days, I had outgrown every pair of pajamas that I owned, and now stood at a height of 6 feet tall. It was a dream come true.
For a short while, I let myself dream of being tall and athletic, perhaps like some of the jocks at school who got all of the girls. However, there were other changes... My hair had grown just a little past my shoulders and had become a golden blond color. My testicles had pulled up inside of my body so that there was no sign that they'd ever been there, and my johnson looked a little smaller than normal...and it had never been all that impressive to begin with. I was definitely worried by these changes.
Just then, the doorbell started to ring. I groaned, trying to ignore the massive aches and pains that I still felt through my body so that I could get to my feet again. It wasn't easy.
"Don't worry," my dad called from the kitchen where he was preparing dinner, "I'll get it."
A minute later, Jessie came into the living room, surprising me a bit since I don't think that he'd ever been to my house before. He glanced around nervously, then stared at me.
"You look," he paused for a moment, "different."
"I feel like shit," I told him, my voice cracking as I said it.
Jessie nodded, then gave me a sympathetic smile, "I remember what it felt like..." Then he looked embarrassed as he reached into his backpack and said, "I brought your homework... I know that you won't feel like doing it yet, but this way you won't be so far behind when you come back to school..."
"Thanks," I told him weakly.
I looked at Jessie and realized that the homework was partly an excuse. Like Toby, he wanted to see what was happening to me. People did tend to get really curious when they heard that someone was going through an extreme case of the Bug. Then again, since he'd gone through a bad case himself, he probably sympathized a good bit too.
After a few seconds, I grunted and got to my feet, wincing from the aches in my bones and muscles. I was sure that this was what arthritis had to feel like, topped off with a full-body charlie horse. Or at least that was how I'd come to think of the aches and cramps that I'd been suffering through for the last couple days.
"Take a look at this," I said as I opened up the bathrobe I had borrowed from my dad and stood there in only the swim trunks that dad had brought me that morning. "I'm taller and I've got some muscles..." Admittedly, they weren't all that impressive, but I had enough to feel rather proud. "And look at my pecs.."
Jessie stared at me for a moment, then his expression changed. He silently looked me over, his eyes taking in every detail. There was a strange, almost surprised look on his face as he did so.
"Um...," Jessie finally said, looking a bit uncomfortable, "Those aren't muscles..."
"What?" I blinked, flexing my arm though I didn't have enough energy to do a proper flexing. Still, I could see a little bit of definition. "Okay, I'm not the Hulk, but I'm not scrawny anymore either..."
"No," Jessie shook his head, looking a bit feminine as he stood there with his hands on his hips. It was when he did things like this that I was reminded that he had once been Jessica. "On your chest... Those aren't pectoral muscles... Not exactly..."
"What?" I blinked in confusion, sitting back down as it hurt a bit too much to keep standing.
Jessie let out a feminine sigh of exasperation, "As a former girl, I can tell you that THOSE are breasts. They look about an A cup too..."
I stared at Jessie in disbelief, then down at my chest. It was swelling out a bit on both sides, so I'd assumed that it was just more muscle growing in. But I had to admit, my nipples did look kind of big, and they were soft rather than hard like muscle... Still, they couldn't be...
"I think you're turning into a girl," Jessie told me with a look of amazement.
"No way," I protested with as much energy as I could muster, "Just because you had a sex change, that doesn't mean I am..."
Jessie looked a little hurt at that and I immediately felt bad. I felt worse due to the fact that what he said made a certain sense when I thought about the other changes that I'd been worried about.
"I...I can't be turning into a girl," I protested weakly, gesturing down at myself, "I'm getting
taller and more muscles..."
"Some girls are pretty tall," Jessie told me, giving me a gentle smile that was supposed to be reassuring. "Or maybe..." He looked me over again and went slightly pale.
"What?" I asked.
"Maybe you're going to be an anomaly," he told me quietly.
I gulped at that pronouncement. Most of the time, when the Burke's Virus changed someone, it was pretty consistent. But occasionally, there were anomalies...situations when the changes were odd or out of context to the rest of the person's body. Sometimes this meant extra body parts, like extra arms or breasts for a woman. But it could also mean things like a woman with a penis, a guy with breasts or someone with mixed genitals. These kinds of anomalies were pretty rare, and there were only a couple hundred in the entire country.
"No way," I shook, my head vigorously, "I can't be... The odds are..."
"Not good," Jessie finished for me with a frown. "But I guess you'll know for sure in a couple days..."
"Just great," I groaned, shaking my head tiredly. I was already worried enough about what the Bug was doing do me, and now I had a few more things to worry about. I might be turning into a freak, or even worse...a girl. As if I wasn't enough of a social outcast before. "Just what I need..."
"I've got to get going," Jessie told me, looking uncomfortable at the direction his visit had gone. "I've got to get home for dinner..."
"Okay," I nodded, "Thanks for coming over..."
After Jessie had left, I sat where I was for a minute, poking at the soft tissue of my chest and feeling uncertain. I gulped, then went to the kitchen where my dad was still working at dinner.
"Dad," I asked him hesitantly, opening my bathrobe so that he could see my chest, "Do I look like I might be turning into a girl..."
"Of course not," he started to say automatically. Then he paused to look me over, his expression changing just slightly. "Now that you mention it, you are beginning to look like a girl..."
"Oh God," I groaned, turning and staggering back towards my bedroom. If that was how I was changing, I didn't want to be awake for the rest of it.
Invisible No More
Part 2 of 6
By Morpheus
I awoke with a groan, wincing from the morning sun in my eyes and the discomfort of having my feet stick out over the foot of my bed. But in spite of that, I remained where I was, relieved that I had I'd at least been able to have a full night's sleep. It had been my first since coming down with the Bug nearly a week earlier and it was more than welcome.
A minute later, I let out another groan and sat up, shifting my weight off of my bed. My body still ached a bit, though not nearly so much as before. That was one of the main signs that I was nearly over the Bug, with the fact that I'd been able to sleep through the night being another.
"Finally," I sighed, thankful that it was nearly over. After nearly a week of living Hell, I was grateful to feel even the least bit better. And from the way I felt, I had a feeling that I would be completely over the Bug by tomorrow. "I can't wait."
However, I knew that I wouldn't be over the effects of the Bug tomorrow...or anytime soon. It had changed me...more than I ever could have imagined. When I looked at myself in the mirror, there wasn't anything of the old me left.
When Jessie had visited me several days ago, she had been right. Within just one more day, there was no longer any denying that I was turning into a girl. It became more and more obvious with every passing hour. But my body continued to change in other ways as well. I continued to get taller, to get more muscular and my budding breasts swelled out into real monsters.
"Definitely monsters," I muttered as I cupped them. They seemed absolutely enormous to me, especially since I wasn't used to having anything on my chest. But I didn't want to think about those at the moment.
I frowned and reached to my nigh stand for my glasses, then paused as I was bringing them up to my face. When my vision had finally cleared the day before, I'd found that I no longer seemed to need my glasses. I could now see perfectly fine without them. Still, it was hard breaking a habit of so many years.
"At least that's something I can really get used to," I said, looking at my glasses, "I'm not going to miss these things."
After a moment, I remembered one other thing that I had been trying not to think about. When I had gone to bed the night before, my changes seemed to have pretty much finished, except for one small issue. And as I looked between my legs, seeing that it now looked completely female down there, I knew that the changes were finished.
"Damn," I spat out, feeling a strange relief at the same time. It was nice to finally get the worry over what I was going to turn into off my chest. It was good to finally know. I was just happy that it was finally over. "Now I have a bunch of new problems to deal with..."
I hesitated a moment, then put on my new bathrobe. Dad had bought it and a few other things for me yesterday when he'd seen that my transformation was nearly over and realized that I would need something to wear. However, there was no doubt that I was going to need a lot more. In fact, I didn't think that I had a single piece of clothing that really fit me anymore.
With a scowl and a sense of determination, I went to the bathroom in order to face the inevitable. I knew that I would need to confront what I had changed into sometime, and the sooner the better. That didn't mean that I was all that pleased about it.
As soon as I caught sight of myself in the bathroom mirror, I froze and stared. I had seen myself as I changed, including the night before when the changes were almost entirely completed. But then, I had been pretty overwhelmed by pain and exhaustion, so this was the first time that I could see what I looked like with a clear head.
"Wow," I whispered, shaking a bit as I stood there.
Of course, there was no trace of the old Lee Forrest in the mirror, but I had already known that. Instead, there was someone else, someone completely different. The reflection was that of a woman, an adult woman in her early to mid-twenties. She was stunning, but also very unusual.
"Damn," I shook my head, "I can't believe that's me..."
While the Bug had been turning me into a girl, I had continued to grow bigger as well. As a result, I now stood at a height of 6 foot 6, which was 9 inches taller than when I'd started. I was also ripped, bursting with solid muscle that seemed as hard as rock. I hadn't really been able to appreciate just how strong I now felt until that moment. Until this morning, I had been too sore and tired to really notice any of that.
I slowly ran a hand over my 6 pack abs and muttered, "Wow," not sure what else I could possibly say about that.
But in spite of being so big and muscular, by some miracle I didn't look too bulky. When I was relaxed and not flexing, my muscles weren't nearly as noticeable, especially since I had a thin layer of fat over my body which helped to hide them a little, as well as give me the sexy look and curves of a well-developed woman.
I tried to remain as impartial and neutral as I could while examining my body, but it wasn't easy. I had long, well-muscled but sexy legs. I had an unbelievable body with all the right curves. And my breasts were so big, round and firm as to be the most perfect pair that I had ever seen or even imagined. It looked as though gravity had never even touched them, which, since I had just gained them, actually was the case.
My face was that of a strong yet beautiful woman, just old enough to have a hint of maturity and young enough to have an equal measure of innocence. The eyes which stared out from that face were a striking crystal blue, and I now had waves of long, golden blonde hair cascading down my back.
As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I couldn't escape the feeling that I wasn't looking at a real woman. No real woman could possibly look like that. Instead, it was more like I was staring at some mythical amazon from a fantasy story or some superhero straight out of a comic book.
"No wonder dad kept staring at me all day yesterday," I whispered, surprised that he hadn't stared even more.
Then I suddenly wondered what my friends would say. I hadn't seen any of them since Jessie had come by a few days earlier. Of course, my dad said that they had all come by yesterday while I was in the middle of a nap, so none of them had been able to see me or just how much more I had changed.
"Oh God," I gulped, worried about what they would say when they saw me. The very thought was frightening. I didn't know what I would say to them. It wasn't every day that you turned into someone so completely different. The only one of them who would have any idea of what I was feeling was Jessie. "What am I going to do?"
I frowned and absently reached up to adjust my glasses in an old nervous habit. But since I was no longer wearing glasses, it did little good and I was forced to bring my hand back down without that faint comfort of habit.
"One thing at a time," I tried to reassure myself. "Just take things one thing at a time..."
I took a deep breath, reminding myself that millions of people go through changes from the Burke's Virus every year. It wasn't like I was the only one to ever go through something like that. In fact, there were even other people in my class who had, including Jessie. That reminder gave me some comfort.
A minute later, I turned my attention back to business, specifically, the business of relieving myself. I winced as I sat down on the toilet, which seemed so much smaller than normal and which groaned under my weight. I was half afraid that it might actually break on me, though fortunately, it didn't. Then I had to worry about my new plumbing, hoping that it would work right, though to my relief it all worked about the same as before, giving me the same results.
"So I won't be able to stand and pee anymore," I muttered to myself, "That's not too big a loss..."
I took one more look in the mirror, then decided to get some breakfast. My dad was in the living room, working on his computer as I walked past. He watched me silently for a moment before getting up and going to the kitchen with me.
"Are you feeling all right?" my dad asked with a concerned expression.
When I looked at my dad, I was a bit stunned to realize just how short he now seemed to me. He was 5 foot 10 and had always been an inch taller than me, though now I towered over him by a full 8 inches. Since I'd spent so much time sitting down or in bed during my changes, this was the first time that I'd really noticed our new height difference.
"Just a little sore," I told him weakly, "But I'm feeling a lot better..."
My dad smiled up at me, obviously a bit uncomfortable with the changes. After all, I was not only a lot bigger than him now, but a girl at that. He probably didn't know what to make of the new me or how to how to treat me.
"Boy, I'm hungry," I said to change the subject.
I gulped down a glass of that nasty tasting bug juice, thankful that I wouldn't need it anymore since I was done changing. In fact, that was probably going to be my last glass, which improved my mood a great deal.
"Let me make breakfast," my dad offered, already pulling the eggs out of the fridge.
My dad always made good omelets, so I was more than glad to let him cook. Normally, I could barely finish off a single one of his omelets, but this time I was so hungry that I ate two of them, along with some bacon and toast. I could barely believe how much I ate, or the fact that I didn't feel stuffed.
"I guess I have a bigger stomach now," I gave him an embarrassed grin.
Dad just nodded and pushed his own plate away, giving me a steady look for a moment before saying, "We've got a lot to do today. You'll need a lot of new clothes and supplies, and I've already scheduled a doctor's appointment at one."
"I don't need a doctor," I protested weakly, "I feel fine..."
He raised an eyebrow at that, then told me, "We just want to make sure that everything is all right..." I couldn't help but nod at that. To be honest, I was kind of worried about what the Bug had done to me too.
After we had finished cleaning the kitchen and talking about what we had planned for the day, I decided to take a nice hot shower. I hadn't taken one since coming down with the Burke's Virus, so it was definitely about time for it.
All of the aches and pains that I'd been feeling due to the Bug had been fading pretty fast, and as soon as I stepped under the hot water, they faded even faster. I gasped in pleasure at the hot water, and just how nice it felt against my skin. And the way it felt against my nipples... VERY nice.
Unfortunately, the showerhead seemed kind of low to me now so I had to hunch over to get the water, and the whole tub seemed a lot smaller. As a result, I started feeling a little claustrophobic and cut my shower short.
"I never imagined being tall could be so annoying," I muttered to myself, thinking about the small shower, and the fact that my own bed was now too short for me to really sleep in. And of course, my new height and dimensions threw my balance completely off and left me a bit awkward and clumsy. There was no doubt that it might take some time to get used to this.
A few minutes later, I discovered yet another problem. My hair was soaking wet, and no matter how much I used the towel on it, it didn't seem to get much dryer.
My dad listened to me complain about my hair for a minute, then mused, "Hairdryer," as he wrote it down on the notepad he'd been using to list everything that I was going to need. The pad was quickly getting longer and I could almost see the pain in my dad's eyes as he thought about what this would do to his wallet.
Then it came time to really get dressed and I looked through all of the clothes that dad had bought for me the day before. It was a good thing that he hadn't bought me many, because none of them was exactly a great fit. The only underwear I had were a couple pairs of extra large boxer shorts, which would cover my lower half but do nothing for my upper. I might be completely new to the girl thing, but even I knew that a pair of knockers as big as mine would need some kind of support.
"Let's see," I grimaced as I put on the rest of the clothes, which consisted of a pair of very large sandals, which pinched my feet, some shorts and a sweater. They were all anything but fashionable, but I figured that they would at least give me something to wear out of the house. "Not like I can go out in a bathrobe..."
When we were finally ready to go, I squeezed into dad's car and we drove across town to a big and tall store. It was huge, a warehouse just filled with clothes for people who were too big to wear most standard-sized clothes. It was a bit strange to realize that from now on, I might have to do all of my clothes shopping from places like that.
There was a salesman who was just a little taller than me, who helped me find some clothes that would fit me. I was amazed that they'd have any clothes for a girl who was six and a half feet tall, but they did. And he even pulled out a catalog so that we could order even more. By the time we left, I was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a sweater that fit fairly comfortably. I would have preferred wearing one of the T-shirts we bought, but I still didn't have a bra so my nipples would have been just a little too obvious.
Next came the shoe store, which had what I needed, and then the lingerie store. I gulped as we went in, immediately feeling self-conscious. I glanced down at my generous chest, blushing a bright red as I looked around. But from the look on my dad's face, I wasn't the only one feeling a little uncomfortable there.
"Let me guess," a busty sales lady came up to me with a grin, "You've recently gone through the Burke's Virus and you need some new garments."
"How'd you know?" I asked in surprise.
The saleswoman just laughed, "You looked pretty uncertain while standing there... If you don't mind my asking, how big were you before?"
I looked down at my chest and blushed an even brighter red, "Um... I don't really know the sizes... I've never worn a bra or anything before..."
"Really?" she blinked in surprise, which she quickly covered up. However, she still gave me a curious look, perhaps wondering if I'd just been some flat-chested woman, or maybe a girl who hadn't developed yet.
"I'm...," I started, then paused to mutter, "I was a boy..." I couldn't even bring myself to look at her as I said it. I only stared at the floor, feeling pretty embarrassed.
"Really?" she gasped, then added, "We had a woman come in here last month with the same problem. She had been a man just a week before and didn't have a clue about her size. If you'd like, I can give you a quick lesson on female undergarments and how they're sized, but I'm afraid that we don't have anything in your size. You'll probably have yours special ordered..."
"Just great," I groaned, feeling even worse.
I looked at dad for help, or at the very least, some moral support. But the look he gave me said, 'you're on your own'. So I let out a long sigh and went to the back with the sales lady, who gave me a short lesson about bras and cup sizes. Then she measured me and ordered a couple bras, which she said would be rush delivered by tomorrow.
When dad saw how much those special order bras were going go cost, he momentarily went pale. Then he said, "Thank God my company insurance includes Burke's coverage... That should offset these expenses a little..." Still, insurance coverage or not, he wasn't very happy about paying for my panties and such, though at least he didn't really complain.
As we left the store, my new packages in hand, my dad glanced at his watch and said, "I think we have time for lunch before your doctor's appointment..."
"Sounds good to me," I grinned, relieved to be able to think about something other than the unmentionables that I had just been surrounded with. And I was beginning to get hungry again.
Just as soon as I stepped into the burger join a few minutes later, everyone inside froze and stared at me. I cringed self-consciously, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the way they were all staring.
Nearly everyone had looks of amazement at my size, though every guy in the place had an expression of lust...and envy as they looked at my dad. It embarrassed me further to realize that they thought me and my dad were an item.
"Ugh," I grimaced, not used to this kind of attention and not having any idea of what to do.
For my entire life, I had been the kid that no one noticed, that everyone ignored. I had long since grown used to being nearly invisible. But now, all of a sudden I was anything but. Everything about me stood out to an amazing degree. I was tall, muscular, and a gorgeous woman with big knockers... How could anyone NOT notice me? I didn't think that I could be invisible now if I tried.
"It's okay," my dad gently reassured me with a worried expression. "Just ignore them..."
Nearly everyone went back to what they were doing, pretending that they didn't notice me. But I was well aware of the brief glances that many of the restaurant patrons kept sneaking. Still, I did my best to follow my dad's suggestion and ignore them, though it wasn't easy. And once I had my meal, we sat down in the back corner, just out of plain sight so that we could have a little privacy.
"This is weird," I told dad, "The way those guys were looking at me..." I shook my head, never having imagined that guys would stare at me like that. Of course, I'd gotten a few looks like that since leaving the house, but this time there were a bunch of people, all at once. It had been so embarrassing.
"I know it's difficult," my dad told me with a frown, "But there's not much you can do except ignore it."
I nodded at that, looking at my dad and noticing the strange, thoughtful look in his eyes. I suddenly realized that this whole situation had to be reminding him of mom and how people had treated her right after she'd been changed by the Bug. I remembered the way that guys were suddenly drooling all over her, and how much she'd enjoyed having all that attention on her for once.
I frowned but ate my burger without saying anything. What could I say? Dad had to be pretty shaken up about the way everyone was staring at me, but he was trying hard to be supportive and not show it. That made me feel just a little better.
"You sure are wolfing it down," my dad pointed out after a minute, gesturing to my empty place.
"Yeah," I smiled weakly, "I guess my appetite got bigger too." Of course, I'd already noticed that during breakfast.
Dad shrugged, "Bigger body. Bigger stomach. Bigger appetite. It makes sense. In fact, I think I'd be worried if you only ate as much as you used to." Then he glanced at his watch and told me, "I guess I'd better hurry up to so we're not late for your appointment."
When we arrived at the doctors office for my appointment, the doctor was already set up and waiting for us. Dr. Brennan was the same doctor that we'd used for years, and he looked the same as he did the last time I'd seen him, with one exception. Then, he had still been fighting his baldness with a bad comb-over, though now he seemed to have given up the fight and shaved his head bare. That made his bushy red beard stand out all the more.
"I keep hoping I'll catch the Burke's Virus and grow my hair back," Dr. Brennan chuckled when my dad mentioned his shaved head. "But until then..."
"I'll wish you luck," dad grinned.
Dr. Brennan finally turned his attention to me, saying, "Well Lee, it looks like you had a bad case of the Bug."
"Yeah," I muttered self-consciously.
"If your father hadn't told me that it was you," he smiled gently, "I never would have recognized you. Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah," I nodded, "I'm not hurting or feeling sick anymore."
"But I would imagine that you feel quite strange," Dr. Brennan said. "It's quite common after such an extreme change. In fact, I would be a little concerned if you didn't feel strange at first."
I just nodded at that and squirmed a little uncomfortably in my seat. "You'd think they'd come up with a cure or something..."
Dr. Brennan smiled gently, "Scientists are trying to develop a vaccine, though without much success from what I've heard." Then he gave me a serious look and said, "Okay, let's get started, shall we..."
At this, the polite conversation turned into the medical examination that I'd come for. Dr. Brennan looked in my eyes, ears, and throat, checked my pulse, took my blood pressure, and all of the normal things that were done during a doctor's visit. Then he checked a few other things, including taking a sample of my blood.
"If you'll leave for a few minutes so we might have some privacy," Dr. Brennan told my dad, who nodded and left the room. Then he said, "If you would like a woman present for this, I can call in Dr. Ascott from the next office..."
"No," I squeaked out, feeling embarrassed enough about this as it was. I didn't want anyone else in there for the next part.
After this came the truly horrible part of the examination. I cringed at the very thought, and the only thing that gave me the courage to go through with it was the realization that I was a lot bigger than Dr. Brennan and could stop him if he tried anything, even though I knew that he wouldn't. I undressed and he examined my whole body, checking out my breasts and even between my legs before finally letting me put my clothes back on.
"Oh God," I grimaced, thinking about what had just been one of the most humiliating experiences of my entire life. It ranked up there with the time that someone shoved me into the cafeteria garbage can because he'd caught me looking at his girlfriend. That was one of the times that I'd wished to be more invisible, while this was another.
Once my dad was back in the room. Dr. Brennan stated, "It seems that you are now a perfectly healthy young woman."
My dad frowned slightly, then hesitantly asked, "You said that he...that Lee really is female now... Does this mean that he...that Lee will have periods and can get pregnant?"
I groaned at that, knowing that my dad would have to be the one to get to the heart of the matter. Those were questions that I was curious about myself, but not about to ask. I was afraid of what the answers would be.
"I can't say for certain until she sees a gynecologist for a thorough pelvic exam," Dr. Brennan frowned, "But since the Burke's Virus tends to be quite consistent in its transformations, I can be very confident in saying yes."
"Just great," I groaned, shuddering at the very thought of being a mother, or even of having a period. The very thought was just...nasty. I was a guy... Or at least I was inside, so this wasn't something that I was ever supposed to have been forced to deal with. "At least," I gave a weak smile, "I can hope that I catch the Bug again and change back into a guy..."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Dr. Brennan told me, "but the Burke's Virus doesn't work like that. Recent studies have shown that once the virus changes a part of you, it is extremely rare that it will ever change that part of you again. It's as though the changed parts gain some immunity to the virus, or at least to further changes. The same study shows that people who go through extreme transformations such as your own, almost never go through any significant changes again." He frowned and shook his head, "You can catch the virus again, but it's unlikely that it will cause any further changes, or at least any that are very noticeable."
"Oh," I squeaked out, feeling as though my heart were jumping into my throat. The full impact of what he'd just told me registered almost immediately. Before, there had been some hope, even if only in the back of my mind, that since the Bug had changed me, that it might very well decide to change me back. "So...I'm stuck like this? For the rest of my life?"
Dr. Brennan didn't say anything, but he didn't have to either. The look on his face was confirmation enough. I was a girl...a giant, amazon woman for the rest of my life. I staggered a little and gulped, not sure what to do...what to think. And while I was just sitting there, trying to absorb this, my dad gave me a sympathetic look and put his hand on mine.
After a moment, dad turned to Dr. Brennan and said, "I've noticed his...her unusual size... Is Lee an anomaly?" I immediately looked back at Dr. Brennan, wondering that very thing myself.
Dr. Brennan stared at me for a moment, giving me a speculative look before answering, "Not quite. Lee's physique is very unusual, but there are numerous women of significant height and muscularity." He looked at me, "You could be considered borderline, but you are not an anomaly."
I just nodded at that, feeling a faint relief that I wasn't an anomaly. After all, to be labeled as an 'anomaly' would have been like being officially labeled as a freak. As it was, I was odd enough that I didn't need that extra label.
"What I want you to do," Dr. Brennan told me, "Is to make an appointment for a complete gynecological exam." He handed my dad a business card, "There's a specialist just down the hall. I assure you that Dr. Kincaid is very professional."
"Thank you," my dad responded looking less than enthused.
"Just great," I grumbled, even less enthused about my dad. He was probably worried about the bill and the fact that he had just lost his son. I was the one who was going to have to go through what Jessie had once described to me as absolute torture, and the one thing he missed the least about his old life.
"I would also recommend counseling," the doctor handed my dad another business card. "These people help Burke's Virus transformees to adapt to their altered selves. And they can teach you the things that you'll need to know as a woman."
All that I could say to that was, "Oh." I wasn't much more enthusiastic about this counseling thing than I was about going to see a gynecologist.
"Is there anything else?" dad asked after a moment, looking at the cards that Dr. Brennan had given him.
"No," the doctor shook his head, "She seems to be perfectly healthy."
"Thank you," my dad told him, while I just grunted, "I'll see you later."
As we were leaving the office, Dr. Brennan told me, "Things will work out. People adjust to new bodies all the time." However, that didn't really make me feel any better at the moment.
Invisible No More
Part 3 of 6
By Morpheus
I leaned back on the couch, letting out a long sigh. It had been a busy day and I was glad to be back home where I could relax, and not be stared at by people. The kind of attention that my new body drew was one of the most uncomfortable things about my transformation.
With a slight frown, I absently flipped my new ID card between my fingers. Dad and I had stopped by the licensing department right after seeing Dr. Brennan, where he proved my identity with all those pictures we took of my transformation. After an hour of paperwork and such, they issued me an ID card which was clearly marked to say that in spite of my appearance, I was still a minor.
"Too bad I don't have a driver's license yet," I sighed. Of course, if I did, it would be marked just like my new ID, so that I still couldn't go into bars or buy alcohol. They were pretty strict about checking people's ID anymore, ever since the Bug had first appeared and made it difficult to judge people by appearances. "It's not like this thing does me a lot of good..."
I held the ID up and stared at the picture of me on the front, and all of my new statistics such as height, weight, and eye color. It was so different from what I was used to that I had a hard time associating any of that to me. In fact, the only things on the ID that were recognizable were my name and home address. Dad had even tried talking me into changing my name, into taking an alternate name.
"Like I'm really going to call myself Leanne," I muttered, thinking of the new girl name that he had suggested. Fortunately, Lee was neutral enough that I figured I could still use it. After all, I had so many new things to get used to that I didn't want to have to add my own name to the list as well. "Lee works perfectly fine..." The last was said in a tone of defiance.
"Are you still sitting there?" my dad asked as he stepped into the room and gave me a disapproving look. "You can't hide in the house forever, you know."
"I was just thinking of doing my homework," I lied. "I have to get caught up before I go back to school..."
"You won't have to go back for a couple days yet," my dad told me with a faint smile, "I think that you can take care of the school work tomorrow. Go on, get out of the house."
"But we just got back an hour ago," I protested.
But it was obvious that my dad had already made up his mind. He stood there with his arms crossed and a stubborn expression on his face, "Maybe, but you need to go out and have some fun. Go on..." He handed me a twenty-dollar bill, "I don't want to see you back in here for at least an hour..."
I groaned but knew that he had me. There was no way that I was going to turn down twenty bucks just for leaving the house for a bit. So I took the money and left, glancing at my watch so I would know when it was safe to come back.
"Now what do I do?" I muttered. It wasn't like I went out and did a lot of things before I'd caught the Bug. "Maybe I can stop at the book store..."
After a moment, I suddenly had it. I could go to Freddy's, which was a local restaurant that catered to teenagers. The food wasn't the greatest, but they had a bunch of really cool video games set up. In fact, they prided themselves on having some of the latest and most popular, which dew a lot of kids there after school to compete against each other. And considering the time, and which day it was, there was a decent chance that some of my friends might be there.
"Would that be good luck or bad?" I asked myself, not sure if I was ready to see my friends yet. Hell, I didn't think that I was ready to see anybody from school yet, but I was already on my way before that thought occurred to me.
When I arrived at Freddy's a short while later, I was relieved to find that it wasn't nearly as full as I'd begun to fear. In fact, it was fairly quiet. I glanced to the table which seemed to be perpetually reserved for the popular kids, and there were a couple of people sitting there. Then I looked around at the other tables, finally spotting the one that I was looking for.
"Oh shit," I muttered, staring at Jessie, Toby and Edgar, who were all finishing off a pizza. My heart jumped and I thought about turning around and immediately running out of the place. I wasn't ready to face them yet. I wasn't ready to show them what I'd turned into. Then I took a deep breath and muttered, "Don't freak out..."
I remained where I was for a minute, well aware that everyone was beginning to stare at me again. Of course, how could they not? I was not only a gorgeous woman with big knockers, but a very tall and athletic-looking one at that. It would have been almost impossible for them not to notice me. But knowing this and feeling comfortable with it were two different things. I absently reached up to adjust my glasses, which were no longer there, then slowly went forward.
As I got closer to the table that my friends were sitting at, I could overhear them talking about me, about how they wondered how I'd changed and about how they were planning on visiting me once they left Freddy's. My heart beat louder and louder with each step and I had to fight the urge to just turn around and leave.
"You guys about ready to go see Lee?" Toby asked the other two.
I stopped in front of their table, gulped, and said, "There's no need for that."
All three of them froze and looked at me in surprise, with Toby and Edgar staring at my prominent chest. Jessie stared at me as well, but with a more speculative look on his face.
"I'm right here," I told them, trying to look confident and not show how nervous I felt. What if they didn't like me like this? What if they left me, just like my mom had? But I wouldn't know unless I told them.
Jessie's expression suddenly became one of satisfaction at having guessed right. "Lee?" he asked, "Is that really you?"
I nodded self-consciously, unable to bring myself to look my friends in the eye. I stared at the tabletop for a moment before finally looking at them. They were all staring at me, their expressions ones of complete amazement.
"Lee?" Toby gasped, "Holy shit... Man the Bug got you good..."
I just stood where I was so that they could get a good look at me. At the same time, I was becoming more aware of just how short they all seemed to me now. I had always been the shortest one of our little group of Invisibles, but that was obviously no longer the case. After a moment, I sat down, giving them all a weak smile.
"Wow," Jessie exclaimed, "You look amazing..."
"No shit," Toby echoed, staring at me in complete amazement.
Jessie was the only one of my three friends who wasn't staring at me in lust and looking like he wanted to jump me, but he was gay. But even so, I could see the look of awe and admiration in his eyes.
There were a few seconds of uncomfortable silence before I realized something else. They were intimidated by me. I was stunned to realize that but knew that I should have earlier. After all, I was not only a lot bigger than any of them but was a gorgeous woman with big knockers, who looked like an adult. Any of those three things was enough to intimidate most teenage boys, and all three of them together... I had little doubt that if I'd run into someone who looked like I did now, before I had changed, I would have been pretty damn intimidated too.
"This is pretty weird for me," I broke the silence, smiling nervously. "I mean..." I gestured down at myself, then shaking my head.
Edgar finally tore his eyes away from my chest long enough to ask, "Can I touch them?"
"No," I snapped back, blushing brightly, "Get a pair of your own."
Jessie and Toby both started laughing at that, then Toby pointed out, "He already has a pair. I mean, look at those man boobs..."
"Watch it," Edgar glared at him, then gave a weak chuckle.
The tension seemed to have broken and I let out a sigh of relief. They weren't immediately turning on me, kicking me out of the group, and calling me some sort of freak. I was thankful but realized that my friends weren't the type to do that in the first place.
"So," Jessie asked, "What alter name are you using?"
"I don't have one," I answered. "I figured that Lee would still work."
"It should," Toby teased me, "I always thought it was a girlie name anyway..."
"Did you know," Jessie smiled, "I heard that Amanda is the most popular alter name used by guys who turn female? I guess they like the pun."
"What pun?" Edgar asked with a blank look.
Toby just rolled his eyes. "A...man...duh"
Jessie giggled a little at that while I snickered. Edgar stuck his tongue out at Toby and it seemed just like everything was normal.
"So, what's it like?" Toby asked me. "I mean...damn... You look..." He shook his head.
"Weird," I muttered, "Very weird. I don't think I'll ever get used to this."
"You will," Jessie told me with a sad expression. "Trust me."
"You look like an adult," Edgar said. "I bet you could get into bars now..."
"No," I shook my head, "My ID still says that I'm a minor."
"You are pretty lucky," Jessie sighed, a look of envy on her face as she obviously thought about all that she had lost. There was no doubt that she would have much rather come out looking more like I did. "I mean, it could have been worse..."
"Yeah," Edgar grinned, "You could have come out looking like Toby..."
Toby glared at Edgar and added, "Or him..."
After this, I ordered a banana split and ate while we talked for the next hour or so. I told them what I'd been doing all day, skipping over my visit to the lingerie store, and tried explaining what it was like to suddenly become so completely different. However, Jessie was the only one who understood what I was going through and he kept nodded knowingly.
When we finally left Freddy's, Jessie pulled me aside and gave me a sympathetic look. "If you need anything," he told me "If you have any questions about being a girl or if you need help with anything, I'm here for you. I know there's a lot you'll have to learn and get used to...and I want to help." He paused, looking teary-eyed, "You guys were there for me when..." He gestured down at himself. "If it hadn't been for you guys, I might have killed myself."
"What?" I blinked in surprise. I'd known that Jessie had been having a really hard time after his transformation, but I never knew that he'd been thinking of suicide.
Jessie quickly continued, "You were there for me, and I want to be there for you."
As Jessie went to join the other guys, I was a bit teary-eyed myself. What he had said and the sentiment behind it really meant a lot to me and I was extremely thankful to realize that I had friends like him.
I awoke to one of the world's most annoying sounds, that of an alarm clock going off in the morning. I groaned and slapped the thing, accidentally knocking it off of my nightstand. I still wasn't used to the new reach of my arms and tended to be a little clumsy as a result. But that didn't bother me much at the moment. The clock could stay on the floor for all I cared.
After a minute, I sat up in bed, silently cursing at the alarm clock while simultaneously being thankful for such a good night's sleep. I wiggled my toes and smiled faintly at the fact that they weren't hanging off the foot of the bed anymore. My dad had bought me a new bed that I could actually fit on the day before, and it was definitely comfortable.
"Too bad he's having to spend so much on me," I muttered, feeling a little guilty at that fact.
I briefly considered getting a job in order to help pay some of the bills that my transformation had caused, then shrugged it off for now. Maybe I could get a job after things have settled down a bit more, but at the moment, I had too many other things to worry about.
"I can't believe that I have to go back to school already," I muttered to myself, feeling somewhat disgusted as well as afraid.
It had only been two days since I recovered enough from the Burke's Virus to go see Dr. Brennan. I figured that I needed at least another couple days to get everything I needed taken care of and to get a little more used to my body. But my dad didn't agree and thought that the sooner I was back in school and in a regular routine, the better off I'd be.
"Get out of the house and around people," I mimicked my dad, "Like I was actually out of the house and doing things before I caught the Bug. If he wants me to get back in my normal routine, he should let me sit around and watch TV."
With another groan, more for effect than from actual effort, I climbed out of bed. After several days, I was still amazed at just how much smaller everything in my room was. It was subtle and not something that was immediately noticeable, but I couldn't help feeling that everything was just a little off. Of course, that was pretty minor compared to some of the other adjustments I had to make.
I stared down at my breasts, shaking my head faintly at their presence. They certainly made it a little more difficult to get to sleep, especially since I couldn't roll over and sleep on my belly anymore. Fortunately, I usually slept on my side so they didn't interfere too much.
"Okay," I sighed, "Time to get moving."
Since I knew that my dad would have already left for work and that I was home alone, I didn't bother putting on a bathrobe or anything else. I walked naked through the house and went to the bathroom where I relieved myself and took my morning shower. I smiled in relief, thankful that dad had listened to my pleading to get a shower head with an extension hose on it so that I could lift it to my own height rather than being forced to bend over.
"Much better," I grinned.
Somehow, I would have to let dad know how grateful I was for everything that he did to make me more comfortable. With the clothes, bed, shower head, and so many other things, he had probably spent a small fortune on me in the last couple of days.
After the shower came the chore that drying my hair had become. Fortunately, this time I had the tools and knowledge to take care of it. I frowned as I reached for the hairdryer and brush, thinking that it would be so much easier to just get my hair cut short. But when I had mentioned that to Jessie while he was over yesterday, he had told me that if I dared cut off such long and beautiful hair, he'd kick my ass.
Taking care of my hair took a lot longer than I would have liked, though I was forced to admit that taking long strokes through it with a brush was kind of relaxing. And in spite of myself, I had to admit that it looked pretty damn good too. It seemed to add to the whole 'hot amazon babe' package that I had going.
Finally, I was able to get to the important subject of breakfast. Normally I would have just poured myself a bowl of cereal and be done with it, but ever since I had been changed, my appetite had doubled...at least. I knew that I would need something a little more substantial than that, so I fixed myself a half dozen eggs instead.
Then came the clothes. I put on one of the bras that had arrived the day before, thankful to Jessie for showing me how to do so. That little lesson had been a bit embarrassing, but oh so very useful. He had given me a few other pieces of advice about getting dressed now that I was a girl.
"That should do it," I said once I was finished. I looked over what I had put on, a pair of black pants, a red t-shirt, and tennis shoes. It wasn't the most fashionable outfit, but I didn't particularly care. It was comfortable and didn't really look bad either.
For a brief moment, I thought about Jessie's suggestion from yesterday that I learn how to use makeup, though I'd flatly refused. He couldn't very well argue with my decision since he wasn't a very masculine boy and I had no intention of being a really feminine girl.
Once I was ready, I grabbed all of the homework I'd rushed to finish yesterday and started for school. I was pretty nervous, even a bit scared over what I would face when I got there. The only thing that gave me the courage to keep going rather than calling in sick was the thought that my friends would be there waiting for me. That and the fact my dad would be pissed if I skipped school on my first day back.
As soon as I arrived on the school grounds, everyone stopped to stare at me. It was a reaction that I was coming to expect. No matter where I want, I was suddenly the center of attention, and school was no different. I was getting looks of awe, disbelief, amazement, lust, and even hostility, though the last came almost exclusively from girls. No one was ignoring me now and I could even hear people whispering about me.
I knew that everyone was curious about me and I didn't blame them since I would have been in their shoes. I didn't even look like the same age as the other students. They were probably wondering if I was a new teacher, or maybe the mother or older sister of some student. I doubted that most of them realized that I was a student, or that I had been going to that school for a while.
It was a little strange, walking down the school hallway, knowing that I was the complete and total center of attention. It was just as strange to look out over the crowd, seeing the tops of all those heads and realizing that I was taller than most of the student body by at least six inches. There were only one or two other kids in the entire school who were taller than me, and they were nowhere in sight. I towered over everyone in the hall. And strangely enough, the fact that I was so much bigger than everyone around me gave me a sort of confidence and I found myself standing up even straighter.
By the time I got to the school office, I was feeling much better. I smiled down at the secretary, who was now more than a foot shorter than me and looked absolutely tiny. I saw her eyes widen in obvious intimidation as she looked up at me, but she forced a smile and asked, "How may I help you miss?"
"I'm a student," I told her, my nervousness beginning to return. "I've been out a week with the Bug..."
"Oh," she gasped, her eyes going even wider.
"I'm Lee Forrest," I told her, handing her a note from Dr. Brennan.
"Oh," she blinked in surprise, then gave me a weak smile. "Your father called yesterday to let us know what to expect... But to actually see you..."
I just nodded and smiled weakly, knowing that I was quite a sight. "I know... It's pretty weird..."
The secretary paused for a moment to collect herself, then told me, "Your teachers have already been informed so you can go right to your normal classes."
I thanked her and went to my first class, immediately getting the same reaction that I was becoming used to. One boy exclaimed, "We've got a substitute," while another gasped, "Just look at her.." They were all surprised when, instead of going to the teacher's desk like they expected, I made my way back to my normal seat.
"Just great," I muttered as I looked down at it and my desk, realizing that it was going to be a cramped fit.
"Who are you?" the girl I normally sat next to asked, looking up at me with a confused expression. There were similar looks of confusion around the room.
"I'm Lee," I told her with an embarrassed shrug.
She just gave me a blank look and I realized that she was probably only vaguely aware that a boy always sat next to her. I doubted if she had ever paid any attention to me at all, or even to what my name was. It was just another reminder of how invisible I had always been.
Just then, our teacher stepped into the room, confusing the few students who still thought I was a substitute. She looked around, stared at me in surprise, then apparently remembered being told about my change.
"Lee Forrest?" she asked. At my nod, she gulped, "I was told that you had Burke's..."
At that, everyone stared at me even harder and a burst of noise filled the room as everyone began talking at once. Several people immediately started asking me questions while a number of others looked at me curiously, trying to picture what I had looked like before. I doubted if any of them had ever paid enough attention to the old me to remember.
I frowned and sat down in my chair, feeling somewhat cramped but trying to ignore it as class began. But I was obviously not the only one who was distracted as half the class kept sneaking looks at me over the next hour and whispering among themselves. I think our teacher was relieved when the bell rang because she wouldn't have to deal with me distracting her class for the rest of the day.
My next several classes were pretty much the same, except that the other Invisibles were in them with me, sitting back and snickering in amusement at the reactions. At this point, I was in class with a number of the same people, and word about me was spreading so that few people were surprised by my presence. They were amazed and intimidated, but not really surprised. By the time that lunch came around, I suspected that at least half the school knew about me, if not who I had been before.
At lunch, I sat with my friends at our normal table, which wasn't nearly as ignored as normal. A lot of people kept looking at us, or at least at me. Some people even sat at the same table, just to get a better look at me without being too obvious. Or at least they were trying not to be too obvious.
"I can't believe the way that everyone keeps staring at you," Toby whispered, looking a little nervous. "It's weird."
"Tell me about it," I sighed.
"Well, you do stand out," Jessie reminded me unnecessarily.
Just then, I noticed a boy coming straight for our table and immediately recognized him. He was Paul Williams, a senior and one of those popular kids. He was 6 foot 1 and rather athletic, the kind of guy who'd always enjoyed making me feel small and weak before my transformation.
"Hey babe," Paul grinned at me, "You look fine..."
"Leave me alone," I frowned, not wanting anything to do with him. As it was, I felt just a little nervous with him standing there, maybe even a bit afraid.
"Leave her alone," Jessie said, sounding afraid as well.
Paul just glared at him with a raw hatred, "Shut up and mind your own business before I kick your ass..."
Jessie cringed from the threat and I knew how hard that had to be for him. Back when Jessie had still been Jessica, Paul had been her boyfriend. But when she had changed, he had not only dumped her but rejected her completely. Paul had become one of Jessie's worst tormentors as if that would help him forget that the scrawny geek was someone he used to kiss. I knew that Paul's betrayal had really hurt Jessie, even more than the bruises he'd given.
"Leave him alone," I said as I stood up and glared at Paul, becoming more aware of our height difference. Where he had once been bigger than me, I was now taller than him. I was 5 inches taller than him and more muscular. As I looked down at him, I felt more confident and my fear quickly drained away.
"Wow," Paul gasped as he stared up at me. Then he quickly gave me a cocky grin, "You know, I like big girls... There's more of you to love..."
I just stared back at him in surprise, not sure whether to be amused by that statement or disgusted. I couldn't believe that Paul was actually hitting on me and couldn't decide if that was better or worse than him just hitting me.
"C'mon," Paul grinned at me, "Someone as beautiful as you doesn't need to sit over here with these losers. Why don't you come sit with me and my friends? We'll give you a proper welcome to the school. I know it can be hard when you start at a new school..."
"New school?" I blinked, then realized that he had no idea who I was and just thought I was a new student. "I'm not a new student," I glared at Paul, "I've been here for a few years, and this isn't the first time we've met. I've just had the Bug."
"What?" Paul looked confused, "Who are you...?"
"I'm the person you stuffed in the garbage can last year," I spat out, pointing to the offending garbage cans. And as Paul's eyes widened in realization, I growled, "And if you don't leave me and my friends alone, I'll do that to you..."
Paul gulped, a look of fear and intimidation quickly passing over his face. And without another word, he turned and rushed off, not even going back to his own lunch table but leaving the cafeteria entirely.
"Holy shit," Toby exclaimed as I sat back down, "Did you see the look on his face?"
"Priceless," Edgar grinned.
Jessie laughed, "I bet that felt great..."
"You have no idea," I grinned back at him, feeling rather smug. I couldn't believe that Paul, one of the guys I went out of my way to avoid was now intimidated by me. "It felt fantastic..."
We continued talking about the incident with Paul through the rest of lunch, especially how one moment he was hitting on me and the next nearly running. That had probably been one of the most satisfying moments of my life, and the fulfillment of a year-long daydream. And when I finally left for my next class, I was filled with a new confidence.
After my next period, it was time for my least favorite class...gym. I wasn't looking forward to it, though I found that there was one good thing about my change in gender. I could now use the girl's locker room. Unfortunately, it was pretty awkward and the girls gave me odd looks. I blushed and hurried into the back corner where I could change in peace, without any of the girls staring at me, and without them having to worry about me staring at them.
"I finally get into the girl's locker room," I muttered to myself as I left, "and I can't even enjoy it..."
Of course, I grinned to myself, I could always tell Toby that all the girls ran around naked in there and touched each other's breasts, just to make him jealous. In fact, I could even imagine Jessie playing along and pretending that this kind of thing was perfectly normal.
"I can't wait," I snickered.
When I finally stepped into the gym, the reaction was exactly what I expected. Everyone immediately turned and stared at me, including the people I'd been in classes with earlier, and the girl's from the locker room. Even Coach Mason, who was notoriously impatient with those who had not been athletically gifted, stared at me in amazement.
"Forrest," Coach Mason snapped at me after a minute, "Catching the Bug may be the most healthy thing you've ever done."
And with that acknowledgment of my altered body, Coach Mason started up class, announcing that we would be playing basketball. Again, all eyes turned on me, and there were a lot of speculative looks in them. I gulped, suddenly feeling extremely nervous.
I suddenly thought about Alan Grier, who at 6 foot 9 is the tallest kid in school. Since he's a tall black guy, everyone had expected him to be a great basketball player and possibly the secret weapon for the school basketball team. Imagine the surprise when it turned out that he was not only horrible at the game, but had no interest in basketball or any other sport. I had the feeling that the same kind of expectations were being built due to my height.
"I hope I'm on your team," Edgar told me. He was the only one of my friends that I was in gym with, and the only one of them who was less athletic than me.
As soon as it came time to pick up teams, I was the first person chosen. I was partly expecting it, yet still surprised at the same time. It was the first time in my life that I had EVER been picked for a sports team. I felt a surge of excitement at that, as well as some nervous fear that I would let them down and embarrass myself.
Edgar was picked last, though that didn't seem to bother him much. "I would wish you good luck," he told me as we got ready to play, "But since you're on the other team, I hope you fall on your face." He grinned at me to show that he didn't mean it, then went to join his team.
The moment that Coach Mason blew his whistle, I knew that this game was going to be different. For my entire life, I had always been one of the last people chosen for any sport, and the last person that was ever given a real opportunity to play. In basketball, no one had EVER passed the ball to me, even when I was wide open. But now, things were different. It was as though my entire team was focusing on me, expecting ME to be the one to win the game by myself. Every time I blinked, my team was passing me the ball...
"I can do this," I told myself as I threw the ball towards the hoop, only to miss it.
I groaned and silently cursed myself, though it wasn't the first time I'd missed a shot. My body might be taller and more athletic, but I still wasn't used to it. I was uncoordinated and even a bit clumsy. And then there was the fact that I'd never been able to throw baskets from any kind of a distance before, and that hadn't changed at all. But fortunately, my sheer height was enough to get several baskets, which was more than anyone else on my team.
When the game was finally over, Coach Mason called out, "Good job Forrest. With a little more practice, the girls basketball team will beg to have you when the season starts..."
I was stunned at that since it had to be the first compliment that Coach Mason had ever given me. And that was after I'd missed more than half the baskets I tried throwing.
"Um...thanks," I responded.
"Nice game," one of the guys on the other team told me as he walked past. "You're hard to get past..."
Several more people made complimentary comments as well, leaving me more and more stunned. I smiled, not used to that kind of attention but deciding that I liked it. It was great to not be ignored, and to have people be nice to me for a change.
Then Coach Mason came up to me and said, "You played a good game. It was the first time that I've ever seen you try... But I noticed that you were a bit awkward out there..."
"Yeah," I frowned, not having to be reminded about my clumsy slips and mistakes.
"It's pretty common after a drastic change like yours," he pointed out, not acting as though it bothered him. "You were really getting better towards the end though. You'll get your coordination in no time, especially if you keep playing."
"Okay," I responded, not sure what else I could say.
Coach Mason quickly reached out and grabbed my arm, looking impressed as he squeezed it. "Very nice," he told me, letting go and looking me over, "You shouldn't have much problem staying in this shape either..."
"What do you mean?" I asked blankly.
"Well," Coach Mason looked thoughtful, which was somewhat unusual, "When the Bug makes someone fat, they have a harder than normal time losing that weight. And when the Bug gives someone muscles, they don't atrophy from lack of use nearly as fast as normal. I guess when the Bug changes ya, it helps you stay in that shape." He looked me over again, "So you probably won't have to work out much to keep those muscles. But I suggest you hit the gym anyway. It'll help you get used to your new body and what you can do with it. And it'll let you know just how far you can push yourself. If you don't know your limits, you can't break them..."
I didn't know what to say as Coach Mason turned and left me. I just frowned thoughtfully as I took in what he'd told me. I'd never even considered the idea that I might actually have to work out to stay in the kind of shape I was now.
"I'm no gym rat," I grimaced, not exactly thrilled with the idea of going into the weight room and lifting weights with those meathead jocks.
Then I turned my thoughts back to the game itself, and to the way everyone had been treating me. Even the people on the other team had been nice and respectful. It was great, much better than being ignored or shoved out of the way. I grinned broadly, deciding that I could definitely get used to that.
Invisible No More
Part 4 of 6
By Morpheus
I quietly walked through the main hallway of the school, smiling confidently as I did so. Nearly all of the other kids saw me coming and immediately stepped out of my way, as if afraid that I might walk right over them if they didn't. The whole crowd of student bodies parted before me like the Red Sea.
It had only been several days since I had come back to school in my new body, and I couldn't believe just how much it had changed in that time. It seemed like it was an entirely different school. Of course, I knew that the school itself hadn't changed. I was the one who had. And as a result, I was seeing the school in an entirely new way, just as everyone there saw me differently.
No matter where I went in the school, or even out of it, I was the immediate center of attention. Boys were especially fascinated by me, being attracted to my hot body and impressed by my size and muscles. A lot of the girls were jealous of the attention I drew, but most of them were pretty nice to me now, apparently liking the idea that there was a girl in school who was bigger and stronger than the boys. I'd even overheard one girl threatening her boyfriend with me, telling him that I'd come and beat him up if he dared lay a finger on her without her permission.
Of course, the downside was that I was no longer invisible. Since everyone noticed me no matter where I went, I had to be a lot more careful about what I did. I couldn't get away with anything, whether it was accidentally wearing my shirt inside out, or tripping and falling on my face in the middle of the hallway. People always noticed.
Just then, I was brought out of my thoughts by a boy who was running down the hall and not looking where he was going. He was a short, skinny freshman who ran straight into me, then bounced off and onto the floor.
"What the...?" I blinked in surprise, looking down at him in annoyance.
The boy stared up at me from the floor with a look of terror on his face and pleading in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he blurted out, "I didn't mean..."
"It's okay," I grinned down at him, not wanting him to be afraid of me. I held out my hand and helped him back to his feet, "It happens... Just look where you're going next time..."
"Sure," he nodded eagerly with an expression of intense relief, "Okay..." Then he gave me a grateful smile before rushing off again.
"Did you see the look on his face?" a boy standing to the side laughed, "Priceless..." Then he grinned at me, "You should have stomped him for that..."
I glared at him, remembering getting the same kind of reaction from boys just like him when I had been the one in that freshman's position. I hadn't liked it then and I didn't like it now. "It was just an accident," I told him with a scowl, "And it probably hurt him more than it did me." Then, for everyone else's benefit, I added, "Besides, what kind of limp-dicked moron goes and beats someone up just because they can?"
With that, I turned and walked away, feeling quite pleased with myself. I never would have had the courage to say anything like that before. And the look of guilt on that boy's face... Now that had been priceless.
I had just gone a short distance when Toby appeared beside me, almost by magic. He looked a little uncomfortable as he whispered to me, "People are staring..."
"They always do," I shrugged, "I'm starting to get used to it."
"So," Toby grinned up at me, "Edgar says that you've been kicking ass in gym..."
I blushed at that and nodded, "I guess... My body's more athletic now..." That was an understatement, but I didn't want to brag.
"Who ever thought that my little buddy Lee would turn into a jock?" Toby teased me.
"It's not like that," I protested, "Coach Mason told me that playing sports will help build my coordination back up, and it's working."
Toby snorted, "Yeah right..."
"Okay," I admitted with some embarrassment, "It's a LOT more fun to play sports when I actually get to play. It's also kind of fun showing off what I can do... You should see the looks on some of their faces... The guys who used to pick me last are begging to be on my team."
Toby laughed at that, "Too bad you had to turn into a girl..."
"Don't remind me," I groaned, "Jessie's been coming over almost every night and teaching me all sorts of girl stuff. I kind of wish I could just forget about it for a while."
"Well," Toby snickered, "Since tomorrow is Saturday, me and Edgar were going to go see that new comic book movie Mantra. You wanna come along?"
I stared at Toby for a moment, having seen the previews for the movie on TV. Mantra was based off of an old comic book that had recently been making a come back. Though I'd never read it, I knew that it was about some warrior guy who gets reincarnated as a female sorceress, and who then becomes a superhero. Before I'd come down with the Bug, I might have laughed at the idea, but now... Well, I could sort of relate to the main character.
"I'm afraid not," I sighed in disappointment. "I've got an appointment with some counselor... I don't think I need one, but dad insists."
"Too bad," Toby gave me a sympathetic look. "I'm glad the Bug never did anything like that to me..."
"You should be," I nodded, giving a frown, "You have no idea how confusing an overnight sex change can be..."
"Speaking of that," Toby grinned at me again, this time with a mischievous look in his eyes, "I was wondering if you like guys now. I mean LIKE guys..."
I nearly choked at that, staring at Toby in disbelief. I couldn't believe that he'd ask me something like that... I'd heard stories about people who said the Bug changed their sexual orientation, making them gay, straight, or whatever. But my dad said this is probably just people who were already that way, using the Bug as an excuse to come out of the closet or to rationalize it to themselves. Since I still liked girls and Jessie still liked boys, I still didn't know if the Bug could change that kind of thing about a person or not.
"No," I glared down at Toby, scowling as much as I could, "I do NOT like guys..."
"Too bad," Toby gave me a disappointed look, "Imagine how jealous all the guys would be if you were my girlfriend..." I couldn't tell if he was joking or not, which worried me.
"Well it's not going to happen," I insisted, "As of now, I found myself among the ranks of carpet munchers."
"As if you've ever even seen one," he started to tease me, then blushed, "Besides your own..."
"Well anyway," I told him with a bright blush, "I've got to get going..."
"Cool," Toby nodded and started to walk away, then paused as he suddenly remembered something else. "Oh yeah... Jessie says that he has a new friend he wants to introduce us to during lunch..."
I stared at Toby for a moment, wondering what he meant about Jessie having a new friend. As far as I knew, Jessie didn't have ANY friends except us. Now my curiosity was definitely building, and I didn't know if I could wait till lunch to have it satisfied.
--------------------
It was lunchtime and I strolled through the cafeteria with a tray of food in one hand and my bag lunch in another. Ever since I had been transformed by the Bug, my lunches were larger, yet somehow seemed to satisfy me even less. I didn't make eye contact with anyone around me as I hurried to my seat, eager to eat. My empty stomach reminded me that I hadn't eaten a large enough breakfast.
"I'll definitely have to have a bigger breakfast tomorrow," I muttered to myself, "Or I'll bring a snack... Maybe both..."
As soon as I reached my table, I sat down and tore into my lunch, barely acknowledging Edgar and Toby who were already there waiting. Jessie hadn't arrived yet, so I still didn't know who his mysterious new friend was. At the moment though, I didn't particularly care.
Just a minute after I sat down, I noticed that our table, which was normally relatively unoccupied, was beginning to fill up. It had been that way over the last few days, as though people wanted to sit near me. It was a somewhat strange experience to realize that these people...these strangers had chosen their seats, just to be near me. I almost felt like I was some kind of movie star with a bunch of paparazzi following me around.
"Those seats are saved," I pointed out to one guy who was about to sit in Jessie's normal seat. He took one look at me and quickly found another place further down the table.
"I thought this was supposed to be the unpopular table," Edgar muttered as he bit into a cafeteria fish stick. "It's getting downright crowded over here..."
"Soon we'll have to be taking reservations," Toby snickered.
"Or charging for seats," I grinned at him, barely giving him a glance before going back to my eating.
"I can't believe how much you eat now," Toby shook his head.
"Neither can my dad," I answered a few seconds later. "He says it's killing his bank account."
"So, what are you guys up to this afternoon?" Toby asked.
"Same as always," Edgar shrugged.
I hesitated a moment before admitting, "Coach Mason wants me to go to the weight room. He says I should figure out just how strong I am now and just what this body can do..."
"YOU in the weight room?" Edgar laughed, "This I've got to see."
"I don't know," Toby frowned thoughtfully, "With those muscles, I think it might be a good idea..." He grimaced, as if the very idea of agreeing with anything that Coach Mason said was painful for him.
"He's been after me for a couple days," I shrugged, "And I am getting kind of curious..."
Just then, I noticed Jessie a short distance away, coming straight for us. He wasn't alone though and had a little girl with him. Or at least, my first impression was that she was a little girl since she was only about 4 foot 10 or so, but I quickly revised my estimate of her age when I noticed her body. She was about our age and had dark, shoulder-length hair, with a somewhat petite build and a very cute face.
"This is Lita," Jessie said as he sat down, gesturing for the girl to do the same.
Lita hesitated a moment, looking somewhat shy and nervous. Then she took a seat next to Jessie and gave us all a weak smile. Her eyes definitely lingered on me, though she tore them away with some visible effort.
"Um...hi," Lita gave us another weak smile.
"This is Edgar, Toby, and Lee," Jessie introduced us. Lita's eyes once again locked on me and she stared for a minute before suddenly looking down in embarrassment. I just stared back, amazed at just how tiny she seemed.
"Lita and I met online last night," Jessie explained. "We were kind of surprised when we found out that we go to the same school. So we met up in person this morning..."
"Are you new to the school?" Jessie asked her with a grin.
Lita frowned a bit as she said, "Sort of... I'm a sophomore and I've been going here for a couple months..."
I just stared at her in surprise, not really recognizing her. Now that I looked at her, I think that I might have seen her around school once or twice, but that's about it. I'd never really paid any attention.
"I thought that she might be a good recruit for the Invisibles," Jessie told us.
I could only nod faintly at that. If Lita had been going to the school for several months and none of us had seen her, she had definitely earned the title of invisible. But whether she would become one of the Invisibles or not was another question.
"So, where'd you move here from?" Toby asked, leaning forward and trying to flirt with her.
"I didn't really move," Lita admitted, frowning as she did so. "I just changed schools."
"Oh?" I asked, earning a quick glance and a blush.
"From Northside," she answered, naming our rival school on the other side of town.
"Why'd you do that?" Toby asked, "I mean, I know our school is better..."
"It's not that," Lita frowned, looking thoughtful for a moment. Then she scowled, "I wasn't always this short..." She gestured down at herself quickly glanced at me, "I caught Burke's and lost eight inches. It was kind of embarrassing to be at my old school like this, so I transferred."
"The Bug made him...her gain nine inches," Toby gestured to me with a grin, "Not to mention the muscles and sex change..."
Lita stared at me again, this time for a bit longer. There was an intensity in her eyes as she did so, though she eventually blushed and looked away. Still, I noticed that she kept sneaking looks at me as we sat there and talked.
"It was nice meeting you," I told Lita when lunch was ended and it was time for us all to leave.
As I was leaving the table, something finally dawned on me. Lita had been staring at me all through lunch, which wasn't too unusual in that just about everyone stared at me. But I finally realized that the way she was staring at me...the look in her eyes...it was the same way that boys stared at me.
I caught up to Jessie as he was leaving the cafeteria and tried to act nonchalant as I pushed, "So...you said that you met Lita online?"
Jessie paused and looked at me for a moment, his expression turning into one of embarrassment. He absently reached up as if to twirl the long hair that he no longer possessed before suddenly remembering that his old nervous habit was as useless as mine of adjusting my glasses.
"It was a chat room for local gay teens," Jessie admitted, then quickly blurted out, "I guess I count now...and so do you. If you'd like, I can give you the address..."
"Oh," I responded, my suspicion about Lita having been confirmed.
Jessie hesitated a moment more before grinning mischievously. "In the chat room, Lita was going on about how a boy in her school had just turned into an amazon babe, and about how she had a major crush on her. I couldn't resist introducing myself..."
"What?" I stared at Jessie in surprise.
But Jessie just winked at me and said, "See you later," as he hurried away. I just remained where I was, staring after him in disbelief and feeling more than a little dumbfounded.
--------------------
I stepped into the school weight room, feeling extremely nervous as I did so. I even paused to take a deep breath before I looked around, realizing that this might be the first time that I'd ever even been in there. Normal gym class was bad enough, but weight training... I'd always thought that the only people who did the whole weight training thing were the meatheads.
"I never thought I'd be in here," I muttered, especially not for the purpose of lifting weights.
As I stepped further into the weight room, I could feel several pairs of eyes on me. This temple to jockdom was the last place that I wanted to be. Just being there made me feel like such a hypocrite. When I looked around, though, I was given the further hypocrisy of realizing that I was probably the most muscular person there. Sure, there were a couple of really athletic football players, but the other half dozen people were just ordinary students.
"Well, here goes nothing," I sighed as I went to one of the machines, "I just need to find out how strong I am now..."
I began working out on a bench press machine, lifting a little and then increasing the weight. I had only been working at it for a few minutes and hadn't really put any effort into it when I noticed that the guy sitting next to me was watching me with a frown. It took me a moment more to realize that it was Matt Hassock, a senior and the quarterback of the school football team.
"What?" I asked defensively.
"Your form sucks," Matt told me with a scowl.
"What?" I blinked in confusion, wondering what he was talking about. Everyone else thought that I had a great form. Guys were checking it out all the time.
"I was just wondering how you got in such good shape," he explained, "when your lifting form is so bad..."
"Oh," I gasped in understanding, realizing that he hadn't been talking about my body. "I've never lifted weights before... I didn't get these from working out," I flexed my arm to show my muscles, then quickly added, "Or steroids. I had the Bug..."
"Oh yeah," Matt nodded his head knowingly, "I heard about you..."
"Stop wasting time with the freak," another boy called out from the other side of the room.
I looked at him and saw that it was Deacon 'Dawg' Jones, another member of the football team. He was bigger and bulkier than Matt, though still a good four inches shorter than me.
"Finish your workout," Matt called back to him, then turned to me, "Let me show you how to do it right... In fact, you get better results with the free weights..."
For a moment, I just stared at Matt suspiciously, wondering what he was up to. But to my surprise, he looked fairly sincere so I nodded my agreement and let him show me how to lift weights the 'right way.' Once he was done with his demonstration and correcting my position, I went to work.
"Push it, bitch," Matt told me after a minute, just as I was lifting more weight than I'd ever lifted in my life.
"What?" I gasped, beginning to get angry that he'd call me that.
"It's just motivational talk," Matt quickly explained, "I'm just trying to get you pumped up..."
I stared at him for a moment, then nodded, "Okay," before going back to work.
Matt continued with his motivational talk but toned it down a little. I tried to ignore it and focus on what I was doing, but after a few minutes, he exclaimed, "Holy shit..." I quickly looked up to see what I was doing wrong, but he gulped, "You just beat my max..."
"Really?" I stared at him in surprise. I hadn't even been lifting my hardest. It hadn't been light, but I knew that I could lift a bit more weight than that, so the fact that this was Matt's limit stunned me.
A minute later, Matt told me, "You just beat Dawg's max..."
I didn't respond to that, not knowing what I could say. Instead, I continued to increase the weight until I finally reached what was about my own maximum weight. Matt stared at me in amazement, while I just stared at the bar in disbelief. I couldn't believe that I could possibly lift that much weight. It just didn't seem possible that I would be that strong.
"Wow," I gasped, by the realization of just how strong my new muscles were. And as we went to the next exercise, I was surprised to find that I was actually excited and looking forward to it.
By this time, everyone else in the weight room had pretty much abandoned their own workouts and were coming to watch mine. Even Coach Mason came in and watched for a minute before giving a nod of satisfaction and leaving. It wasn't easy to ignore all these distractions, though I certainly did my best.
I was so caught up in working out, in trying to find my limits and see how much I could lift that I lost track of time. I had no idea how long I was there, going from one exercise and station to the next. By the time I was done, I was sure that I had tried out just about everything in there.
"Oh God," I gasped out when I was done. My entire body felt a little tired but good at the same time. All of my muscles felt...alive. It was as though they had actually wanted me to use them, to push them to their limits. I had NEVER imagined that I would actually enjoy that kind of physical activity, but I did. "I can't believe I did all that..."
Just then, I heard one of the guys who were watching me gasp, "Holy shit... Just look at her..."
I looked around, almost out of instinct before I realized that he was talking about me. Then I caught sight of myself in the large mirror which covered one of the weight room walls. My muscles, which were normally subdued when I was relaxed, were now anything but. All of the exercise had pumped them up, making them stand out even more. I looked even more buff and ripped than normal, which was really saying something.
"Like a goddess," I heard one of the boys in the room exclaim, though I didn't know which one.
"You're the strongest person in school," Matt told me, looking extremely impressed.
"Bullshit," Dawg growled as he came over, glaring at me menacingly, "No chick is stronger than me... Not even some fucking bitch freak..."
I glared at him, really getting pissed by his attitude. Sure, he'd always been hostile to me and a lot of other people before, but it had never seemed so personal.
"Dude," Matt told him with a grimace, "She beat your bench max by sixty pounds... And I have a feeling that she could do even more if she really pushed it. Face it man...she's definitely stronger than you."
"You hear that shorty," I couldn't resist taunting him, feeling a bit smug after Matt's announcement, "I'm stronger than you..."
That was more than Dawg could handle because he growled and charged right at me, swinging his fist. But I reacted faster than he had expected, or I had imagined I could, and shoved him backwards, sending him flying to the floor.
"You bitch!" Dawg howled as he got back to his feet.
Suddenly, a booming voice yelled, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE?" I snapped around to see Coach Mason and he did NOT look pleased at all. He glared at both Dawg and me.
"Coach," Matt started, but Coach Mason ignored him.
"You," he pointed at Dawn, "You're going to be running laps till you puke... And you," he turned to me.
"Yeah," I responded, feeling an odd mixture of shame and pride.
"You're mine after school tonight," he told me angrily, "Be there..."
I stared at him in surprise, having expected to be sent to the principal's office, "But..."
"Would you rather be suspended?" Coach Mason demanded.
"No," I gulped, shaking my head.
"Good," he nodded, glaring at me and then Dawg again, "Don't be late..."
As Coach Mason led Dawn from the weight room, I just stood there and groaned, not sure what to do. I had NEVER been in trouble for fighting before. Hell, I had never really won any kind of physical confrontation before either. During the few times that I had been in a fight, I had been the one who ended up on the ground, usually with a bloody nose.
"My dad's going to kill me," I groaned aloud, just imagining how mad he'd be when he finds out that I got in trouble at school.
Matt just laughed at that statement, but after a glare from me, he turned and hurried out of the weight room, apparently deciding that he'd had enough excitement for the day.
"Just great," I groaned, shaking my head and wondering what kind of horrible punishment Coach Mason would have cooked up for me. Knowing him, I was pretty confident that it wouldn't be good...whatever it was.
I let out a long sigh then went to the girls' locker room to shower and change. After this, I went to my next class, which I was already late for. I'd spent the entire gym class period in the weight room, and then some. But the glare that my teacher gave me for coming in late was nothing compared to what I would face after school.
I spent what was left of my school day becoming increasingly nervous and worried. I couldn't pay attention in class and Toby was no help, as he seemed more interested in the fact that I'd gotten into a fight with Dawg than that I was being punished for it.
When school was finally over and I reported to Coach Mason's office, he gave me a steady, almost emotionless look before telling me, "Go get changed into something you can work in, then meet me out on the practice field. I do have a football practice to run too you know..."
"Why couldn't he have told me that before?" I grumbled as I went back to the locker room to change back into my gym clothes.
Fifteen minutes later, I reported to Coach Mason a second time. This time, the whole football team was there watching, which made me a little uncomfortable though I tried not to let it show. Instead, I tried to stand there and remember the confidence I felt when I got into it with Dawg, who sat back and glared at me. On an impulse, I grinned and waved at him, which didn't improve his mood but did earn a few laughs.
"Good," Coach Mason gave me a speculative look before telling me, "You brought Jones down pretty damn fast in that weight room. I want to see what you can really do..."
"What?" I blinked in surprise.
Coach Mason gestured to a tackling dummy and said, "We'll start with this... Well Forrest, hop to it... I want to see what you've got..."
"Good luck," Matt called out to me, grinning as he did so.
"Just great," I groaned, wondering what I'd just gotten pulled into.
For the next hour or so, Coach Mason had me do all sorts of football practice stuff. He had me charge at the tackling dummy, try to get past a group of football players, and even try stopping them. I also spent some time throwing and catching a football as well, finding out that I could throw pretty far...but my aim sucked, and when it came to catching, I might as well have had butterfingers.
Half the football team seemed pretty amused by what the coach was having me do, while the other half was offended. I didn't know if that was because I was a girl now, or if it was because just a few weeks ago, I hadn't been. Perhaps they saw me as some sort of traitor to the male gender. I didn't know, nor did I really care. I just did what Coach Mason told me to, and to my surprise, found that I had a lot more fun doing it than I would have expected.
Eventually, the practice was over and Coach Mason grinned, looking quite pleased. "You guys go and get cleaned up," he told the players, then he turned to me. "Good job out there, Forrest."
"Thanks," I told him, grinning back.
Coach Mason stared up at me for a moment, looking thoughtful. Then he asked, "How would you like to join the football team?"
"What?" I stared at him in surprise, sure that he had to be messing with me.
"You hit hard and make one hell of a good blocker," he continued, "I think that our team can use you. What do you say?"
I continued to just stare at him, hardly able to believe what I'd just heard. I was stunned that he'd asked me to join the football team, and not just because I was a girl. Of course, there was a big thing last year where a quarterback at some school had caught the Bug and been turned into a girl. They kicked him off the team, so he sued that it was against the Burke's discrimination law and won. So there was definite precedence about my being on the team, but there was no doubt that it was pretty damn strange.
"There aren't any girls on the team," I pointed out weakly, but Coach Mason just shrugged. "They won't accept me..."
"Their problem," he shrugged, "And they damn well better if they want to play."
I frowned slightly, thinking about how much fun I'd just had practicing and about how exciting the whole thing was. The idea of actually being on the school football team...of actually being able to play that kind of game. After my success at playing basketball in gym, I'd developed a bit of a taste for sports.
"Okay," I finally nodded my agreement, "I'll play..."
"Good," Coach Mason grinned, slapping me on the back, "Now go get cleaned up and go home..."
I was in a bit of a daze as I walked off of the practice field, hardly able to believe what had just happened to me. Then all of a sudden, reality hit me and I realized exactly what I'd just done. First I'd kicked ass at basketball, then I enjoyed working out, and now I had just joined the school football team.
"Oh shit," I cried out in horror, "I've turned into a jock..."
Invisible No More
Part 5 of 6
By Morpheus
I stood with my arms crossed and a scowl on my face, glaring down at my dad, who didn't seem the least bit intimidated by me. "I don't need to see a shrink," I told him, wishing that I were just about anywhere else, "It's just a waste of time..."
My dad just stared back up at me and shook his head, "She's not a shrink... She's a counselor. And Dr. Brennan thought that you might need to see one after what you've gone through."
"But I don't need to see a counselor," I protested, knowing that my arguments would no good anyway. I was just annoyed that I was stuck there rather than being able to go to see the new Mantra movie with my friends.
"Too bad," my dad shrugged, "We're already here so there's no use complaining..."
I grumbled at that under my breath but didn't bother arguing with him again. He was right. We were standing right outside of the councilor's office, so it was too late to argue. I knew that my dad was right and that I might as well just go in and get it over with, but I sure wasn't about to admit that to him. So I continued to scowl as we went inside.
The councilor was a fairly pretty woman in her thirties with short red hair. She was sitting in a comfortable looking chair as we came in, looking calm and relaxed. Then she stood up and smiled, "Hello. You must be Lee..." She looked up at me, her eyes taking in everything. There was no doubt that she was impressed, though she covered it up pretty well. "You can call me Kate."
"Hi," I shook her hand when she offered it, losing my scowl as I did so. She didn't seem as bad as I had imagined. Of course, I had imagined a strict councilor sitting behind a desk, and though she did have a desk, it was off to the side and not near where she had been sitting.
"Have a seat," she gestured to the two comfortable chairs that were just across from her own. As we all sat back down, she said, "I hear that you were changed by the Burke's Virus about a week ago..." Her tone made it a question, though from her expression I could tell that she already knew the answer and just wanted to start things off.
"That's correct," my dad told her, "Lee was changed quite a bit..." Then he held out a picture of me that had been taken a few months ago.
"I see," Kate nodded and gave me a sympathetic smile, "The Burke's Virus can be rather...dramatic."
I just snorted at that and looked down at myself, "That's an understatement." My dad elbowed me for my sarcasm.
"Perhaps I should start by telling you a little about myself," Kate said. "I have had the Burke's Virus twice. The first time it changed my hair color. And the second time," she frowned slightly, "the changes were a little more personal. You see, I am an anomaly. I now have male sexual organs."
I stared at her in surprise, my eyes immediately going to her crotch, though I couldn't make anything out through her loose-fitting pants. She just gave a forced smile, apparently used to such a reaction from people who found out.
"I...I've never met an anomaly before," I told her, blushing a little as I did so.
"There aren't many of us," she admitted with a cheerful smile. "Fortunately, the Burke's Virus is usually very consistent with its changes."
"You're really male down there?" my dad asked, looking extremely disappointed. I guess he'd been thinking about a few romantic possibilities with Kate, and his hopes had just been smashed.
"Technically, I am male now...or she-male as the case may be," Kate responded slowly.
"Doctors have told me that they think the virus was trying to turn me into a complete male, but that for some reason it was only able to complete part of that transformation. Incomplete or partial transformations are how a lot of scientists explain anomalies." She shrugged at that.
After this, Kate told us about what it was like for her to adjust to her changes, and she answered a lot of our questions. Then our conversation slipped into more of a general conversation and small talk as she tried to make us feel more comfortable with her. Eventually though, she asked my dad to leave the room and give us some privacy. It looked like she was ready to get down to business.
"I don't need any counseling," I quickly told her once my dad was gone. "I'm not going crazy."
"I don't think that you are," Kate chuckled. "The truth is, people tend to base their self-image largely on their physical bodies. I'm tall...I'm short. I'm fat..I'm skinny. I'm black..I'm white. I'm male...I'm female. So when someone's body is drastically altered, many people have a hard time reconciling it with their mental self-image. This kind of discrepancy can be extremely confusing. It's a big adjustment to make, and my job is to help you do that."
"Okay," I nodded with a frown, not sure what I could say to that.
Once that had been gotten out of the way, Kate began asking me a few questions. Before I realized it, I was telling her all about what it had been like for me since I had been changed. I told her about people kept staring at me, about how I was finally able to stand up for myself at school and even about joining the football team.
"It sounds like your friend Jessie has been a lot of help to you," she commented.
I just nodded, "Yeah. He went through the whole sex change thing too, so he knows what it's like."
Kate just smiled and asked me a few more questions. We talked for just a little longer before she finished up and let my dad back inside.
"Lee seems to be adjusting to her situation a lot better than most extreme transformations," Kate told my dad with a smile. "It usually helps when you have understanding friends."
Then she told us that I should come back for a couple of follow up appointments, but that I probably wouldn't need any group counseling since I had friends that I could talk to. That was definitely a relief since I really didn't like the idea of sitting with a group of strangers and telling them personal things about myself. Nor did I really care for the idea of listening to their sob stories.
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" my dad asked me as we left.
"I guess not," I frowned, not wanting to admit that he might have been right about going there in the first place. "I told you I didn't need to see a counselor..." My dad just rolled his eyes at that but didn't say anything.
As soon as we got back home, I almost immediately rushed back out the door. I might have missed going to see the movie, but I could still hang out with my friends. Toby had told me that they'd all be going over to Jessie's house afterwards, so that was where I was going.
When I arrived at Jessie's house, everyone was already there, gathered in the living room, and excitedly talking about the movie. Even Lita was there, standing on a chair and holding out an imaginary sword while calling out, "Change...Growth...Power," which I could only assume was some line from the movie.
Then Lita noticed me and froze, staring up at me with that look... She licked her lips absently, then blushed brightly right before turning away.
I stared back down at Lita, my heart jumping in my chest as I remembered what Jessie had told me about her. I couldn't believe how nervous I was suddenly feeling. Lita was tiny, nearly two feet shorter than me, and I was feeling almost afraid of her. I couldn't understand it.
"Good movie?" I asked, trying to distract myself from Lita.
"Great special effects," Toby grinned, "And the actress they had playing Mantra was totally hot..."
"Smoking," Edgar nodded his enthusiastic agreement.
I just nodded and glanced back at Lita, only to noticed that she was staring at me again. The interest in her eyes was unmistakable. She immediately blushed and looked away. My mind raced as I thought about the way she'd been looking at me. I'd NEVER had a girl look at me like that before. Sure, I had guys staring at me like that all the time now, but it wasn't the same. That had been creepy at first but was now just a bit weird...even kind of funny. I'd never felt threatened by guys staring at me, not like I was with Lita. Maybe it was because they were guys and I had absolutely no interest in them. It had been safe to have them stare at me because I knew for a fact that there was nothing there...that nothing could happen. But with Lita...I was surprised to realize that I liked her back and I had absolutely no idea what to do about it.
"You should have been there," Toby exclaimed, "The main character was a guy who got turned into a chick."
"And then became a superhero sorceress," Jessie added with a grin. "She kicked ass..."
"You just wish you were her," Edgar pointed out.
Jessie just shrugged, "And your point is?"
Lita nodded enthusiastically and added, "There were some cool movie previews too... One of the new ones coming out has Shanna Sinclaire in it."
Suddenly, the room went silent and all of my friends turned to look at me with concerned expressions. I just sat there with a sour feeling in my stomach from hearing the name Shanna Sinclaire. Whatever that new movie was about, I sure as hell wasn't going to bother watching it.
Lita sat there with a confused expression, asking, "What?"
"I'll tell you later," Jessie told her quietly, then added, "Lee has issues with Shanna..." My other friends glanced at me and nodded knowingly while Lita gave me a look of surprise.
In an obvious effort to change the subject, Toby asked me, "So, what happened with Coach Mason?"
"Is it true that you beat up Dawg Jones?" Edgar asked, staring at me in amazement.
"I heard that you wiped the floor with him," Jessie added.
Suddenly aware that everyone was staring at me, looking both impressed and curious, I shook my head a bit. "Um...not exactly. He tried jumping me and I just shoved him down. That's when Coach Mason showed up."
"So what happened?" Toby repeated, "Did he make you wash the football player's jockey shorts or something?"
"Yeah," Edgar added, "How'd he punish you?"
I gulped, glancing around nervously and suddenly wondering what in the world I could tell them. I couldn't tell them that I'd willingly joined the football team. They wouldn't understand. Hell, I didn't even understand it. They'd think that I was some kind of traitor to geekdom and tease the hell out of me. I'd never hear the end of it.
In an effort to save face in front of my friends, I gulped and lied, "He made me join the football team..."
"WHAT?" everyone demanded at once, staring at me in disbelief.
"I got drafted," I gave a weak smile, "I hit Dawg so hard that Coach Mason wanted me to do that to the other football teams. He told me that it was either that or be suspended."
"No shit," Toby gasped, shaking his head, "YOU are on the football team?"
"No way," Edgar stared at me as though I'd grown an extra head.
Jessie snickered while Lita just looked impressed. All of them were definitely surprised though.
"How could he do that to you?" Toby shook his head in disgust. "I mean...hanging out with those meatheads..."
After this, they all teased me about my being a football player and turning into a jock, though it could have been worst. I could just imagine how much harder the teasing would have been if they knew that I'd actually joined the team of my own free will. Admittedly, it was at a pretty weak moment where I'd had an enormous lapse in judgment, but that was beside the point.
Eventually, though, Lita sighed, "I've got to get going. If I'm not home for dinner, I'll be in trouble."
She stood up, looking pretty reluctant to leave, especially when she looked at me. I just blushed in response, kind of wishing that I could kiss her good-bye instead. Lita was just the first to leave though as Toby and Edgar both left a few minutes later, leaving just me and Jessie.
Once everyone else had gone, Jessie turned to me and said, "She really likes you, you know..."
"What?" I blinked.
Jessie grinned, "I saw the way you were looking at Lita. You like her too..."
"I guess," I admitted, staring at the floor in embarrassment.
"Why didn't you say something?" Jessie asked me, "You should ask her out..."
"I don't know," I shuffled my feet uncomfortably, "I barely know her..."
"Guys," Jessie rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation.
That statement and the girly expression on Jessie's face caused me to burst into laughter. "If you hadn't noticed," I grinned at him, pointing down at my breasts, "I'm not exactly a guy anymore..."
"You're still a guy where it matters," he poked me on the forehead.
"At least someone thinks so," I sighed, thinking about all of the guys who kept staring at me.
"Don't worry," Jessie teased me, "I'm sure you'll grow out of it..."
I just leaned back, rolled my eyes, and responded, "Ha ha... So, what does that say about you?"
Jessie just shrugged, then told me, "You should ask her out. I mean, the tallest girl in school and the shortest... You're perfect for each other. You should ask her to the school dance next Friday."
"Maybe," I squirmed uncomfortably, "I'll think about it..." Then I sighed and admitted, "I've never been on a date before... I've never had a girl like me..." I was sure that I was blushing brightly as I said this.
Jessie just stared at me for a moment then smiled, "It's okay... You know first hand now that girls are people too... It's not like we...like they're going to bite you or anything. At least not unless you want them to." He winked at me.
"Thanks," I smiled.
"So," Jessie asked after a moment, looking a bit hesitant, "Have you checked yourself out yet?" At my blank look, he blushed, "I mean, have you seen what your new parts feel like? Have you played with yourself?"
I stared at him in disbelief, then blushed, shaking my head. I'd explored my new parts a bit since my change, but I'd never really gone that far. I'd been tempted, but it still didn't seem quite right.
Jessie gave me an embarrassed smile, showing that he was about as uncomfortable with this subject as I was. But he gave me a mischievous smile and said, "Come on..."
I followed Jessie back to his bedroom, where he threw open his closet and began to dig inside. I stood back and watched curiously, noticing that a lot of the clothes in there were girl's clothes.
"You kept all your old clothes?" I asked after a moment, a little surprised since it had been nearly a year since Jessie's transformation.
Jessie looked at the clothes, then at me, blushing a little. He nodded. "Yeah... But...some of it's new too..."
"New?" I blinked in surprise.
Jessie hesitated a moment, then quietly explained, "I still like to wear girl clothes...when I'm home by myself. I guess that makes me a cross-dresser..." He gave me a look as if daring me to make something of it.
"Okay," I responded, just a little surprised. I'd been friends with Jessie for a while now and this was the first that I'd heard of it.
He let out a sigh, looking rather sad. "Sometimes I like to dress up and pretend that I'm still the way I was..."
"I can understand that," I nodded quietly, feeling sorry for Jessie. He'd lost so much because of the Bug.
"Anyway," he abruptly changed the subject and grinned at me, "I thought that you could use this..." And with that, he reached into the closet and pulled something out, holding it up for me to see.
My eyes went wide and I gasped, "A vibrator?"
Jessie handed me the pink vibrator, blushing a bit as he did so. "A friend gave it to me for my birthday a while back... Sort of a joke gift... But I caught the Bug before I ever used it, so it hasn't been used." He looked extremely embarrassed as he added, "I can't use it now, but I thought you could..."
"Um...thanks," I responded uncertainly, feeling pretty awkward about being given such a thing.
"I thought it might help you get used to your new body," Jessie gave me a weak smile. "It was a lot of fun being a girl. Well, except for one week a month. That's the only thing I don't miss..."
"Oh yeah," I groaned, remembering that I was going to have to face that monthly curse myself now. It was something that I'd been trying very hard not to think about, in spite of the long, detailed lecture on the subject that Jessie had given me a couple days ago.
We continued to talk about some fairly personal subjects for a little longer until it was time for me to go as well. I blushed a bit as I grabbed the vibrator he'd given me and made my way to the door.
"Just a moment," Jessie said as he hurried to where I was at, handing me a slip of paper.
"What's this?" I blinked as I started to look at it.
Jessie just grinned at me and winked, "Lita's phone number..."
I just grinned back at Jessie and told him, "Thanks." As I left, I clutched the phone number tightly in my hand, wondering if I'd get up the courage to actually call it.
--------------------
I sat on a bench outside of the park, looking around with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. My fingers tapped an impatient beat beside me on the bench while my eyes darted back and forth.
"Come on," I muttered, feeling as though I was a nervous little kid and then feeling ridiculous for feeling that way. "I'm a grown woman," I said aloud, knowing that it was only physical, but still...
After Jessie had given me Lita's phone number yesterday, I had stared at it for hours, trying to bring up the courage to actually call. It hadn't been easy, but last night I was finally able to do it. I'd called Lita and nervously asked her out on a date. And to my delight, she had immediately answered yes.
So there I was, sitting outside the park and waiting for Lita to show up where we'd agreed to meet. Since neither of us really knew each other very well, I'd thought that the park might be a good place to get acquainted. It was the largest park in town and had a small amusement park as a part of it. That made it a good place to have some fun together and get to know each other a little better.
Just then, I spotted her, though only barely as she was nearly hidden behind several larger people. Lita saw me and waved, looking nervous but excited as she came closer.
"I can't believe you called me last night," Lita gushed, her cheeks turning red. Then she asked, "How did you know that I like girls?"
"The way you were looking at me," I blushed back, deciding not to mention that Jessie had also pointed it out. "I've never had a girl look at me that way..."
"Really?" Lita blinked in surprise. "But you were a guy."
"Not a very handsome one," I pointed out with a forced smile. "This is the first time that I've ever been on a date..." I felt embarrassed to admit something like that since I wanted to impress her, but she didn't seem put off by it.
"Really?" Lita blinked again, seeming just a little relieved, "Then we should have fun..."
With that, I stood up and the difference in our sizes became much more apparent. I completely towered over her, making her look like a small child in comparison. Lita just stood close and stared up at me, a look of awe in her face.
"You're enormous..." She actually looked impressed by that. "Sorry," she quickly apologized, "Ever since I shrunk, everything looks huge to me..."
"I know what you mean," I nodded my understanding, "Everything looks small to me. I don't know if I'll ever get used to it."
"It's been a couple months for me," Lita grinned up at me, "And I haven't gotten used to it. Phones and things all seem bigger and more awkward. It's pretty weird, having to use a stool to reach something on a shelf that I used to be able to with no problem. Or looking eye to eye with the little kids who live next door and who I used to baby-sit. Their mom doesn't think I can do the job anymore..."
"That stinks," I frowned.
"You're telling me," she shook her head with a sigh. "I used to babysit for extra money. Now just about everyone seems to think that I need babysitting."
"I guess I got lucky," I admitted, thinking about how hard it would be to be turned into a midget. Then I gulped and hesitantly asked, "Did Burke's make you like girls too?"
Lita stared at me for a moment then laughed, "No... That comes normally."
"Well," I gestured to the park entrance, "Want to go in?"
"Lead the way Big Mama," Lita giggled.
After we went inside, it didn't take very long for me to discover that my new size was a distinct disadvantage as far as some of the rides were concerned. I got sort of squished into the seats with little to no room.
"It's a good thing I'm so small," Lita teased me after we climbed into a roller coaster together, "Otherwise there's no way that I'd fit in here with you."
We went on a few more rides after this, with me discovering that I was actually over the height limit for one of the rides that I'd always loved going on before. It was a big disappointment, but it balanced out in that Lita was too short to get on another ride. So after this, we went to some of the games they had instead.
"Ooh, I've got to try this one," I exclaimed when I saw one of the strength tests.
"Win me that cute little stuffed kitty," Lita grinned.
"Watch this," I grinned back as I picked up the mallet and slammed it down on the strike pad. "These things are so old fashioned, I'm surprised that they still have them..." Lita didn't say anything to that as she was too occupied by the stuffed animal that I'd just won for her.
When we were done at the park, Lita and I went to her house, which wasn't too far away. Her mom gave me an odd look, which was nothing compared to the way that her dad stared at me.
Once we were in Lita's bedroom, I asked her, "Do they know about your... Well, you know..."
"That I'm a lesbian?" Lita asked with a slight frown. At my nod, she responded, "My dad does, but my mom is in denial and thinks that it's just a phase or something..." Then Lita snorted, "She seems to think that I'm going to have a big growth spurt and get back to my old height too..."
"Not too likely," I sighed, thinking about what Dr. Brennan and Coach Mason had both told me about how the Bug worked.
"So Big Mama," Lita grinned up at me, "Let me give you the nickel tour of my bedroom. This is my bed, this is my closet, and this is my computer desk."
I just laughed, sitting down on her bed so that we could be a little closer to eye level. "You seemed a lot more shy at school," I pointed out.
"I guess I am," Lita responded quietly. "My counselor says that I'm really self-conscious about my new height. I guess, it's just that most people ignore me, tease me or assume that just because I'm short, that I'm some sort of helpless little kid. I get tired of feeling so small and helpless..."
"Wow," I responded, "That can't be easy. But I'd figure you would feel even smaller next to me."
"Yeah," Lita blushed, "But it's not really bad. In fact, I feel sort of safe around you...like you're protecting me."
I blushed at that, then slowly stood up so that I could really look down at Lita again. She was so pretty...with nice perky breasts. And as I looked at her, I realized that I did feel somewhat protective of her. I didn't want anyone to hurt her.
"I like being protective for you," I told her, blushing even more as I said it. In fact, I couldn't believe that I'd actually said that, that I was acting like some sort of white knight. It was embarrassing, but kind of nice at the same time. And the way that Lita was looking up at me, it made me feel needed.
"Thanks, Big Mama," Lita smiled and jumped at me in a hug. On an impulse, I picked her up, finding that it took no effort. I held her in my hand while she giggled, "Hey Big Mama...put me down." But from the way she was grinning, I didn't think that she really wanted me to.
"Well little girl," I teased her, "What if I don't want to put you down?"
Lita grinned and gave me an impish look before suddenly leaning forward and kissing me right on my lips. I was so startled that I staggered back and we both collapsed onto her bed.
"Gotcha," Lita giggled as she shifted position so that she could sit on my stomach.
"Yeah," I nodded, still a bit surprised at that sudden kiss.
"You want to know a secret," Lita asked mischievously, looking a bit embarrassed at the same time. She bent over and whispered, "Even before I got shrunk...I've always been attracted to tall, athletic girls."
I stared at her, "Really?"
"But your personality is good too," she grinned.
"I should hope so," I responded in mock offense, sitting up and shifting her so that she was now sitting in my lap.
"So what's it like?" Lita asked me, her expression turning more serious, "Turning into a girl...being so big. All of it."
"Weird," I told her after a moment, "And a bit confusing. I'm still trying to get used to everything. But it's kind of cool too. I'm bigger...stronger. People treat me with a lot more respect, especially since I look a bit older than I am. One guy saw my ID though and got mad, like I was purposely tricking him or something..."
"I'd love to see that," Lita giggled.
"Everything is different," I told her seriously, "Everything. But I guess most of it is pretty cool."
"Even being a girl?" she asked mischievously.
I blinked at that, then thought about it for a minute before answering. "It's really weird for me... But it's not nearly as bad as I would have thought." And grinning at her, I added, "And it's definitely getting better."
Lita grabbed one of her pillows and hit me at that, which started a pillow fight which I won do to my longer reach. It was a lot of fun, as was just sitting there and talking with Lita for the next hour or so. I was disappointed when I finally had to get going.
"I guess I'll see you later Big Mama," Lita told me as I was leaving, looking disappointed.
"Definitely," I grinned at her as I turned to leave, pausing to wink at her and add, "Little Girl."
After I had gone home, I continued to think about Lita for the rest of the night. She was short, but she was so cute...and sexy. I was big enough as it was, but when I was with her, I felt even bigger and stronger. I just wanted to take care of her...protect her. And strangely enough, I liked that feeling.
As the night continued, my body began to respond to my thoughts about Lita. I was feeling things in my new parts, things that I'd never felt before. And before I went to bed, I spent a long session with the pink vibrator that Jessie had given me, discovering all the pleasures that my new female body could provide. By the time I was done, I had a whole new appreciation for being a girl.
Invisible No More
Part 6 of 6
By Morpheus
I slowly wiped my feet on the grass, well aware of the fact that there were a number of people in front of me who were eager to hurt me, while an even larger number were off to both sides cheering. I took a deep breath and slowly looked around the football field, feeling both nervous and excited.
It was Tuesday afternoon and my first game with the football team, but I was well aware of the fact that I wasn't very prepared. I'd never really followed the game before so wasn't up on all the rules, nor did I even have any chance to practice much with the other guys. All I knew was that Coach Mason had stuffed me in an ill-fitting uniform and told me to keep anyone on the other team from reaching our quarterback. I was supposed to give Matt the space he needed to throw the ball.
"I think I made a mistake," I muttered, looking around and then spotting my friends in the stands. Jessie and Lita were both waving to me, while Toby and Edgar just sat there looking bored. And when Lita winked and blew me a kiss, I blushed and tried turning my attention back to the game.
As soon as the game began, both teams were in motion. We went back and forth with the ball, each team trying to score and prevent the other team from doing the same. Whenever we were on offense, I tried protecting Matt the best that I could, and when we were defense, I alternated between guarding one of the other team's players and trying to charge through their line to scatter them. I wasn't really sure of what I was doing, but Matt and Coach Mason were and they were the ones telling me what to do.
A lot of players on the other team were pretty hesitant to come at me or to give it their best because I was a girl. But for those who did, they were surprised to discover that I was even stronger than I looked, which was saying something. By the time we reached the second half, they were all giving me nervous looks between each play.
When the game finally ended, we won by a single field goal. I excitedly waved to my friends, but before I could make my way over to them, everyone started to pour from the bleachers and I lost sight of them in the crowd.
"Damn," I muttered under my breath.
"Great game," Matt exclaimed as he slapped me on the back, pausing for a just a moment as if wondering if this was appropriate behavior towards a girl. Then he loudly called out to the rest of the team, "Party at my house..."
"Thanks," I told him, looking around for my friends again but not seeing a sign of them. "My friends..."
"They can catch up later," one of the boys on the team told me as he tugged on my arm to lead me off the field. I hesitated just a moment, scanning my eyes over the crowd one more time before letting myself be led away.
After I had cleaned up and showered from the game, then changed clothes, I was hauled along to the party with the other football players. I regretted not being able to find my friends, but there was no sign of them and things were moving so fast that I didn't have a chance to really go search. I only hoped that I could meet up with them again at the party.
I didn't know if Matt's parents approved of his having a party, only that once I was there, it was loud, raucous, and full of people, mostly the more popular kids at school. And for a minute, I could only stand there in stunned silence, not sure what to do. I'd never been to a party like that before in my life.
"Wow," I finally said, slowly wading through the crowd, looking out for people that I knew.
The members of the football team were scattered about, but nearly every one of them who saw me congratulated me on a good game. I was even congratulated by a lot of people that I vaguely recognized from school but didn't really know. It was a strange experience and quite surreal.
"That was great," more than one person whom I didn't recognize exclaimed as they passed me.
"I loved the look on their faces when they realized that they were being clobbered by a girl," Tracy Hamilton, one of the cheerleaders grinned up at me. "It was priceless..."
"Glad to do it," I grinned back down at her, remembering the looks of surprise and embarrassment that some of the other team kept giving me when I blocked their biggest players.
"It's about time we finally had a girl on the team," she added, giving a smug look to a boy who was standing just a short distance away, and whom I assumed was her boyfriend. He frowned and looked away, not meeting my eyes.
"It's not like she's a real girl," another girl exclaimed, giving me a look of disgust before Tracy elbowed her.
Then, while the two girls were busy arguing about whether I was a real girl and worth being a role model for women, I slipped away. It isn't easy to do with my size, but I had the motivation of not wanting to end up in the middle of a fight about me. It was just too weird.
"It's all pretty weird," I muttered to myself.
There I was, in the middle of a big party and having some of the most popular kids in school praising and nearly kissing up to me, all because I'd played such a prominent role in humiliating the other team. It was so unbelievable, especially since most of these people never would have given me the time of day before.
"Weird," I muttered.
As I walked through the party, I saw Paul Williams and Dawg Jones standing around. Both of them gave me looks that were half glare and half respect before they quickly looked away and disappeared into the crowd, obviously trying to appear as though they weren't. The very sight brought a smile to my face.
Just then, I noticed another girl walking towards me. She was about 5 foot 9, with a permanent tan and reddish-brown hair that was just below her shoulders. She also had a great figure, which was no surprise since Celia Hansen was probably the hottest girl in school.
"Wow, you sure are impressive to look at, " Celia told me with a broad smile, slowly looking my body over. "Well, I suppose I should welcome you to the sisterhood..."
"Thanks," I responded carefully, feeling a bit uncertain.
Celia was one of the popular and pretty girls that every guy in school fantasizes about but the ones like me never had a chance with. In fact, this was the first time she'd ever spoken to me at all, and probably even the first that she'd even noticed me.
"So I was thinking," Celia grinned up at me, acting almost as though we were old friends, "Since you're a member of the sisterhood now, we should hang out." She put a hand on my arm possessively and added, "I'm sure that we'll be great friends."
I stared at her in surprise and even disbelief, suddenly remembering the way that she'd treated Jessie, who had once been her best friend. I'd even been present before while Celia had verbally abused Jessie, for no other reason than he had been victimized by the Bug.
"I don't think so," I nearly spat down at her in disgust, yanking my arm out of her hand. "I've seen the way you treat your friends...and I have NO desire to be one of them."
"What?" Celia gasped in shock, obviously stunned that I would dare talk to her like that. As far as I knew, little miss popular princess had NEVER had someone tell her off like this before.
"A real friend is someone who stands by you when things go wrong and helps you out," I glared at her, all of the anger I'd felt towards her after she'd gone after Jessie coming to the surface, "not someone who takes advantage of the situation to stab them in the back and make it worse..." I took a step towards her, causing her to step back in sudden fear, "I have real friends, and as long as I have them, I have no interest in some two-faced phony like you..."
There were suddenly a lot of gasps from the people around us who had heard this exchange. Many froze and stared at me with looks of stunned disbelief, hardly able to believe that I had spoken to such a popular girl in that manner, while others smirked in amusement. One guy in the back yelled out, "Catfight..."
I didn't waste another word on Celia as I turned to walk away from her, offending her even more. However, I didn't particularly care how offended she was. Then again, perhaps I did. The more offended she was, the better.
Just as I had taken my first step, though, I suddenly noticed them. Jessie and Toby were both standing a short distance away, staring at me with their mouths hanging open. Then they both started clapping, something which was picked up by a few other people around us.
"Great speech," Toby grinned at me.
Jessie just smiled at me, then threw himself against me in a surprise hug. As he pulled himself away, he said, "If you were still a boy, I'd kiss you..."
I just blushed at that, not sure what to say, so I finally responded, "That would still be kind of awkward...for me at least. And besides... If I was still the old me, I probably wouldn't have had the courage to say that..."
"Well you really told her off," Toby grinned, looking just a little disappointed at the same time. I suspected that he was just disappointed that it hadn't turned into something physical and then wondered if he might have been the one to yell out 'catfight,' a minute earlier.
"She kind of pissed me off," I scowled, thinking about how Celia had turned on Jessie. Then I admitted, "She kind of reminds me of my mom..."
Toby and Jessie were both silent at that for a moment before Toby said, "C'mon... I told Edgar and Lita that we'd meet them at Freddy's..."
I hesitated for just a moment, glancing around at the gathered people and reminding myself that this was the first big party I'd ever been invited to. Then I nodded, "Okay..."
We had only gone a few feet before the greetings and the praise started up again. One black guy, whose face was only vaguely familiar, stepped in front of me and exclaimed, "Man, I love the way you slammed that guy down..."
"What guy?" I blinked, knowing that I'd hit a couple guys during the game.
"That move saved my ass," Matt said as he came up from behind us, "If she hadn't stopped that rush, I wouldn't have been able to throw that touchdown pass."
"I was just doing what Coach Mason told me to," I responded, giving Jessie and Toby an apologetic glance for the delay.
"Anyway," Matt grinned, "I was wondering if you'd go to the dance with me on Friday...?"
I was so surprised by that, I nearly started to choke. I stared at Matt in disbelief, hardly able to believe that he'd ask me something like that. He knew damn well that I had been a guy. Just about everyone knew.
Suddenly, Celia rushed up screaming, "You were supposed to go to the dance with ME!" She glared at me, looking even more offended than she had a few minutes earlier. Her eyes were wide and she looked almost like she was on the verge of some sort of panic.
"I asked HER," Matt pointed out, gesturing to me.
"I'm sorry," I told Matt, taking a deep breath and making an effort to ignore Celia, "but you're not my type... I'm not...into guys." I gave him a weak smile, "Besides, I already have a date..."
"Oh," Matt responded, looking a little disappointed. "If you're not into... I mean, I guess it's like you're one of the guys..."
I nodded at that, feeling a little relieved that he was taking it so well. "Just one of the guys..."
"I can live with that," Matt grinned, apparently not bothered by my turning him down in the least.
"Now you can go with ME," Celia told him, looking a bit smug.
But Matt scowled and shook his head, "Sorry Celia, but you're not my type..."
"I guess he likes girls with a little integrity," Jessie piped up with a smirk, obviously enjoying Celia's distress.
"Shut up...you FREAK," Celia spat at him with surprising bitterness. "You and your freak friend should get out of here..." She looked up at me to make clear that I was the second freak.
"God, you really are a stupid bitch," Matt shook his head while Celia gasped in shock. "I'll see you tomorrow," Matt told me before turning and rushing off, probably to get as far away from Celia as he could.
"Man, that was awesome," Toby burst out laughing as Celia hurried off in shame.
"Definitely," Jessie agreed with an almost evil grin. "That back-stabber deserves every bit of it..."
"Well," I looked down at my friends, "You guys said something about meeting at Freddy's..."
"Oh yeah," Jessie grinned, this time with more gentle amusement, "I noticed that you said you already had a date..."
"Really?" Toby blinked in surprise, "Who you going with?"
Jessie rolled his eyes and muttered, "Boys..."
"What?" Toby demanded, looking a little confused.
I just burst out laughing at this exchange, "Lita..."
"Little Lita?" Toby gasped. "Wow..."
"You two sure hit it off," Jessie said with a smug look.
"Yeah, yeah," I blushed, then pointed at Toby, "Now you should try your matchmaking magic with him..."
Jessie turned to look at Toby with a thoughtful expression, then he mused, "I guess I might be able to find a date for him at the dog pound..."
"Hey," Toby protested with mock insult.
We all just laughed at that and finished making our way out of the party. As interesting as a big party like that was, I had little doubt that I'd have a lot more fun with my real friends at Freddy's.
--------------------
I stood in the middle of my living room, trying not to squirm or move too noticeably while my dad played around with his camera. I smiled nervously as he took the picture, feeling more than just a little embarrassed.
"You look great," my dad proudly exclaimed.
"I feel ridiculous," I grumbled, glancing down at the dress that I was wearing.
It was the first time in my life that I'd ever worn a dress, and I wasn't exactly comfortable in that particular article of feminine clothing. I had no idea where my dad could have found a dress in my size, especially on such short notice, yet somehow he had. Because of that, I couldn't very well complain too loudly, in spite of my unease.
"You look great," my dad repeated with a smile, "And I'm sure that once you get to the school dance, it'll be well worth it."
I just nodded at that, then smiled back. I'd never really been one to go to school dances or to be excited by that kind of social event. Being an Invisible, it wasn't like I'd ever even had a date that I could go with...until now. This time things were quite a bit different.
"I still feel funny wearing a dress," I responded with a mock pout. "The next thing you know, I'll be wearing high heels, miniskirts, and frilly pink shirts..."
"And I'm sure that they'll look fine on you too," my dad chuckled.
I was trying to think of a good comeback to that one when the doorbell started to ring. Dad immediately rushed to answer it, revealing that it was Lita standing there. She was dressed up in a fancy blue dress and looked absolutely stunning.
"Wow," I gasped as Lita stepped inside, looking just a little nervous. Then I blinked, "Hey, I was supposed to go pick you up..."
"I couldn't wait," she grinned. "So what do you think?" She turned around so that I could get a good look at her dress.
"Very nice," I responded, though I wasn't really referring to the dress. She looked so pretty...I wanted to just pick her up and kiss her right there. But I couldn't very well do that with my dad standing there watching.
"You two have fun," my dad told us, "And don't get into any trouble."
I gave him my best 'little miss innocent' look, which doesn't really work well when you're my size. But I tried, earning a giggle from Lita. "We'll be good," I promised him, rolling my eyes as I did so.
As we left the house for the school dance, I thought that I heard my dad muttering, "At least I don't have to worry about him getting her pregnant..."
When we arrived at school where the dance was being held, Lita became a bit more nervous.
"What are people going to say when they see us together?"
"Um..." I blinked, "That we make a cute couple?"
Lita giggled at that, "Yeah? And maybe they'll even be impressed that I'm dating an older woman..."
"Hey," I protested with a grin, "I'm not even a full year older than you..."
"No," Lita grinned back, "But you look like you're ten years older..."
I nodded at that, then mused, "I wonder if the other's are going to be here..."
"Jessie will be," Lita responded with a knowing look that got me wondering. If I'd had to guess, I would have said that there was no way that Jessie would come to one of these dances anymore.
A few minutes later, Toby and Edgar showed up, neither of them having a date. I hoped that they could find some girls to dance with them because they'd probably be pretty bored if they didn't. At the same time, I kind of envied their courage. I didn't think I would have had the courage to show up at one of these dances by myself, back before I'd caught the Bug.
Then I saw Jessie, who to my surprise, was not alone. He came to the dance with another boy who had long blond hair and looked a bit girlie.
"This is Ray," Jessie introduced her date to the rest of us.
"Nice to meet you," I told him as we shook hands. Ray just stared up at me with a look of surprise.
"Ray goes to Northside," Jessie explained at my curious look. "Lita introduced us because he used to be a girl too..."
Ray looked down in embarrassment before nervously asking, "Is that a problem...?"
"Not around here," I laughed, "I'm Lee... I don't know if Jessie told you, but a couple weeks ago I was a guy..."
For a moment, Ray stared at me in surprise, then he smiled, letting out a sigh of relief. We stood outside of the school gym and talked for several minutes, getting to know each other before finally heading inside to the real dance.
"Ready to dance Big Mama?" Lita grinned up at me.
I just picked Lita up with ease and gave her a kiss before answering, "I sure am little girl..."
Lita just laughed at that, and as soon as I set her back to the ground, she tugged on my arm to lead me inside. I was getting the feeling that she was eager to show me off, or to at least show that she was the one who had me. And I was just fine with that.
But almost as soon as we had gone through the doors, I saw a boy getting a little too pushy with his date. He had her pressed against the wall and looking intimidated. I grimaced and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing just enough for him to feel it. "I really think that you should apologize to her," I told him grimly.
The boy stared up at me with a pale, fearful expression, then quickly told his date, "I'm sorry..."
As soon as the girl had gone, I let the boy go. He vanished as quickly as he could, in a different direction from the one the girl had gone in.
"That was pretty heroic of you," Lita beamed up at me proudly. "Now let's dance..."
While Lita and I danced, a bit awkwardly due to our height differences, I was well aware of the many students and chaperones who were staring at us. They were giving us odd looks, curious looks, and envious looks. There were even a few looks of amusement. But I didn't pay any attention to them. Instead, my thoughts were on Lita, and the realization of just how much things had changed for me...and just how lucky I was.
Ever since I had been transformed by the Burke's Virus, my entire life had been completely changed. And there was no doubt that it had all changed for the better. I was taller, stronger, and healthier than I had ever been before in my life, and it felt absolutely fantastic.
Strangely enough, I had become one of the most popular kids in the entire school. I never would have believed it before, but it seemed to be true. The boys liked me because I was a hot looking girl, while the girls liked me as a matter of pride. I was one of them, but stronger than any boy in school. The popular kids liked me because I helped them win big in football, while the less popular kids liked me because I had started looking out for them, protecting them a bit from bullies. And of course, it didn't hurt that they all knew I had been one of them.
Best of all, I now had Lita. Ironically, as a guy, I could never get a date. No girl had any interest in me at all. I had been completely and totally invisible to them. But now that I was a girl myself, I had people throwing flirting with me all the time, and I had the best girlfriend that I could imagine. She was smart, funny, and very cute. Of course, she was a LOT shorter than me, but that just added to the excitement of being with her.
There was only one thing missing, one thing I wanted that could have made everything perfect. Oddly enough, it wasn't my missing manhood. I'd never been much of a man in the first place, and I'd been having a hell of a good time as a girl. What was missing was a conclusion.
I smiled faintly at the thought of running into Shanna Sinclaire, of being able to finally confront her with what she had done. I wanted to tell her what I thought of her actions...of how I felt when she had completely turned her back on me and my dad. I wanted to let her know just how much she had hurt me with her selfish behavior. And to a large part, I suppose that I wanted her to apologize and tell me that she does love me. But I knew that this wasn't going to happen. Shanna Sinclaire was rich and famous, while I was just an amazon high school student. We no longer ran in the same circles and it was quite unlikely that I'd ever see her again.
In a perfect world, I would have had that sense of conclusion. I would have been able to confront her as I imagined, or just forgiven her and moved on. But it was not a perfect world and I doubted that I would ever be able to completely forgive her. My mother's abandonment still hurt and I suspected that it always would.
But I suppose that in the end, Shanna Sinclaire doesn't really matter. I'd lived with that issue for several years and I could continue living with it. That one bad thing in my life paled in comparison to all of the good things. I had strength, health, popularity...and most importantly, all of my friends, including Lita. They were real friends, who would stick with me through thick and thin. It didn't matter that I was now popular and the immediate center of attention, I would ALWAYS remain an Invisible, even if I was invisible no more.
The End
By
Morpheus
A college student becomes infected with the Burke's Virus and is transformed in a strange way. He now has to deal with his transformed body and what it means for his entire life.
The Anomaly
Part 1 of 4
By Morpheus
"I want to die," Jordan Morse grimaced as he staggered into the bathroom, grabbing the wall for support. Every fiber of his body ached and hurt beyond belief and he'd already emptied his stomach three times since waking up a few hours earlier. "Just kill me now and be done with it..."
Jordan splashed cold water on his face and looked into the mirror. He looked nearly as bad as he felt, though he couldn't see anything different as of yet. He still had the same athletic build and short blonde hair as always, though he did look a bit pale and shaky. Of course, that wasn't at all surprising considering how horrible he felt.
"And to think," Jordan muttered grimly, "this is just the start."
Jordan turned away from his reflection, feeling both worried and relieved at the same time. Nothing had happened to him...yet. Unfortunately, Jordan was well aware that this was likely to change before long. He was likely to change before long, though he had no idea how or how much. All he knew for certain was that he was likely to get even worse before this was done and over with. When you had the Burke's Virus....the Bug...that was about the only thing you could count on for certain.
When Jordan was finished in the bathroom, he slowly made his way to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Bug Juice from the cupboard. It was a special drink filled with all the nutrients, enzymes and proteins that someone with the Bug would need to make their changes faster and easier. The stuff tasted nasty as hell, but Jordan was thankful that he had it.
"Thank God for Alex," he grimaced as he took a long drink. His roommate Alex had come down with a bad case of the Bug a few months back and they'd stocked up on Bug Juice, getting a bit more than he'd needed. However, that meant there was plenty left for Jordan to use now that he had the Bug.
Jordan winced at the thought of having the Bug and what it might do to him once it had run it's course. You never knew what the Bug would do to you, how it would change and mutate your body. He'd had it once before and had come away with a nice tan and little else. Then there was Alex, who had been changed from Caucasian to Asian in just several days. It could do almost anything to him and not knowing what that would be only made it worse.
As Jordan made his way back to his room, he glanced at his desk which was covered with his school work. He had mid-term exams coming up and a couple term-papers to finish so this was the worse possible time to catch the Bug. Unfortunately, he was going to miss some classes and have to catch up on everything else later. At least most of the college professors were pretty understanding about that kind of thing.
After Jordan climbed back in bed, he almost immediately fell back asleep, though his sleep was plagued with strange dreams. He awoke numerous times, once with Alex sitting beside him and looking at him with a worried expression.
"Man, you look like shit," Alex said with a forced smile. "Don't worry though...the Bug doesn't kill people."
"No," Jordan grimaced, "But I'm almost wishing it did."
"It'll end in a few days," Alex shrugged. "I'm just curious to see what it'll do to you. I mean, look at what it did to me." He gestured to himself, looking a little embarrassed. Jordan knew that Alex was still a little self-conscious at having changed ethnicities, though he certainly wasn't the first person to have done so. "I can't really tell what it's doing yet, so you might be getting off lightly."
Jordan just grunted and went to the bathroom again, cursing the fact that he had diarrhea. He knew from what he'd read about the Bug that this might not be a good sign since he was losing body mass. If this continued, he might end up extremely scrawny or turning into a midget. Neither of those was pleasant to consider.
Then as Jordan was about to leave the bathroom, he stopped to look at his reflection in the mirror again, hoping to get an idea of how the Bug might be changing him. He was still early enough in his bout of the illness that any changes wouldn't be too obvious, though he still noticed several. His hair was a little darker than normal and he looked a little thinner. Of course, that could have been a mixture of feeling like shit and his imagination, but Jordan didn't think so.
"Just great," he grumbled as he scratched under his arm, which was beginning to feel quite itchy. He scratched for several more seconds before he realized that there was a lump under his arm. "Oh shit...." Jordan felt the lump, then under his other arm which had a matching one. "What the hell?"
"What's wrong?" Alex asked when Jordan came out of the bathroom again.
Jordan just glared at him, "What do you think is wrong? I've got the fucking Bug..."
"All right already," Alex shrugged, quickly moving away from Jordan. "I'm gonna head out for awhile and give you some peace and quiet..."
"Or avoid me," Jordan muttered to himself since he knew that was more accurate.
Just minutes later, Jordan was overcome with an intense exhaustion again and collapsed back into bed, just as he had several times before. The exhaustion was so total that he wasn't even able to pull the sheets over him before he was asleep once again.
Jordan alternated between sleep and wake for the next few days, watching with cold fear as his body changed more and more noticeably. Each time he would wake up to find that he had changed a bit more, that his body was increasingly strange. The However, there was nothing he could do about it except suffer the aches and pains that wracked his body and wait to see how he ended up once it was over.
Every time Jordan stared at his reflection, he couldn't help but noticing the changes. His hair had grown longer and darker while his body shrank, becoming shorter and thinner. All of his hard earned muscle seemed to fade away along with inches of his height. At the same time, the lumps under his arms continued to grow until they became recognizable as small arms themselves. The very sight was enough to sent chills down Jordan's spine, yet even that was nothing compared to the other changes his body was going through.
Eventually, it became obvious that the changes in Jordan's body were nearly complete and would soon end. Jordan felt nervous about this, relieved and afraid at the same time. He tried not to think about it but knew that he would have to before long. He was already feeling better and would soon be free from the Bug...but not what it had done to his body.
--------------------
Jordan awoke feeling surprisingly refreshed. It was the first time in nearly a week that he hadn't woken up to pain, nausea and sickness. In fact, Jordan was almost amazed to realize that he felt good...just...odd. He tried not to think about it for awhile but finally climbed out of bed, smiling at being able to do so without the aching and soreness.
"I guess it's over with," Jordan said carefully, licking his lips nervously and fighting the urge to look down at himself.
After a moment, Jordan stuck his arms up in the air and stretched as much as he could, knowing that he was shorter than he used to be and feeling it. Things in his room somehow looked a little larger, something he hadn't really noticed while he was sick but could now. He looked at his bed, which now seemed a little larger and roomier as well.
Only after Jordan looked around his room did he finally look at himself, or at least his arms. He now had four arms, the new ones being almost identical to the others. They had grown from small lumps into full sized and functional arms, which still seemed creepy to him. He wiggled the fingers on his left hand and found them wiggling on both his left hands. It took a bit of concentration to get just the fingers on his new left hand moving while keeping the ones on his old one straight. This only augmented the feeling of strangeness.
"I'm an anomaly," Jordan said after a few minutes, keeping the statement flat and without emotion, at least as much as he could.
Anomalies were extremely rare and becoming one was about as likely as winning the lottery. Anomalies were what they called people who had been changed by the Bug in unusual ways, such as women gaining male sexual organs or vice versa. In Jordan's case, it also referred to people who had extra limbs and ones that just didn't fit right. Anomalies were people who had become freaks as a result of the Bug.
"Damn it," Jordan grimaced, wiggling the fingers on his new right hand. It was strange and a bit awkward having two new arms. He wasn't quite sure what to do with them just yet.
Jordan played around with his new limbs for several more minutes before finally turning his attention to the rest of his body. He looked down at himself and saw that he looked the same as he had the last time he'd examined himself, though this time he could do so with a clear head unfogged by the sickness. It was a strange sight, but one that he had actually been expecting.
His hands went to his chest which now had two large B cup breasts. They were definitely a woman's breasts, looking perky and proud, the kind Jordan liked to stare at on women though he did prefer them a little bigger. He was only thankful he hadn't gained the E cup monstrosities he normally loved to oggle. Then his hands moved between his legs, finding the space missing his normal genitals. A careful touch revealed the new slit, and the fact that he was now female.
"Great," Jordan took a deep breath, running four pairs of hands over his body. His skin was now soft and smooth, definitely the skin of a woman. His whole body was obviously that of a woman, though he found it hard to believe yet impossible to deny.
After several minutes, Jordan slowly made his way to the bathroom and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He gulped at the sight but refused to look away. He still resembled his old self a little, though only slightly. After a moment, he thought that he might be able to pass as his own sister if nothing else, though there were still a lot of major differences besides the obvious sexy change.
Jordan was still the same age, though he now looked like a 20-year-old girl instead of a 20-year-old guy. His hair, which had been short and blonde before was now long and dark brown. His eyes were the same dark brown as before and he still had his old tan, though his body was undeniably female. It was a rather attractive body too, though not as curvy as he liked on his girls, for which he was thankful. His muscles were all gone as well, though his new body still looked fit and somewhat athletic.
"I feel so weak and puny," he grimaced, knowing that he wasn't nearly as strong as he had been before. All his hours in the gym had been washed away. On the other hand, he had to admit that he felt amazingly light on his feet.
On an impulse, Jordan bent over and touched the floor while keeping his knees straight. He was even able to reach between his legs and touch the floor with one pair of hands while intentionally keeping the other pair back and out of the way. His new flexibility was a bit surprising, though he's still much rather have his old body and muscles.
Jordan held all four of his hands up in front of him, staring at the feminine fingers and long nails. Even his old arms didn't look like his. He shook his head, trying to tell himself that it could have been worse. He used to go to school with a guy who'd gone from being tall and athletic to being a fat midget. Still, Jordan didn't really think he was much better off than that.
"My friends are gonna laugh their asses off at me," he grimaced, then gulped as he realized just how much harder his former girlfriend Kate would laugh. "I'll die of embarrassment."
The idea of having other people see him like this made Jordan cringe, but he knew he couldn't stay locked up in his room forever. If nothing else, he was feeling claustrophobic after being stuck in there for the last week. He looked down at himself though and realized that as well as not leaving for a week, he also hadn't showered.
"The first thing I need to do," he sighed, trying to focus on taking things one step at a time.
Jordan turned on the shower and climbed inside, gasping as the water hit his nipples and revealed just how sensitive they were. He shook his head and tried to focus on washing his body and hair, finding it a little more difficult than he would have expected since his hands kept getting in the way of each other..
"Damn Bug," he grimaced, "It not only turned me into a chic, but into a freak chick."
After a moment, Jordan came to a solution. He had carefully had his two new hands hold each other, then used his old ones to finish washing up. It felt strange to be showering this way, but did keep his new hands from getting in the way.
"Damn hair," Jordan grumbled, a little annoyed at how it seemed to keep getting in the way. He wasn't used to having long hair or having to spend so much time and shampoo on washing it. At the moment, the thought of cutting it all short again was extremely tempting, and as soon as he climbed out of the shower and started to dry it the thought became even more appealing. "And to think," he snorted, "I always liked girls with long hair."
Once Jordan was done getting getting cleaned and dried, he decided it was time to get dressed...before Alex got back and walked in on him. Fortunately, Alex had seen just how Jordan was changing and had actually gone out and found some clothes that would fit him. Jordan winced at sexy lingerie Alex had left as a joke, but was thankful for the pants and shirt. However, he did have to cut the sides of the shirt so his second pair of arms would fit.
"I'm gonna have to thank Alex for picking up the clothes," Jordan muttered to himself as he finished getting dressed. This his eyes went to the lingerie he'd left on the table and he scowled, "And for that..."
Jordan checked himself over in the mirror, scowling as he did so. It was strange, seeing some four armed girl standing there instead of himself. It was hard to believe that this was really him, but that's the kind of thing people could expect from the Burke's Virus. The Bug was notorious for messing with people like this.
"At least I can go out in public now," Jordan grumbled, not sure that he liked the idea of other people seeing him like this but refusing to hide because of it. He'd learned a long time ago that when he was nervous and afraid, that was the best time to charge forward. "But if any guy hits on me I'll kick his ass."
As Jordan left the room, he began to make a mental list of everything he would now have to do. He would have to change a lot of records and get a new drivers license, but at the moment, his top priority was getting something to eat. It had been nearly a week since he'd had a real meal and he was starving.
Jordan quickly made his way to the campus cafeteria, well aware that a lot of people were staring at him. He knew that it wasn't because he was a hot girl since as a girl he was very pretty, but not gorgeous. Instead, it was because he had four arms and was an anomaly. Still, that didn't make him feel any less self-conscious about the attention, though he did his best to ignore it.
Almost as soon as Jordan sat down to eat, a girl asked, "Are those real?"
Jordan blinked and looked at the girl who was several years younger than him, probably a freshman. She was very cute a in a girl next door sort of way and she was looking at his arms in amazement, probably never having seen an anomaly before. That wasn't much of a surprise since Jordan had never seen an anomaly before he'd become one either.
"Yeah," Jordan forced a smile at her between bites of his food. "I just got them..."
"I'm Gina," she introduced herself.
"Jordan," he responded, going to hold out a hand to shake but holding out two of them instead. Gina giggled at that. "Sorry," he quickly apologized, "I just got over the Bug this morning and haven't gotten used to these damn things yet."
"What's it like having extra arms?" she asked, barely able to take her eyes from them.
"Weird," he shrugged, "They keep getting in the way. But I guess that's not as weird as all my other changes."
Gina blinked, sitting down in the seat across from Jordan, "Other changes?"
Jordan hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should tell a stranger. Then he decided that half the campus would find out about it before long so it wouldn't hurt. "I'm really a guy. Or at least I was before catching the Bug." He let out a sigh.
"Really?" Gina gasped, staring at Jordan with even more interest. "Wow... I guess I'm sorry to hear it. Burke's can be a real bastard. I have an older sister who got turned into my little brother because of it."
"Ouch," Jordan winced at the thought of what it would have been like for him to have become younger as well, turning into a little girl. "That can't be easy for her."
Gina shrugged, "It happened a couple years ago so he's gotten used to it. It's still kind of fun to tease him occasionally though. I mean, he's old enough to buy beer now but doesn't even look old enough to drive."
"It must play havoc with dating though," Jordan chuckled, then paused, "I guess I'm gonna have that problem myself now."
Gina didn't say anything to that, nor did Jordan expect her to. "I guess you've got a lot to get used to," she finally said, "And all the paperwork... I hear there's a support group or club of some sort on campus for people who've gone through extreme changes."
Jordan shrugged, "I guess. I never paid much attention before but maybe I'll check it out." However, Jordan had little intention of going to some kind of support group meeting. Images of standing up and saying, "My name is Jordan and I'm a Bug victim," just seemed too weird.
They continued talking for a few more minutes before Gina stood up, "I've got to get going. I'm supposed to meet some friends in a few minutes..." But before she left, she grinned, "It was nice meeting you."
Jordan sighed and turned his attention back to the food in front of him, a little disappointed that Gina was gone. She had been pretty cute, but he had to remind himself that he wasn't exactly a babe magnet anymore. In fact, he doubted that there'd be many good looking girls who 'd want him as anything other than a friend from now on. It was just another thing to depress him about his change so he tried not to think about it.
While Jordan was eating, he went through his mental list of things to take care of, adding several new items that he hadn't really considered earlier. For one, he would have to go shopping for new clothes since nothing in his closet would fit him anymore. He grimaced at the very thought, not only because it would be expensive and he didn't have much money, but because he hated shopping. He didn't like going to the doctor's office either but that was another thing he would need to do. By the time he left the cafeteria, he was full but not in a very good mood.
After this, Jordan wasted no time in going to the administration building and informing the school officials about his change, as well as updating his records and getting a new student ID. To his relief, Alex had already told them about his changes so it took little effort to prove his identity. Jordan left the administration building with his business taken care of in less than half the time he had expected, which improved his mood a little.
"Clothes," Jordan muttered to himself as he looked at his new student ID. He grimaced at the picture before stuffing it into his pocket, "I'll need something to wear."
Jordan scowled as he made his way to a bus stop so he could catch a ride to the mall. He wasn't looking forward to this but knew that it had to be done, along with several other things. The only thing that kept him from screaming out in frustration was staying focused on the thins he needed to do, so he made sure to keep doing just that.
"Take things one step at a time," he told himself grimly, remembering everything he'd heard about the Bug and what people needed to do after an extreme change. They'd even gone over it back when he was in high school so he just had remember the steps and follow them. "It's not like I'm the first guy this ever happened to."
When Jordan arrived at the mall, he walked around for awhile, looking at the various women's clothing stores but wasn't able to bring himself to go inside. Finally, he grimaced, took a deep breath and marched straight into the largest one, going right for the nearest sales woman.
"I just got changed by the Bug I need some help," Jordan blurted out, feeling embarrassed but knowing that the best thing to do was just get it over with.
The sales woman was a middle aged lady who stared at him for a moment, her eyes especially lingering on his arms, then she smiled, "An anomaly... How wonderful. I've never seen an anomaly before. I bet you need some shirts that have room for your arms..."
"And other things," Jordan told her, biting back the bitterness. He took another breath, forcing himself to remain calm and reasonable. "I had an extreme change and need all new clothes." He looked at the floor, unable to meet her eyes as he admitted, "I'm really a guy...or at least I was."
"Oh," the sales woman responded in surprise, though she covered it up a moment later. "I'm sure we can help you. First, why don't we go get your measurements so we know what sizes to look for..."
Jordan patiently stood still and cooperated while the sales lady took his measurements, then she led him around the store, trying to help him decide what to get. This kind of attention was more than Jordan had expected and it made him somewhat uncomfortable. At the same time, he knew that this was exactly what he needed. The truth was, he had absolutely no idea about women's clothes and needed to be led around by the hand.
"Since you just changed sexes," the sales lady told Jordan as she led him to the lingerie department, "you're going to need some under things. I'd suggest several pairs of white bras and at least one black to start with."
"Okay," Jordan responded reluctantly, finding himself ushered into the dressing stall to try one on.
"If you need me to help you with that," she told him from the other side of the doorway, "just let me know."
"I'll manage," Jordan answered with a shake of his head. The woman had told him to put on a bra before having him go in, so he just remembered what she'd said and worked with it. It wasn't quite as easy as she'd made it sound, but he managed to get it on. Unfortunately, he found it somewhat uncomfortable, though she assured him it was a good fit. "How can women stand to wear these things all the time?" he muttered to himself, knowing that he was going to be able to find out first hand.
"Good," the sales woman nodded relief once Jordan had proven his ability to wear the bras, "I had been a little afraid your extra arms would make fitting you more difficult. You just have to be careful about which ones you get is all."
Jordan was thankful when they finally left the lingerie section and were able to start looking at more normal clothes. He quickly found several pairs of pants, including one tight pair of jeans. He felt a bit embarrassed about getting those, but he liked looking at girls in a nice tight pair so hadn't been able to resist getting one for himself.
"And it's not like I'm getting a skirt or dress," Jordan told himself defensively.
Next they went and looked at shirts, which was somewhat more difficult for Jordan due to his extra arms. He looked at some of the shirts that didn't have much side or back to them, but most of those were just a little sexier than he was comfortable with. T shirts would have been much more to his taste, but most of those didn't come with room for his new appendages. Even the sales lady was beginning to get frustrated as they searched.
"You know," the sales lady finally said, "There's a good cleaners just down the street and they do a lot of alterations. I bet you could get them to alter just about any of these shirts for your extra arms..."
Jordan thought about it for a moment and then nodded. He quickly chose two shirts he could wear right away and a half dozen more than would need some alteration to fit comfortably. Unfortunately, he knew that he'd need a new coat as well, but that could wait for just a little longer.
By the time Jordan was done, he had a cart nearly full of clothing, including a new pair of tennis shoes that fit better than the ones Alex had found for him. He winced as item after item was rung up, thinking of how little he could actually afford. Then with a sigh, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the emergency credit card his parents had given him. They'd told him to use it only in case of emergencies, but he couldn't think of anything that qualified more than this.
"Mom and dad are going to kill me when they get the bill," Jordan muttered to himself as he left the store with his purchases. He shook his head, knowing that it would probably get even worse since his new body had other needs he would need to take care of as well. "Catching the damn Bug sure is expensive..."
Jordan looked at all the bags he was carrying and shook his head, hardly able to believe how much he'd just bought. He'd never bought so much at one time while shopping in his life, though he knew he would still need a lot more clothing as well as other things. This would do for the moment though, and he still had countless other things he needed to take care of. In fact, he still had to catch up on everything he'd missed in his classes during the last week as well.
"Just great," Jordan groaned to himself as the mental list grew longer and longer, "I'll never get it all done." But after taking a deep breath, he continued on his way, knowing that he still had a lot to do and that it wouldn't get done on it's own.
The Anomaly
Part 2 of 4
By Morpheus
Jordan sat at his desk, carefully focusing on the wooden blocks set up before him. He grabbed a different shaped block with each of his four hands, then carefully stacked them on top of each other so they wouldn't topple. Once this was done, he began removing the blocks one at a time, using a different hand for each.
"What the hell are you doing?" Alex asked after watching him for several minutes. "You're like a little kid with those things."
"The doctor gave them to me yesterday," Jordan muttered self-consciously. "He told me to practice doing this so I can get used to using my new arms." Then he sarcastically added, "He said it would help me with my coordination."
Alex just watched him for a minute before chuckling, "You still look like a little kid."
Jordan glared at Alex, then raised his hands to flip him off with four fingers at once. "See, I'm getting better at using them..."
Alex laughed, then stared at Jordan with a strange look. It took Jordan a moment to recognize the look in his eyes and realize that his roommate was checking him out. "What?" Alex asked when Jordan glared at him.
"Nothing," Jordan snapped in annoyance. Having his roommate and friend look at him like that was just creepy.
"Anyway," Alex said, quickly changing the subject, "You've been up and about for a couple days now, so have you caught up on all your work yet?"
"Not yet," Jordan admitted, glancing to the small stack of papers on the corner of his desk. "I've been working my ass off to keep up. Thankfully, Professor McGlaughlan is giving me a lot of extra time to catch up."
"Lucky you," Alex grinned, "Or not. So, what's it like?" Jordan didn't need to ask what Alex meant.
"Kind of freaky," Jordan admitted. "I mean, I feel so different. I'm shorter, weaker, and I've got these extra arms that seem to get in the way more than anything else. As for being a girl, I'm trying hard not to think about it. So far at least, that part isn't quite as different as I would have thought. I mean, I've got to sit down to piss and all that, but most of the time I don't even really think about it. The weirdest part is having the extra arms. Every time I go to grab something, I end up having two hands reaching for it. At least these stupid blocks are helping with that."
"What about class?" Alex asked, "Everyone's got to be staring at you..."
"Yeah," Jordan sighed, "I get a lot of weird looks, but so far everyone's been sort of cool with it. I mean, just about everyone catches the Bug and you can't control what it does to you. No one's messed with me about this," he gestured down at himself, "Not even that jerk Jay. I guess they're all afraid of karma or something. Maybe they figure that if they mess with me they might be next on the extreme Bug makeover list."
Alex nodded, "I know what you mean. When the Bug gave me slant eyes, only a couple guys really gave me any shit about it. Then again, you're an anomaly, and that makes you sort of a celebrity."
"Or a freak," Jordan pointed out. "I overheard a few people calling me that when they didn't think I could hear. And you should see the looks I got at the gym." He shook his head sadly, "I can't even lift a quarter of what I used to... I think half of them were snickering at me behind my back while the other half just pitied me."
"You're taking it pretty well," Alex pointed out.
Jordan snorted, "Like I have much choice. I don't like it, but what the hell can I do? It's not like I can ask the Bug to change me back or anything. My dad always told me, if you can't do anything about a problem you should face it like a man until you can."
"Yeah," Alex snickered, "Face it like a man."
Jordan gave him the four hand flip-off again, "At least I didn't start crying about my changes."
"You promised not to say anything about that," Alex snapped.
"My fingers were crossed," Jordan grinned back, holding up all four hands with his fingers crossed on each.
A minute later, Jordan put down the blocks, tired of playing around with them like a little kid. He glanced over at his homework and winced, knowing he should get to work on that but not feeling like it. After a moment, he decided that a little walk would help him clear his head...and give him an excuse to postpone his homework a little longer.
Jordan made his way to one of the main campus common areas, then paused when he saw Gina sitting at a table and reading something. He hesitated a moment, reminding himself that she wouldn't be interested in him, then he went over to say hi anyway.
"How's it going?" Jordan asked Gina with a smile.
"Oh, hey." Gina grinned at him, "I was wondering what happened to you." She looked him over for a moment, her eyes especially lingering on his shirt, "Wow, you had it customized..."
"Um...yeah," Jordan fingered his sleeves, "I had the openings widened so both my arms could fit through. It's a lot more comfortable than trying to stuff them both through a normal opening."
Gina nodded, "That kind of thing must be expensive."
Jordan nodded at that, "Yeah...especially since I have to alter just about every shirt I buy. My folks are gonna kill me when they get the credit card bill."
Gina burst out laughing at that, "Wow, you really sound like a natural woman now. I don't know how many times I've said the same thing."
"It's not like I like shopping or anything," Jordan responded defensively. "I just had to get some clothes that fit."
Gina laughed even harder at that, then teased, "Sure you don't... I bet all your denial only covers up the heart of a true shopaholic."
"Definitely not," Jordan grinned back.
"So, other than the horrible chore of shopping," Gina teased, "how have things been going for you?"
Jordan shrugged, "All right I guess..."
"Just all right?" Gina asked skeptically. "I mean, you've had a sex change and grew a new pair of arms. I wouldn't think that would be easy to deal with."
"It has it's problems," Jordan admitted, not wanting to sound as though he were whining. "I've got to get new clothes, get used to all this, and catch up in my classes. It's a real pain in the ass..."
Gina just nodded and encouraged Jordan to go in more detail. He hadn't meant to tell her about his problems, but he found it quite easy to confide in her and describe the things he had been going through. It was a bit embarrassing to admit some of them, such as the awkwardness of walking into the men's bathroom by mistake or going into the women's for the first time. Neither seemed quite right anymore as he obviously wasn't a guy anymore on the outside, but he still felt like one inside.
"You'll get used to it eventually," she reassured him once he was done. "Even my brother got used to it after awhile. You just need to give it some time."
"I know," Jordan sighed. "But the truth is, in some ways I don't want to get used to it. I mean, it would be like giving up on who I am and becoming someone else entirely."
Gina just sat there, not sure what to say. She hesitantly offered, "Everyone changes, whether they want to or not." Then she abruptly stood up, "Come on. I bet if you experienced some of the good things about being a girl you might feel a little better about being one."
"What do you have in mind?" Jordan asked suspiciously. He was trying to adjust to his new body, but there were limitations.
"You'll see," she grinned, grabbing one of his arms and pulling him after her.
After Gina had taken Jordan to her car, she drove him a few blocks away, stopping right in front of a beauty parlor. He stared at the sign, then gave her an incredulous look, exclaiming, "You've got to be kidding me."
"Give it a chance," Gina pleaded, "When you look your best, you feel your best. Besides, you're hair's a mess and it looks like you've got split ends. You need a haircut anyway so why not pamper yourself while you're at it? It'll be my treat."
Jordan wanted to argue but he couldn't deny her reasoning. He did need a haircut and had thought so himself at least a dozen times since coming out of the Bug, usually when he was washing it or having it get in his way. He looked at Gina's hopeful face, then let out a sigh of surrender. "All right..."
Once they stepped inside the shop, one of the women who worked there stopped to stare at Jordan's hair and give it a look of distaste. "She just got through the Bug and it made her hair grow like crazy," Gina quickly explained, which made the woman smile politely and become much friendlier. "Take good care of her."
"You have nice long hair," the woman told Jordan, "And it's got such great texture."
"Um...thanks," Jordan responded, not sure how to take that compliment. "Can you cut it to about here?" He held his hands at what he thought would be a more manageable length.
"You'll be cutting off eight inches," Gina gasped in surprise, "I'd kill for hair that long."
"It's too much hair for me," Jordan told her with a scowl, "It keeps getting in my face and in the way. I figure that it'll be much easier to deal with if it's only shoulder length. It's not like I'm getting it cut real short or anything."
Gina seemed a little bothered that Jordan would willingly get rid of so much length from his hair, but the woman who worked there had little problem with it. She quickly went to work, washing his hair out with some special shampoos and then cutting it to a more manageable length. Only then did she go to work doing something just a little fancier with it.
Jordan struggled to be patient while the woman took care of his hair, and he thought he was doing a good job. But when Gina asked for him to have both a manicure and pedicure included in his care, he groaned, not sure how much more he could take. Still, he did his best to play along since Gina was going out of her way to be nice to him.
The whole experience took longer than Jordan would have expected, but once it was done, he had to admit that some of the pampering had been almost nice. He admired his new haircut in the mirror, thinking that it looked a little more feminine and sexy than he would have chosen, but that it looked very nice with his new face. Then he held up his hands and wiggled all twenty of his fingers, each of which was now perfectly manicured and painted.
"It feels kind of weird," he admitted to Gina, feeling self-conscious. "But I guess it looks really nice." He just wasn't completely sure that he wanted to look nice, but it was too late now and it wouldn't hurt to try it out for awhile and see if it grew on him.
While Jordan was busy examining his new manicure and wiggling his now painted toes, Gina began to argue with the woman who had done the work. The salon had charged her for two manicures, which she hadn't been expecting.
"It says you charge manicures by the person," Gina said, keeping her voice under control, "not by the hand. And you have to admit that you only gave a manicure to one person..."
"But they did do twice the work," Jordan told her quietly, feeling a bit awkward with the situation. He thought it was only fair that the salon get paid for the extra work they'd done for him because of his extra hands, but Gina was the one paying for it not him.
A few minutes later, the argument was settled with Gina paying for only a single manicure. It had been surprisingly easy to get them to drop the second manicure from the bill once she pointed out that they'd be able to brag about doing a manicure on an anomaly. The only downside was that Jordan had to pose for a picture they could hang on the wall, which he thought was a small price to pay.
"Thanks a lot," Jordan told Gina sincerely when they finally left. He wiggled his fingers and chuckled, "I never would have imagined that I'd be wearing nail polish...or at least that I'd put it on willingly. I always figured that if I ever had any on my nails, it would be because I lost a bet or someone took advantage of me being drunk and passed out."
Gina laughed at that, "I think that it's better getting it this way, don't you?"
"I guess," Jordan grinned back. "It does make me feel sort of girlie though and I'm not sure I'm ready for that."
"Well it's too late now," Gina stuck her tongue out at him, "And I'd better not catch you biting your nails or ruining them after what I had to pay..."
"I won't," Jordan rolled his eyes. "I promised you I'd give them a chance and I will." That promise satisfied Gina, but a moment later, Jordan gulped. "Oh shit."
"What's wrong?" she asked, looking a little worried.
Jordan held all twenty of his fingers up before his face and stared at them. "Alex," he groaned, "My roommate is going to tease me mercilessly about this. I'll never hear the end of it."
Gina just laughed at the and teased, "It's the price you have to pay for being beautiful."
"Great," Jordan shook his head, though he was smiling as he did so. "Just great..."
--------------------
Jordan sat back his chair, feet on the coffee table while he simultaneously watched TV and looked at the grade on his returned history paper. It wasn't nearly as good as he had hoped, but he'd been a little too distracted to give it his full attention. Considering the circumstances, he decided he was fairly pleased. After all, at least he'd passed which was the important thing.
Alex came through the door and paused to look at Jordan, giving him a thumbs up and exclaiming, "Looking good babe."
"Fuck you," Jordan responded, giving Alex the four handed finger, something which he'd done quite frequently since coming out of his Burke's induced transformation two weeks earlier. In fact, this had become something of a ritual for them.
Jordan frowned, thinking yet again about changing his living arrangements. The housing office had offered to move him into a different room since he'd changed genders and they didn't think it would be appropriate for him and Alex to still be together. So far though, he'd put off any decision about moving until things settled down a little more. After all, he and Alex shared the common areas but each had their own separate bedroom so it wasn't that big a deal.
Alex went to the fridge and pulled out a Red Bull, then came and settled down in the broken down recliner he'd long ago claimed as his. "So," he mused after taking a long gulp, "You hear about the big party this Saturday?"
"Yeah," Jordan nodded, "I'm not sure if I'm going yet. You know how wild they can get. I don't want some guy getting drunk and trying to grope me."
"You prefer to be the one doing the groping, eh?" Alex laughed.
"Damn straight," Jordan grinned back. "And with these," he held up all four of his hands and winked, "I can do a lot of groping."
"Including yourself," Alex chuckled, "It almost makes me jealous."
Jordan shrugged and turned his attention back to the TV, tossing his history paper behind him and grabbing the remote control. He absently wondered if he could work four remotes at the same time, though it wouldn't matter as he only had the one TV. Alex sat back and watched as well, not caring what was on only that something was.
It was just a few minutes later when the phone began to ring. Neither of them bothered to get it, waiting for the other to do so. Finally Alex grabbed it, being the closest. He listened to it for a moment before turning to Jordan, "It's for you."
Jordan frowned slightly, wondering who it could be. About the only one he could think of was Gina, who he'd been spending some time with lately. However, when he took the phone, he was horrified to recognize the voice on the other end. It was the one person he wanted to avoid talking to the most.
"Hi dad," he said nervously. Jordan hadn't talked to his parents since a few days before he'd caught the Bug, so he hadn't gotten around to telling them about his changes. In fact, he'd gone out of his way to avoid doing that. Unfortunately, he couldn't delay that news any longer. "Yes, I know I don't sound like me but I am. I caught the Bug..."
Alex just stared at Jordan for a moment and snickered, doing so even harder as he listened to Jordan's conversation with his dad. Jordan hadn't wanted to tell his parents about his sex change, knowing that it wouldn't be easy. His dad took it a little better than he would have expected, but that didn't make the conversation any easier.
When Jordan hung up the phone a half hour later, he let out a long sigh of relief. "I'm glad that's over," he muttered. "I'm just not looking forward to the next time I go home..."
"I know what you mean," Alex chuckled. "My folks didn't even recognize me the fist time they saw me like this, and I didn't change as much as you did."
"My mom wants me to get an alter name," Jordan groaned, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "She wants me to start using Jennifer. It's what she would have named me if I'd been born a girl. I don't think she's happy that I'm sticking with Jordan."
"What about your dad?" Alex asked.
Jordan was silent for a moment before sighing, "He's not happy about it and almost sounds as if he thinks I intentionally turned out like this. My mom on the other hand almost seems happy. I think she always wanted a daughter. I am NOT looking forward to going home..."
"I kind of wish I could be there to see it," Alex snickered. "I mean, from what you've told me about your dad, he sounds pretty macho."
"Yeah," Jordan sighed. "Ex military and all that."
"I wouldn't want to be you," Alex grinned. "For one, like having my johnson too much..."
Jordan flipped him off again, this time using only his two right hands. Then he got up, "I need to go get some air."
With a shake of his head, Jordan left the room and made his way outside. He didn't have a particular destination in mind as he walked across campus. He noticed some people looking at him, staring at his extra arms. He even noticed a few guys looking at him for another reason entirely, though he shrugged it off. After several weeks, he was beginning to get the knack of pretending that he didn't even notice.
After a few minutes, Jordan found himself in a large common area that many of the students referred to as the park. It was a pleasant grassy area with a few trees and several benches. The park was a popular place to sit back and study in peace, or to just hang around and goof off when you didn't have anything better to do. At the moment, it was the perfect place for Jordan to sit down and just think.
Jordan remained where he was, leaning back in a bench and watching the people who went past. Most were other students, but there were a few professors as well. He liked to watch people at times, especially cute girls of which there were many. Unfortunately, he was well aware of the fact that most of them no longer had any interest in him at all. Being able to walk into the women's locker room any time he wanted was kind of cool, but he could have done without the price he paid for that.
Just as Jordan was getting so relaxed that his eyes began to droop, he suddenly realized that someone was coming towards him. He turned and saw a very pretty girl with short red hair, one that he immediately recognized. After all, they had been dating for several months, at least until she dumped him for another guy.
"Kate," Jordan said cautiously, not sure if she'd know about his change or not. Since she was walking straight towards him, he suspected she did, though he couldn't imagine why she'd want to talk to him.
Kate stopped just a few feet away from Jordan, staring at him with a hesitant expression. "Jordan?" she finally asked, sounding as though she wasn't sure. "Is that really you?"
For a brief moment, Jordan thought of telling her no, of pretending that he had no idea who she was. It was an amusing idea, but he shrugged it off and cautiously responded, "Yeah." He gestured down at himself and gave a self-conscious smile, "As you can see, I've gone through some changes."
"I heard," Kate said, looking almost nervous for a moment.
Jordan waited for a moment, then asked, "What's up?" He watched her suspiciously, trying not to seem too hostile.
"I wanted to see if you were all right," Kate said, though Jordan didn't quite believe her. "I mean, this must be hard on you."
"I'll survive," Jordan shrugged, sure that she had another reason for coming over.
Kate stared at him for a moment, a dark gleam in her eyes that she quickly hid. For a moment, Jordan almost thought that she looked jealous of him somehow. Of course, he knew that was completely ridiculous.
"Have you started liking boys?" she asked, a faint edge in her voice as she watched him with something hidden in her eyes.
Jordan stared back. "Why are you really here?"
"What do you mean?" Kate demanded defensively. "I come over here to offer my sympathy..."
"No," Jordan shook his head, beginning to get angry, "You didn't seem very sympathetic after I caught you screwing another guy. In fact, if I remember right, you screamed at me and acted like I was the one who'd cheated on you. I mean, that is what you told your friends. So why are you here now?"
Kate glared at him with a look of undisguised hostility, reminding him again of the night they'd broken up. She could get viscous when angry, a fact he'd found out after she'd broken every CD he owned in half. He hadn't even been sure why she'd been so pissed at him when she was the one who'd done the screwing around.
"So, have you changed sides completely?" Kate sneered. "Do you like guys now?"
"That's none of your fucking business," Jordan snapped back, fighting the urge to strangle the bitch.
"I knew it," Kate exclaimed both triumphantly and angrily at the same time. "You do like guys now."
"That's not...," Jordan started to protest.
But Kate continued, "Greg said he thought you were really cute, especially with those freaky arms... But if I catch you near my new boyfriend, I'll cut off your tits."
"WHAT?" Jordan gasped, hardly able to believe what he was hearing.
"You heard me you freak bitch," Kate snarled menacingly, "You better stay away from my boyfriend...or ELSE." With that, she turned around and stormed off, leaving Jordan to stare at her in disbelief.
"She's a total psycho," he gasped, as though he hadn't realized it before. Of course, having her accuse him of trying to steal her new boyfriend was something that he never would have expected. He had absolutely no interest in the guy and had probably never even met him in the first place. "Like I'd really start chasing guys just because the Bug turned me into a chick." He shook his head, "She's fucking nuts."
Jordan stared after Kate for a moment, wondering how he could have ever dated her. Of course, she'd been damn cute, a lot of fun to be with, and great in bed. He hadn't realized that she was a complete and total psycho until she decided to end their relationship in such a final way. Not only had she been the one to cheat on him, but she'd also been the one to say they were through...after she'd gone through a destructive rampage in his dorm room to make sure he got the point.
After a minute, Jordan shook his head, deciding that it wasn't worth dwelling on. He'd never figure out Kate or how her mind worked, nor did he think he wanted to. Still, how could she have gotten the idea that he'd ever be interested in her boyfriend, even if his body had changed? It didn't make no sense, which was part and parcel for Kate.
Instead of worrying about his crazy ex-girlfriend, Jordan decided that it might be a better use of his time to go talk to Gina instead. She was nice, fun to be around, and a girl who made sense. In fact, if he could change just one thing about her, he'd make her into a lesbian since there was no way she'd be attracted to him as he was. As it was, he'd just have to settle for being friends.
The Anomaly
Part 3 of 4
By Morpheus
Jordan smiled faintly as he stood beside Alex, both of them staring at the house in front of them. The party was already going on and the music was so loud they could almost feel pressing against their skin like a physical force. This was definitely going to be a wild party, of that they had no doubt.
"Thanks for coming as my date," Alex grinned to Jordan.
"I'm not your fucking date," he snapped back, flipping his roommate off with three of his hands while his forth still held a paper with the address on it. "We just happened to be going from the same place to going to the same place."
"It seems like a date to me," Alex winked, earning a scowl from Jordan. He laughed, then hurried into the house, leaving Jordan behind.
"Little bastard," Jordan muttered, shaking his head in annoyance. But after a moment, he grinned and went to join the party himself.
It was loud inside, so much so that Jordan couldn't hear a thing other than the music and a faint hum of raw noise and talk in the background. He didn't care though since this was a party and it was supposed to be noisy. In fact, he remembered his last party like this when he'd had his ears ringing for three days afterwards. The noise had been so bad that it dwarved the last concert he'd been too. And though this party was loud, it didn't quite measure up to then.
Besides the noise, there was also a lot of alcohol going around. Jordan knew that at least half the people present were under 21, but that had never been a real problem before and he doubted it would be this time. After all, everyone knew that a real party had to have the booze flowing.
Jordan just walked around and watched for a little while before he accepted a beer from someone and began to move with the music. He didn't really consider it dancing since he just bobbed around, but it was close enough to pass in a party like this and no one else cared. He grinned as he looked around, watching some of the real women who were dancing around and becoming uninhibited.
"Great scenery," he grinned to himself lecherously.
As Jordan looked around, he saw two girls talking to each other in the corner, recognizing them as Melissa and Claire. He didn't know either of them very well, but he knew a little about them. Melissa was extremely busty, looking as though she were a stripper or might fall over for being too top heavy at any moment. Just a year earlier, she'd been on the small side, though not quite flat-chested. The Bug had given her a boob job that no surgeon could match.
Claire on the other hand, was now tall, skinny and flat as a board, looking nearly anorexic. He frowned at the sight, feeling a bit sorry for her since she used to be one of the hottest girls on campus before the Bug got to her. The two young ladies had been changed in nearly opposite ways from the virus, so Jordan wasn't sure if it was appropriate or ironic that they'd be talking to each other at the party.
He looked around, trying to see if he could find Alex anywhere, but he couldn't see where his roommate had gone. A minute later, Jordan saw him talking to a petite Asian girl and decided not to bother him. Alex seemed to be having a good time and Jordan didn't want to get in his way or give that girl the wrong idea about them.
Jordan found his way to several girls he knew from one of his classes and was in the middle of talking to them when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around, startled to see a boy he didn't recognize standing there. The other boy was tall and athletic, with the kind of looks most girls found attractive but did nothing for Jordan.
The newcomer gave Jordan a nervous smile and said, "Hey, that must have hurt."
"What?" Jordan blinked, wondering if the boy was talking about his transformation or the growing extra arms.
"When you fell out of heaven," the boy finished, making Jordan groan and feel a little sick to his stomach as he recognized the old line.
"I'm not interested," Jordan snapped in annoyance, suddenly wondering if he'd annoyed girls that much when he'd been flirting with them. He hoped not because it was pretty damn embarrassing.
The boy shrugged, "I just wanted to tell you that you're pretty nice looking. You're really exotic..." His eyes went to Jordan's arms.
"Thanks," Jordan responded sarcastically, noticing that the girl's he'd just been talking to had backed away and were snickering at this.
Jordan started to turn away from the boy when suddenly a girl's voice screamed, "YOU BITCH!"
"What the hell?" Jordan snapped around, shocked to see Kate charging straight at him with a furious expression on her face.
"You bitch," Kate screamed as she threw herself at Jordan, "I warned you not to mess with Greg..."
"Greg?" Jordan gasped, trying to block Kate's vicious attacks and glancing at the guy who'd been flirting with him at the same time. He gulped as he realized exactly who this annoying pest was. "I wasn't..."
But Kate wasn't in any mood for words or reason. She just attacked Jordan even more viscously, lashing out with her arms to slap him, scratch him and punch him as much as she could. He frantically blocked her attacks, noticing from the corner of his eye that Greg was actually amused by this. He probably thought it was great that two women were fighting over him.
"I'll teach you to try stealing my boyfriend," Kate snarled, "I can't believe you'd try getting even with me like this..."
"I'm not," Jordan tried protesting again, but it did little good as one of Kate's punches got past his defenses and hit him straight in the cheek.
Jordan was getting tired of this and more than a little pissed. Who the hell did Kate think she was accusing him like this? After all, she was the one who had a history of screwing other people over, not him. He glared at her furiously, wanting to strangle her scrawny little neck except that the years of conditioning prevented him from doing so. His dad had always impressed on him that a man NEVER hits a girl. Then Jordan paused in realization. With a quick glance down at himself, he realized that limitation no longer applied to him. And with a broad grin, he did what he'd been dreaming about since catching Kate with another guy...he punched her in the face as hard as he could.
Kate went sprawling backwards, quickly getting back to her feet and exclaiming, "You hit me," as though surprised. She probably hadn't expected him to hit her back since he'd never done so before, even though she loved doing that to him whenever she was upset at him for any reason. In hindsight, he should have realized that this was a good indication their relationship wouldn't work out.
As soon as Kate was back on her feet, she launched herself for another attack. And even though nearly everyone in the room had stood back to make room for them, no one made a move to stop her. Instead, most seemed to be grinning, laughing or even taking bets. Jordan didn't have time to worry about them though as he had to deal with his psycho ex-girlfriend.
This time, Jordan found Kate a little easier to deal with since he was prepared for her attack. There was also the fact that he had four hands to work with while she had only the two. He used two of his arms to block, and then to grab hold of hers while used his other two to punch her and hold her tight, eventually throwing her to the floor.
"I have nothing to do with him," Jordan nearly yelled at Kate as he shoved her to the floor, "I don't want anything to do with either him or you, you psycho bitch."
Kate started to scream and yell threats as she stared at Jordan with a look of near fear in her eyes, realizing that this time he would not only fight back but that he was more than capable of doing so. Around this time, someone finally decided to step in. A couple of guys grabbed Kate and started pushing her towards the door. She fought it for just a moment before pulling away from them and rushing out of the party on her own.
"Very impressive," Greg said, apparently not concerned that Jordan had just been fighting his girlfriend. "I think you deserve a reward..." He winked at Jordan, nearly making Jordan sick to his stomach.
"The only reward I want," Jordan glared at him, "is for you to get the fuck away from me."
He glared at Greg even harder, blaming him for the encounter with Kate. At the same time though, Jordan couldn't help but enjoying the irony of Kate's boyfriend trying to cheat on her this way, not that it made it much easier to deal with this pest.
"You don't need to be like that," Greg wheedled, making Jordan wonder if this guy had some sort of fetish for women with extra limbs. He just wouldn't let it go.
Jordan took a step towards Greg, his eyes narrowing. "I used to have a pair of balls so I know exactly what it feels like to be kicked there," he said threateningly, "And if you don't leave me alone, I won't feel any guilt about doing it to you."
Greg gulped and stepped back, his eyes darting towards Jordan's looks. He took another look at Jordan, finally realizing that he wasn't just playing hard to get but that he seriously wasn't interested. Greg frowned in disappointment, his eyes lingering on Jordan's arms for a moment longer before darting quickly back to his legs. After a moment of indecision, Greg finally turned and hurried away, trying to keep as much dignity as he could
"Finally," Jordan muttered, shaking his head.
"Man, that was one great show," Alex said as he came over, slapping a hand on Jordan's shoulder.
Jordan glared at him, "I wasn't trying to entertain you."
Alex just laughed, "That's what made it so great."
Jordan glared at him again, giving him the one fingered salute with four hands, or the four fingered salute as he had come to think of it, then announced, "I need another beer...or two."
When Jordan left the party a few hours later, he was more than a little tipsy and had to lean on Alex for support. He'd never gotten so drunk or giggly from so little beer, but he'd never been so small either. Jordan hadn't considered the fact that he'd been transformed by the Burke's Virus, he'd lost a lot of body mass and tolerance for alcohol with it.
"You know," Jordan grinned foolishly when they reached their dorm room, "I think I'm drunk..."
"Really?" Alex grinned back in mock surprise, "I hadn't noticed."
"Yep," Jordan nodded proudly, "I'm tot...totally shit-faced."
Alex nodded, being somewhat drunk himself. He stared at Jordan for a moment with an appreciative look, then exclaimed, "You know...for a guy you make a good looking girl."
"Jus...just beer goggles," Jordan laughed. Then he couldn't resist making a sexy pose, or at least the best he could in his unstable state. Still, it was enough to make Alex stare even more intently. "Yeah...I'm real sexy..."
Jordan just plopped down in his chair while Alex continued to watch him for a moment, fantasies beginning to run through his mind. "Have you thought about doing it with a guy yet?" Alex asked after a few minutes, half teasing him, "I mean, you've got to be curious..."
"Curious?" Jordan blinked, then laughed self-consciously. "A little... Fingering myself like this feels REALLY Good." Then he paused, his eyes going wide as he realized what he'd just said, "I shouldn't have said that..."
"Man," Alex shook his head, "Think of the possibilities... You've got the chance to actually see what it's like from both sides."
"Yeah," Jordan nodded agreement, thinking about Alex said and becoming more curious by the moment. Then on impulse, he suggested, "Let's do it..."
"What?" Alex asked in surprise, sure that Jordan was just joking.
However, Jordan was both serious and stubborn, and now that he'd made up his mind he was determined to see what sex was like from the other side. "Let's do it," he whispered, standing up and moving closer to Alex. He tried to look sexy and seductive, which didn't quite work out in his drunken state.
"You're just drunk," Alex protested, suddenly feeling nervous. However, as he stared at Jordan, his body began to respond.
"Yeah," Jordan agreed, "And you like me." He pointed to the bulge in Alex's crotch. "C'mon...I wanna try it out. C'mon...be a buddy..."
Alex had never been one to turn down an opportunity, especially not when a girl was involved. He quickly gave in to Jordan's suggestions and began to do what he normally did with a girl, putting the identity of this particular one out of his mind and focusing entirely on what came naturally.
Jordan didn't really find Alex very attractive or interesting, but when he touched his body, it began to respond almost eagerly. Images of sexy girls ran through Jordan's mind, helping him overcome the mental image of who it was that was actually touching him. Whoever was touching him, he knew without a doubt that it felt pretty good. He was soon completely lost in exploring his new body in ways he never would have even considered had he still been even halfway sober.
--------------------
Jordan awoke with a pounding in his head and a strong feeling of nausea. He winced at the hangover and brought four hands to his head in order to stop the world from spinning. It was all he could do to keep from turning over and emptying his stomach, though he somehow managed to do it.
"I'll never drink again," he muttered, making the same pledge that many college students made in the throes of a bad hangover but somehow never managed to keep. He himself had made this very promise before and now regretted not keeping it. "I feel like crap."
After a minute, Jordan sat up and looked around, finally noticing that there was someone else in bed beside him. He blinked in confusion, then gasped in horror as he recognized his roommate Alex. It was only then that the flood of memories from the previous night flooded through his head, reminding him of what he'd done.
"Oh shit," he scrambled out of the bed, falling out and hitting his knee painfully on the floor.
Jordan's mad scramble awoke Alex who looked around blankly, "What...?"
For a moment, Jordan just stood there, staring silently at Alex as he remembered what they'd done together the night before. He'd done things that he NEVER thought he'd do with a guy, much less with his friend. But he had done them and he couldn't deny it, though he certainly wanted to. And even worse, he'd enjoyed them at the time. The very thought made his nausea rise even more and he turned and rushed to the bathroom, just barely making it to the toilet in time.
Once Jordan had finished emptying his stomach, he nervously went into the living room where Alex sat, staring at him with a strange expression on his face. Alex shook his head as though having a hard time believing that they really did have sex the night before, then he stared at Jordan with a strange and hesitant expression.
"Oh God," Jordan started to say, then paused to realize that he was still naked. He blushed a bright red and rushed into his room to grab some clothes. He took his time dressing, not sure if he could face Alex yet but refusing to run away and hide like he wanted to. After he was ready, he went back into the living room and winced, "About last night..."
"Um...yeah," Alex blushed, unable to look at Jordan.
Jordan grimaced, not sure of what to say or how to say it. He wasn't even sure what he felt, other than that it had been a HUGE mistake. "God I was drunk..." He thought that this was a good start, pointing out that he hadn't been in his right mind. Of course he NEVER would have done anything like that if he hadn't been completely drunk.
"This is kind of awkward," Alex admitted with a weak smile, earning a glare from Jordan.
"You think?" Jordan spat out sarcastically. Then he took a deep breath, "I can't believe I...that we..."
"It was good though," Alex grinned, looking just a little smug for a moment until another glare from Jordan caused him to wince slightly.
For a moment, Jordan just stood there staring at Alex, his mind whirling with emotions. He felt nauseated as he thought of what they'd done and sick to his stomach, but at the same time, he couldn't deny that it had felt good. That only made it all the worst. Jordan wanted to yell at Alex, to accuse Alex of taking advantage of him while he was drunk, though he knew the truth. He had been perfectly willing the night before and had certainly been no victim, even if that would have been a comforting excuse.
Jordan clenched his fists, feeling nails digging into four palms at once. "Damn," he spat out, shaking from the swirling mass of emotions and the hangover he still possessed. "I can't deal with this now...." He wanted to get away from Alex and would have just locked himself inside his room but Alex would still be on the other side of the door. Because of that, Jordan turned and stormed out of the dorm, leaving a somewhat confused Alex behind him.
"Wait," Alex called, but Jordan ignored him and kept going. Alex stopped at the door, getting the hint and not following.
"Damn," Jordan grimaced, pausing to curse his hangover before continuing again. He didn't know where he was going to go, especially not when he felt like shit both physically and emotionally, but he knew he had to get away from Alex and clear his head some.
Jordan didn't have any specific destination in mind so just wandered around the campus for several hours, glaring at everyone who came close to him and feeling better for sharing his foul mood. He considered the old saying about misery loving company and decided that there was definitely some truth in it. Now if he could only make Alex feel miserable, he'd feel much better.
Eventually though, Jordan returned to his dorm room, not having anywhere else to go. He paused at the door and took a deep breath, still not wanting to face Alex. But to his relief, once he went in he found that he was the only one there.
"It looks like Alex went to clear his mind too," Jordan muttered to himself.
Jordan sat down and shook his head, quickly regretting that he had done so. His hangover had improved but hadn't gone away entirely. He cursed, then went and got himself some Excederine and a glass of orange juice from the fridge, hoping that this would help things. He just wished that he'd thought to do this before leaving.
"It could be worse," Jordan told himself without much conviction.
As Jordan sat there nursing his headache and considering his options, he realized that he had to move of the dorm room. After this incident, there was no way he and Alex could continue to live in the same room. That thought filled Jordan with sadness since it was one more thing about his life he was being forced to change because of the Burkes Virus.
"Stupid Bug," he grumbled, cursing the existence of the virus which could so completely change a persons life. "I wish they'd hurry up and find a vaccine for it or something."
Jordan scowled, wishing he didn't have to move since it would be such a pain in the ass, but he couldn't stay with Alex. Not now. With a sigh, he made the necessary phone call to campus administration to get things started, then began to carefully pack his belongings. He wouldn't be able to move into his new dorm room immediately, but having most of his things packed would make it faster once the paperwork went through.
When Alex eventually returned several hours later, he stared at Jordan for a moment with a blank look before asking, "What are you doing?"
"What's it look like I'm doing?" Jordan responded as he tossed some of his belongings into a box, purposely not looking at Alex, "I'm packing."
"Is this because of last night?" Alex asked in surprise.
Jordan turned to glare at Alex, "What do you think?"
Alex looked a bit uncertain as he responded, "But I kind of thought..."
"What?" Jordan snapped, "That we'd become fuck buddies? Friends with a little bonus?"
Alex didn't answer. He didn't have to since the answer was clear on his face. As much as Jordan didn't want to admit it, he knew that if their situations were reversed he might even be thinking the same thing.
"Well, forget it," Jordan grimaced, pausing to take a deep breath and stay calm. He silently reminded himself that this wasn't all Alex's fault and it wasn't right to take it out on him. After a moment, he continued a little more quietly, "In spite of these," he gestured to his breasts, "I'm still a guy up here." Then he tapped the side of his head.
"But last night," Alex began to smirk, then quickly hid it as he realized it was the wrong time for that expression
"Last night I was drunk," Jordan said as flatly as he could. "I was curious and drunk." He shook his head, "I still can't believe I did it either..."
Alex scowled, seeming offended by Jordan's statements, "You sure weren't complaining then."
Jordan glared at his roommate with a look that made him nervously step back. "Look," Jordan said, hoping this incident wouldn't destroy their friendship but not counting on it. "I was drunk and curious. I wanted to see if I'd like it as a girl. And as much as I hate to admit it, it felt good. But the truth is that you don't do anything for me. In spite of what happened, I'm still into girls not guys. This whole thing is just too weird..."
"We can forget it ever happened," Alex offered quietly.
"Yeah," Jordan nodded without any conviction. "But still can't stay here anymore."
"I guess," Alex agreed without much conviction.
Alex stared at Jordan for a moment as he obviously remembered their time together the night before. Then he turned and went into his own room without another word, leaving Jordan to continue packing with some degree of privacy. Jordan only hoped that their friendship could be salvaged, though he wouldn't count on it. Even if it could be, things could NEVER be like they had been.
The Anomaly
Part 4 of 4
By Morpheus
Jordan slowly walked around his new dorm room, looking at every corner as he absently rubbed the golden figurine in his hand. The figurine was actually a small statue of a football player, a trophy from high school when his team had gone to the state championships. It was one of his prized possessions, a reminder of his athletic accomplishments and the football glory that was now lost to him. Ever since his transformation, that little reminder somehow seemed even more important since there was no chance of him ever earning another trophy like it.
"Maybe I could go for a ping pong trophy," Jordan looked down at his four arms and chuckled to himself. He'd become coordinated enough with his new arms that it wouldn't be a problem playing the game, though he couldn't be sure he was any better than he used to be with just his two arms. "I bet most people would freak out if I walk up to the table with a paddle in each hand."
Jordan shook his head, amused by the idea of trying out for other sports where his extra arms might be an advantage, though he knew it was just a dream. First, most of the sports he was really interested in like football and wrestling were set up for guys to play, and unfortunately, he no longer fit in that category. And of course, he suspected that even if he did find something he liked, they probably wouldn't allow him to play since the extra arms might be considered an unfair advantage or something.
Jordan set his trophy down on a book shelf and let out a sigh. He turned his thoughts away from that and admired his trophy. It had been a full week since he'd started moving into his new dorm room and he had finally set out the last of his personal possessions. That final touch somehow made the room seem more his own.
"Home sweet home," Jordan mused, "And to think, I don't even have a roommate..."
Of course, Jordan knew that the reason he didn't have a new roommate yet was because the administration people couldn't decide if he should share with a guy or a girl. In the end, Jordan suspected that he'd either end up sharing with a gay guy or one who used to be a girl. Either way would solve the problem that he'd had with Alex.
"Damn him," Jordan grumbled.
He hadn't spoken to Alex in over a week, or at least not really talked. Sure, they said hi when they walked past each other, but nothing more. It wasn't exactly that they were avoiding each other but it was close.
"Maybe I should go talk to him," Jordan considered aloud, then shook it off. Things were still a bit too awkward between them for that and the idea was somewhat embarrassing. "Maybe I should just go talk to Gina."
Jordan considered going to see Gina for a minute and decided that it was a good idea. He'd been so busy moving into his new dorm that he'd barely seen her at all during the last week. It was definitely about time that he went and said 'hi' again if nothing else.
"Maybe I can even talk her into becoming my new roommate," he chuckled with amusement, kind of liking the idea but knowing that it probably wouldn't happen.
After a minute, Jordan left his room and started towards Gina's place. It didn't take him long to get there and when she opened the door he found that she'd been busy studying. Or at least that was her claim since he noticed some marks that resembled a keyboard on one of her cheeks, indicating that she'd probably fallen asleep while at her computer.
"Come on in," Gina told Jordan, completely unaware of the keyboard marks on her face. He decided not to say anything since he didn't want to embarrass her, though he was tempted.
"So how's the studying going?" Jordan asked, gesturing to the mess that covered Gina's desk.
She let out a sigh, "Slow. I'm only half finished with that huge history paper and it's due Thursday."
"Ugh," Jordan gave an exaggerated grimace. "I know how it is. I've got an economics paper coming due and I haven't even started it."
Gina nodded, "So, have you finished moving into your new dorm?"
"I finished the final touches this morning," he responded with a weak chuckle. "It was a real hemorrhoid..."
"Hemorrhoid?" Gina blinked blankly.
Jordan grinned, "A royal pain in the ass."
Gina groaned, "Didn't Alex help you?"
"No," Jordan responded, going quiet. He hadn't told Gina about why he had moved into a new room so she didn't know about the problems the two of them were having. "Alex and I...we aren't exactly talking right now."
"Why not?" Gina joked, "Did you turn him down for a date or something?"
Jordan was silent for a moment, not sure how to answer. He finally sighed, "Not quite... It's...complicated..."
"Oh?" Gina responded, staring him with increased interest. "What happened?"
"Nothing," Jordan told her quickly, hoping to change the subject. "Just forget about it..."
"Oh no you don't," Gina said, her eyes narrowing. "You can't get me interested and then not tell me. What happened?"
"Nothing," Jordan told her again, getting a disbelieving look.
"I'm not going to stop asking until you tell me," she told him in a half teasing tone.
"I slept with him," Jordan finally burst out, blushing horribly. Gina gasped and he couldn't look at her as he rushed to explain, "I got really drunk at that big party and the next thing I know..."
"He raped you?" Gina gasped, sounding shocked and horrified.
"No," Jordan said quietly, still unable to look her in the eyes. "It might be easier if he had. Then at least I could say it wasn't my fault or anything. I just got drunk and curious..."
Gina stared at him for a moment, then gave a careful, "Oh..."
"I'm not into guys or anything," Jordan quickly added. "It's just I was curious and drunk and...." He shook his head, "Damn, I don't even know what happened."
"Wow," Gina blinked, shaking her head as though having a hard time absorbing this. After a minute, she asked, "Did you enjoy it? I mean, it's got to be different for you since you used to be a guy..."
"It was different all right," Jordan admitted, "And not too bad. It was actually kind of nice, but it still felt...wrong. In spite of that, I'm not attracted to him or any guy for that matter. It sure as hell isn't gonna happen again."
Gina was silent again as though trying to think of what to say, then she abruptly asked, "Did you...did you use protection?"
"Protection?" Jordan froze, a chill running through his blood. "No..."
"What?" Gina demanded, "Are you stupid? Are you trying to get pregnant?"
"What?" Jordan gasped, "I...I...I..."
"The doctor did say you were fully female and could get pregnant now," Gina reminded him unnecessarily.
"I didn't think about it," Jordan gulped, "I was drunk..."
"How could you forget something like that?" Gina demanded. Then she grabbed one of Jordan's arms and pulled him towards the door, "Come on... We've got to get you a test to make sure you're not..."
Jordan was horrified at the thought that he might have gotten pregnant and could barely breath or do anything other than numbly follow Gina. Thoughts and fears rushed through his mind, a hundred times worse than they had been when he'd woken up beside Alex and realized what he'd done. This was worse...much worse. He knew that this fear was something normal women dealt with all the time, but he was different... He shouldn't have to face this kind of a problem since he was really a guy inside.
"I guess this just proves yet again that I'm not," he muttered grimly to himself, feeling the structure of his old self-image and identity crumbling even further. It had taken quite a beating lately and he wasn't sure how much more it could withstand before being destroyed entirely. If knew that if he actually did turn out to be pregnant, that could very well be it. "I'm not what I was... I'm not who I was." He hated this fact but couldn't deny that it was the truth.
Jordan was nearly in a panic by the time they reached the store though Gina remained calm and collected. It was all she could do not to slap some sense into him, though instead she remained patient, having dealt with other friends who had faced the same problem. She grabbed the pregnancy test kit from the shelf and promptly went straight to the checkout.
"What if I am pregnant?" Jordan asked himself fearfully. How could he possibly tell Alex? Even worse...how could he tell his parents? He shuddered at the thought, deciding that conversation would be a fate worse than death. "Dad will kill me..."
"Would you cut that out," Gina told Jordan once they returned to her dorm room, "It won't do any good to keep freaking out..."
"But I can't be pregnant," Jordan tried convincing himself even more than her, "I mean, I'm really a guy inside..."
Gina raised an eyebrow, then responded, "I don't think Alex would agree..."
Jordan glared back at her, "That's low..."
"Just take a deep breath and try to calm down," Gina said, "At least you'll know in a little while. I had one friend who had to wait two weeks without knowing before she could bring herself to get a test."
Jordan grumbled, not feeling at all comforted by that. "Can we just get this over with."
"Sure," Gina opened up the pregnancy test, having the directions snatched out of her hands by Jordan. "I guess it's pretty simple to figure out. You know where the bathroom is."
Jordan hurried to the bathroom, looking through the directions and muttering, "Disgusting... You'd think there'd be a better way..."
"Like what?" Gina forced a smile, "A pregnancy thermometer?"
"Or maybe a breathalyzer," Jordan joked back to hide his uneasiness.
Jordan went into the bathroom and followed the instructions, peeing onto some sort of test strip and then waiting to see if it would change colors. He was impatient, not taking his eyes off the strip, his heart racing as he counted down the time. When the strip didn't change color after several minutes, he let out a long sigh of relief.
"I'm safe," he exclaimed in delight. "I'm not pregnant."
"All right," Gina smiled at him in relief. "You really had me worried there."
"YOU were worried?" Jordan gasped, "How do you think I feel?"
Gina shrugged, "Just don't do that again. I mean, use protection or birth control next time..."
"There is NOT going to be a next time," Jordan insisted firmly. "Once with a guy was more than enough. From now on, I am a sworn lesbian."
Gina just laughed, "I've thought about becoming one myself after my last boyfriend, but I like boys too much." Then she sighed, "I hope you don't mind, but now that the emergency is over I have to get back to my paper..." She gave Jordan an apologetic look.
"Thanks," Jordan told her sincerely, "I was really freaking out. I mean, I never would have thought..." He shook his head, not sure how to put it all in words. Fortunately, he didn't have to as Gina just gave him a knowing smile. "I guess I'll let you get back to work then. See you later..."
"Later," Jordan told her as he left the room.
Once Jordan stepped outside, he paused to let out a sigh, letting the feeling of immense relief wash over him. He'd only really been worried about the possibility of being pregnant for a pretty short time but it had been a very stressful short time. He shuddered at the thought of what he would have done, of what would have happened to him if he had been pregnant due to that one time.
"One time is all it takes," he told himself gravely, swearing to never let himself get into that kind of situation again.
Then Jordan's thoughts turned to Gina and he smiled, thankful for her friendship. He felt a twinge of disappointment as he realized that he'd never be able to take it to the next level, that they'd never be able to become more than just friends like he imagined. Gina herself had said just a few minutes earlier that she liked boys too much for that. As much as Jordan hated to admit it, as far as Gina was concerned he really was a girl and he didn't want to risk their friendship by trying to change her mind...if he ever could.
"Sad but true," he sighed, looking down at his body and knowing that no boy could ever go through the kind of fear he'd just had. He now had the same problems as the billions of women in the world who'd been born female. "Born female or not...it's what I am now...at least physically. I just have a more interesting story than most."
Jordan continued walking to his dorm, musing about everything that had happened to him and unable to get the thought of his life being a story out of his mind. He chuckled at the idea, realizing that if his life had been some kind of story than things would be going very different for him.
"If this was a story," Jordan snorted, "I'd probably be pregnant right now and suddenly looking forward to being a mother." Then he snorted even more loudly, "Or not."
If his life actually were some kind of fictional story, Jordan thought, then after having sex with Alex he probably would have realized that he loved having sex as a woman, that he loved being one and that he suddenly loved his friend as well. In fact, the two of them probably would have ended up as a real couple rather than just a very awkward one night stand. At the very least, he and Alex would have become even closer friends because of the experience instead of barely talking to each other.
In a story, Jordan's confrontation with Kate would have settled things between them once and for all. He would have been able to get some resolution and finally put their past behind him where it belonged. But the truth was he still hated that slimy bitch and she was still a royal pain in the ass. After their fight, she'd avoided coming at him directly but had instead turned to spreading nasty rumors about him around campus. There was no doubt that he was going to keep having problems with Kate for some time to come.
And then there was Gina. In a story she would have just revealed that she was secretly a lesbian...or at least bisexual and that she was extremely attracted to him. They would have become red hot passionate lovers. That would have been an ending that he'd love, but it obviously wasn't going to happen. Gina was straight and nothing he said or did was going to change that.
"Things would be a lot different if this was a story," Jordan sighed. "Too bad this is real life."
Real life wasn't like a story where everything was nice, neat and made perfect sense by the end of the last chapter. In real life, there was no happy ending. Real life isn't all neatly tied up in the end but just keeps going and going...lose ends and all.
Jordan paused in his walking in order to hold all four of his hands out in front of him. They were all nice and feminine with manicured nails. His eyes shifted to his chest, to the two nicely shaped breasts which he now called his own. Then Jordan shook his head and continued on his way, sighing, "Real life is a LOT stranger than fiction."
THE END