Be a girl

Jesse stormed over to Claire and me, with the girl whom I assumed to be his sister in tow. To say he was furious to see me was a serious understatement. The girl beside him eyed me curiously, and I wondered if she realised who I was, and why Jesse was so angry.

My stomach twisted itself into knots. I wanted to disappear. A nervous sweat seeped out of my pores, and my mouth suddenly dried out. The sweat clung to my gloves uncomfortably, and I flexed my fingers in a futile attempt to ease my discomfort.

Claire was completely baffled. She clearly had no idea what was going on. She looked frantically between Jesse and me, her mouth slightly ajar. “You two know each other?” she asked incredulously.

“Know each other? Oh ho ho! We go way back!” Jesse sneered. He paused, the fury on his face briefly evaporating. Suddenly, he slapped his palm into his forehead and laughed. “Of course you brought him here! I’m so stupid! Why else would you bring him?” He cackled some more, but it sounded more like he was losing his mind, more than actually finding anything funny.

“Um, so, you know about Ben’s power?” Claire asked tentatively.

“Know about it? Ha! Ben is the reason I’m wearing this fucking dress right now!”

Claire’s eyes practically bulged out of her skull. Her mouth was now entirely agape as her vision flicked between Jesse and me again. “Wait, Ben transformed you?” Claire gasped.

I wanted to respond; I did. But I was simply unable. My mouth was shut tight and refused to obey any commands. Of course, even if that weren’t the case, Jesse answered, and I would never have been able to speak over him.

“Yeah,” he huffed, glowering at me. I shrunk in on myself. I wanted nothing more than to leave this place for good. I could not be around Jesse anymore. I just couldn’t. Jesse slapped his forehead once again and shook his head. “I can’t believe this. I should have realised!”

“It’s not like you could have known,” Jesse’s sister remarked.

Jesse sighed. “Yeah, you’re right.” He turned and looked up at Claire with sorrow in his eyes. “I’m sorry for getting mad earlier. I shouldn’t have done that. Just… seeing Ben brought up some painful memories, and… fuck.” He sighed again, and looked at me. “Listen Ben, I forgive you for what you did. I know you didn’t mean it, and it was wrong of me to blame you for something out of your control.”

Huh? Jesse was forgiving me for transforming him? Why? Why would he do that? Last I met him, he was just about ready to kill me, and now; now he had forgiven me. It didn’t make any sense.

To say I had no idea how to respond would be an understatement. And even if I did, I wasn’t sure I was even capable. Just seeing Jesse had terrified my voice, and it had no doubt run away to hide. I wished I could do the same, but I was rooted to the spot; too afraid to move a single muscle.

Thankfully, it seemed like Jesse wasn’t waiting for a response, and Claire stepped in to fill the empty air. “I’m so sorry Jesse,” she said, her voice soft and gentle. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have brought Ben along with me. I could have toughed it out.”

Claire, so overwhelmed with emotion, pulled Jesse into a tight hug. The boy welcomed the embrace warmly, melting into her, and softly rubbing her back. “Hey, you don’t gotta apologise, Clairebear,” Jesse said once they broke apart. He cupped her hands in his and gently rubbed the backs of her fingers with his thumbs. “You didn’t know. It’s not your fault.”

“I still feel bad though.”

“Don’t. It’s ok.”

I really needed to take a step back. What the hell was going on? Who was this person? Because they certainly weren’t Jesse! The Jesse I knew would never forgive someone for wrongdoing, let alone comfort them and tell them not to worry about it. And he definitely wouldn’t call someone ‘Clairebear’. I simply could not believe that this was the same person who’d bullied me all those months ago. I must have been hallucinating; losing my mind. This wasn’t actually happening, was it? It couldn’t be real.

“How ‘bout we just do the thing?” Jesse said.

“Yes!” Claire exclaimed. She reached behind her to grab the suit bag that she’d accidentally dropped when she’d moved in to hug Jesse. She rubbed her hand along the bag to straighten out the garment inside, then handed it to the boy.

“Alright, you ready to be a guy?” Jesse asked.

Before Claire could provide an answer, she had entirely transformed, back into the same form as when I’d first met her. Even her beard and manbun had made their return. But it wasn’t only her body that had changed; her clothes had as well. Gone was the overly casual shirt and jeans, replaced with a proper suit.

I’d ask how in the world Jesse magically gave Claire a suit, but it was obviously pointless. Jesse’s power clearly worked differently to mine. For one, he was able to touch Claire without transforming her, of which I was extremely envious. Not to mention that this was magic, and magic clearly played by whatever rules it fancied.

Claire wobbled slightly, having grown several inches in a matter of moments. “Careful, don’t fall over,” Jesse said in a teasing tone, grabbing a hold of her to help her remain upright.

“You try growing seven inches in a near instant,” Claire retorted playfully.

“I wouldn’t mind it,” Jesse replied, “Though I think I’d prefer growing those seven inches somewhere else, if you know what I mean.” He waggled his eyebrows and smirked at Claire.

Jesse’s sister snorted, while Claire blushed. I wasn’t sure what Jesse was referring to, but I probably didn’t want to know anyway. “You’re fuckin’ dreamin’, Jesse,” his sister laughed, slapping him so hard on the back he nearly tripped over. I was suddenly much more scared of her than Jesse. “You never had anything close to that!”

“Shut up!” Jesse snarled, glaring at his sister. “What would you even know!?”

His sister shrugged while also giving him a cheeky smirk. She seemed to relish in teasing her brother. Jesse grumbled something, but I couldn’t make it out.

“Let’s just get inside the venue and get changed,” Jesse mumbled, shaking his head.

“Sure, sounds like a plan,” Claire replied. She held out her hand for Jesse, who graciously accepted it. It was a surreal sight, watching the two of them head towards the line in front of the doors to one of the convention halls, hand in hand. So surreal that I didn’t want to believe it.

Suddenly, I was left alone with the girl whom I presumed to be Jesse’s sister. This did not ease my nerves in the slightest. Claire had promised that she’d remain with me throughout the entire formal, and yet she’d just gone off with Jesse without me! She’d abandoned me, not only with a complete stranger, but a relative of the boy who’d tormented me for years!

The stranger looked down at me with an expression I couldn’t quite discern. “Hey, you good?” she asked.

I didn’t answer. I was not good. But I also couldn’t speak.

“There’s no need to be scared of me,” she said, “I don’t bite. Unless your name is Jesse, that is.” She grinned down at me. Despite her reassurances, I did not feel any more comfortable. She wasn’t sure how to interpret my lack of response. I simply stared at her expressionlessly.

“Anyway, I’m… Maddy, dickhead’s twin,” she continued. There was a considerable pause before she said her name. She seemed unsure of herself, somehow. Why, I didn’t know, but it was rather odd. “What’s your name?”

Oh God, why did Claire have to leave me like this? I was far too anxious to open my mouth, let alone speak. But it would be rude not to answer! Even if she was a relative of the boy who’d made my life a living hell. I steeled myself, taking a deep breath, and rubbing my free hand gently on my thighs. Up and down, up and down. For her part, Maddy was quite patient with me as I worked up the courage to answer what was honestly quite a basic question.

“Ben…” I finally said, so softly even I could barely hear it.

But she somehow did manage to catch my name, despite all the chatter around us. “Well, Ben, it’s nice to meet you. You’re my ‘date’ for tonight, so let’s go line up behind those two.” She held out her hand, and I took it hesitantly. I did not feel comfortable holding some strange girl’s hand, but it was probably necessary if we were to trick the administration into believing we two were a couple so that we could gain access to the venue.

I did my best to maintain my nerves as we approached the queue. I concentrated on my shaky breathing, keeping a constant steady rhythm. In and out. I kept my vision planted firmly on the ground, and tried to filter out the cacophony of voices surrounding me.

“You good?” Maddy asked. She halted us both a few metres from the line, and peered down at me with concern in her eyes. I shook my head and realised that I’d been squeezing Maddy’s hand tighter and tighter. I loosened my grip.

It was difficult to see one of my best friends being so friendly with my tormentor, and a sinking feeling formed in my gut. It just wasn’t right. How could Claire not see the cruel boy that he really was? Shouldn’t her power have tipped her off?

I wanted to scream at her. Warn her of Jesse’s despicable true nature. Tell her that we needed to leave at once. Remove us from his presence. But my throat was locked tight. I was such a coward. Despite that, I resolved to tell her about my history Jesse when the next opportunity arose. I could not allow Claire to remain friends with Jesse.

“Did you want to talk about it?” Jesse’s sister asked.

I very nearly shook my head. I didn’t particularly wish to talk about it, especially not with a stranger. But this was Jesse’s sister. Perhaps she at least deserved to know what her own brother had done to me; she didn’t seem like she was aware. She might have been familiar with the side of Jesse that he was currently showing the world – what he was currently showing Claire – but that wasn’t the real Jesse. He was a nasty, spiteful creature.

I inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. “Jesse, your brother, he… made my life hell,” I said quietly. “For years.”

“Ah.” She looked over to Jesse, who was currently chatting and laughing alongside Claire. They were both having such a good time, and it stung. Maddy sighed. “To be honest, I’m not surprised. Not saying this excuses his actions, but life’s been pretty shit for both of us – especially Jesse – for a long time. But if he tries anything” – Maddy cracked the knuckles on both her hands while grinning down at me maniacally – “let me know.” Now I was very scared of her.

With that, we joined the line right behind Jesse and Claire. It moved rather slowly, though there were a lot of people waiting to get inside the venue. But eventually, Jesse and Claire made it to the front to be served. The woman at the table looked to be very very tired. I suspected she was a teacher at whatever school Jesse and his sister attended, called out to chaperone a large gathering of annoying teenagers. I couldn’t imagine a worse job.

“Name,” she said in a bored, monotone voice. She looked at the two teenagers immediately before her with weary eyes.

“Jesse Paige,” Jesse replied. The woman scanned the page in front of her, before ticking the square beside Jesse’s name.

“Your boyfriend will have to sign in at the boys’ line,” the woman said, staring at Claire, somehow unfazed by her enormous stature.

“Oh, I don’t go to that school,” Claire said, “I’m here with Jesse.”

“People who don’t attend either school aren’t allowed entry. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

“Wait what the fuck do you mean sh-he’s not allowed in?” Jesse roared, slamming his fist on the table. He pointed a stern finger at the woman, and snarled, “You better let my g-boyfriend in, or I’ll make you regret it.”

“Listen, I know you’re upset. But there are over three hundred students across both schools attending this formal. We don’t have room for any outsiders.”

Jesse suddenly became completely calm in an instant. He straightened himself up and took a deep breath. “Tell me,” he said with an eery calmness, “How would you like to be a man?”

Just like with Claire, the woman didn’t have a chance to answer Jesse’s question. Her entire body had transformed in an instant, along with her clothing. Her hair had shortened from shoulder length into something more masculine, and her dress had transformed itself into a men’s suit.

She looked down at herself, and her eyes widened in horror. She patted down her body frantically. She slapped her chest with both hands, just to be sure she wasn’t hallucinating it being completely flat. She then felt her crotch and winced. She removed her trembling hand and stared at Jesse, frightened, terrified, horrified, in utter disbelief.

I too was in utter disbelief. How could Jesse just transform someone like that!? On purpose! Without consent! She clearly didn’t want this, and Jesse evidently didn’t care. He stood before her with the same eery calmness as before. Zero compassion. He’d had the same thing done to him, and yet he was entirely willing to deal it out to others with no qualms.

He hadn’t changed a single bit.

This was the Jesse I knew, except now he had a dangerous power that he was one hundred percent willing to use purely to get his way. What was wrong with him!?

I did my best to not let my mind spiral. Seeing this brought up very painful memories of my own family. How I’d devastated both my brother and father with a single stray touch, and how my family had been torn apart because of it.

I began rubbing my hands against my thighs fervently. I realised that I had the power to right Jesse’s wrong. I was the only one capable. I couldn’t freak out without helping this poor woman. I took several deep breaths, the motion of my hands intensifying. Everything would be fine, I told myself. Everything would be fine. I could fix this. Unlike everyone I’d transformed, this person didn’t have to live with Jesse’s malice.

“What did you do to me!?” she exclaimed. The sheer terror in her tone struck me in my core. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. She’d just been exposed to the world of the impossible in the worst way possible, by being an unwilling victim of Jesse’s cruelty.

Jesse remained nonchalant, not caring in the slightest what he’d done to that poor woman. “I did warn you,” he said. “And now you suffer the consequences.”

“This must be a dream! This can’t be real!”

“Sorry, it’s real. Now, how ‘bout we strike a deal, hmm? You let us in, and we change you back. Sound fair?”

“Yes! Please!” she pleaded. “I don’t care anymore, just change me back!”

“Excellent! Claire, come on. Let’s go inside.”

Claire was in almost as much of a daze as the woman desperately pleading for her body back. She looked between Jesse and the transformed woman, mouth slightly open. She offered no resistance when Jesse gripped her arm and pulled her towards the doors leading inside the hall where the formal was being held. She didn’t say a single word; she was entirely speechless.

“Wait! Where are you going!? Change me back!” the woman yelled after Jesse.

“Inside, see ya!” Jesse replied without turning around. He gave her a wave, and he and Claire disappeared behind the doors.

The woman made to chase after them, but Maddy grabbed her upper arm. Despite her best efforts, the woman couldn’t break free and quickly gave up. Just how strong was Maddy? She was holding back someone who was currently several inches taller and likely considerably heavier than her like it was nothing. She didn’t budge a single inch, no matter how much the woman in her grasp tried to break free.

“Don’t bother,” Maddy said, “She can’t change you back.”

“What!? No no no no no no no! She promised! She has to change me back! I can’t live like this!” The woman began to hyperventilate. I had to fix this.

I could hardly believe that I was about to do this. I had never used my power intentionally; everyone I had transformed, it had been on accident. And now I was about to transform someone on purpose. But I needed to do it. I needed to help this poor woman. I’d seen the horrors brought on by unwanted transformations. It wasn’t right to leave someone in such a state when I had the power to help.

I slowly removed a glove, my breathing laboured and my palms sweaty. The perspiration glistened on my bare skin as the light from above reflected off it. With Maddy still holding the woman’s arm, I had easy access to her hand. I carefully reached out and gently touched it.

The woman’s eyes widened, and she flexed the hand that I’d touched. Maddy let go, and watched as the woman’s body slowly returned to what it was supposed to be. When it was over, the woman placed a hand to her chest and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She slumped over the table with a soft moan.

“Thank you,” she said. She suddenly perked up, and looked down at her clothing. It had remained unchanged, as was always the case when I transformed others. In a panic she ran a hand through her still short hair. “Wait, what about my clothes and hair!?”

“Sorry, I can’t change those,” I said, placing my glove back on. I made extra sure that it wouldn’t slip off unexpectedly, to avoid any possible accidents. There was only one other person I planned to transform tonight. I wouldn’t ever forgive myself if anyone else touched the bare skin on my hand.

“Thank you anyway,” she said with a forced smile. She still looked distraught, but she had calmed down considerably since her body had returned to its usual form. “I need a lie down,” she muttered, and walked off, leaving the sign-in table unattended.

“Come on, let’s go inside. She’ll be fine,” Maddy said, grabbing both my hand and the bag containing Claire’s dress, then pulling me towards the doors. She was in a rush. And when I looked behind me, I realised why. A few of the girls in the line behind us were staring at us, dumbfounded. I gulped and returned my attention to the doors in front of us. Once we slipped inside, I was extremely glad to be away from prying eyes.

Now, even more so than ever, I did not want to be at this event. But I couldn’t leave just yet. I still needed to change Claire back. And that likely meant meeting up with Jesse again. I was not looking forward to this.