The Witch’s Ichor

An upbeat ringtone manages to overcome the noisy downtown ambience. Tracy pulls her phone out, and answers. Zoe watches her curiously as she leans against the arcade's wall.

"Hey Mom, what's up?" Tracy starts.

Tracy steps out of the way of passerby while listening to her mother speak. Her face goes through a myriad of emotions.

"Okay, got it. I'll be there." Tracy confirms.

Zoe wonders what this is about, but it isn't really her business.

"Love you too, Mom. Bye bye." Tracy finishes.

Tracy pockets her phone before leaning down slightly to Zoe's eye level. The look on Tracy's face is a serious one.

"I gotta run, but I want you to promise me something, Zoe." Tracy says sternly.

"Promise you what?" Zoe replies.

"Promise me that you'll never forget you're a real girl. Ever." Tracy whispers.

Zoe nods emphatically.

"I promise."

~

Zoe is standing on her front porch. She adjusts her outfit carefully, and double checks her hair using her phone's camera. Deep breaths. She gives the door three good knocks, and waits.

There's shuffling and the muffled sound of her mother's voice. Zoe stiffens up as the door's handle turns. It swings open to reveal Zoe's mother wearing sweatpants and one of her husband's shirts.

"Oh... Oh?" Zoe's mother says.

"H-Hi Mom, I uh... I switched back." Zoe explains stiffly.

Most of the ways Zoe expected her mom to react were some flavor of negative. Select few scenarios in Zoe's head end happily. Despite going through numerous scenarios in her head, Zoe never thought up a scenario where her mother did this. Zoe's mother smiles.

"Do you feel better now?" Zoe's mother asks gently.

Zoe can't help the tears that threaten to spill from her doe eyes. She nods with more enthusiasm than she's ever nodded before, and her mother scoops her into a loving embrace right there on the front porch. The tears start gushing down Zoe's cheeks.

I just keep crying...
But girls are allowed to cry.
I'm allowed to cry now.

Eventually Zoe stops crying. Her mother gently pulls away so that she can get a good look at her daughter. Zoe smiles awkwardly at her mother. Her mother smiles right back, and wipes away Zoe's tears with her sleeve.

"Do you... have a name picked out, honey?" Zoe's mother asks gently.

"Yes! My name is Zoe, now." Zoe replies resolutely.

"That's a beautiful name, Zoe." Zoe's mother compliments her.

Zoe can't help blushing at her mother's sweet words. Hearing the woman who birthed and raised you approve of your chosen name is so gratifying it's difficult to put into words. The autumn wind reminds Zoe and her mother that they're outside with a harsh gale.

"Care to join me for some hot chocolate, daughter of mine?" Zoe's mother offers with a smirk.

Despite not wearing a skirt or any alternative, Zoe curtsies to her mother as if accepting an invitation to a ball. She even goes the extra mile by putting on a very bad posh accent.

"It would be my pleasure, mother dearest." Zoe replies jokingly.

They giggle at their silly exchange, and move into the warm interior of the house. Zoe takes a seat at the dining table. She smiles when she notices her feet don't quite reach the floor.

Wait... Mom's feet don't touch the floor either?

"Mom... why are our dining chairs so tall?" Zoe asks.

Zoe's mother heats up a mug of water in the microwave while pulling out some hot cocoa packets. She turns to see Zoe kicking her feet in a rather adorable fashion.

"Hah... You father is built like a mountain, honey. Those chairs were a compromise between our preferences." Zoe's mother explains.

Oh, that makes sense.

The quiet tap of Zoe's mother placing a mug of hot chocolate on the table catches Zoe's attention. She smiles, scooting her chair in.

"Careful honey, it's hot." Zoe's mother warns.

Zoe can't help herself. She goes in for a very small sip, and subsequently burns herself! Tears form at the corners of her eyes, but she doesn't cry.

"Ouch..." Zoe whines.

"Told you so." Zoe's mother chides her.

Zoe's mother helps her out by popping a few ice cubes into her hot chocolate. Once her drink is cooled off Zoe gulps it down like a thirsty camel. It's a cozy moment, shared between mother and daughter.

Then the front door unlocks. They watch the man of the house enter. He takes his shoes off at the door, and turns to face his family.

"Hey you two, ah..." Zoe's father pauses in confusion.

Zoe is unsure what to do. She decides that it's best to take charge, so she gets up from her chair. Zoe approaches her father with a determined look on her face, but she's nervous on the inside.

"Hi D-Dad." Zoe greets him.

Zoe's father gives her a raised brow and the quizzical Dad eye. She shrinks back under his gaze.

"Why do you look like that?" He asks pointedly.

Zoe's mother gets up from the table with a stern expression. She approaches and carefully puts a hand on her husbands shoulder. He immediately looks to her as if being addressed by his superior.

"She looks like a girl because she is one, honey." Zoe's mother informs him.

Regaining her confidence, Zoe nods her head enthusiastically. Zoe's hands are trembling. It is one thing to be a girl due to a curse. It is another to 'choose' to be a girl on your own. Zoe braces herself for the rejection she expects.

"I did always want a daughter, actually." Zoe's father admits sheepishly.

He what?

"Oh stop it. You're confusing her." Zoe's mother scolds him.

"Hey, I'm just being honest. If I had my way Ry- er, sorry, what name do you prefer?" Zoe's father asks politely.

"Uh, it's Zoe... What were you saying?" Zoe replies.

Zoe's father scratches his chin before smiling at Zoe. The genuine pride and joy in that smile is enough to make Zoe feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"I wanted to encourage you to well... get in touch with your feminine side, but your mother convinced me otherwise." Zoe's father admits.

"That is not how it went. You wanted to take her to the daddy daughter dance in middle school, and got depressed because she couldn't do that." Zoe's mother refutes.

Dad, seriously?

Zoe blinks at her embarrassed looking father. She was so worried over whether this big lug would accept her for who she is, yet he already wanted to spend time with her as a daughter. It was so ridiculous. So ridiculously sweet.

"You're such a dork, Dad." Zoe says softly.

"I guess that makes three of us." He replies jokingly.

That joke earns him a little playful slap on the shoulder from his wife. Zoe shuffles up to her father, and embraces him. Zoe's mother joins in to form a group hug.

"T-Thank you." Zoe mumbles

Zoe's mother scoffs at her daughter's words.

"You shouldn't need to thank your own parents for supporting you, honey." Zoe's mother remarks.

"I guess you're right, Mom." Zoe replies with a giggle.

Zoe's father exchanges a look with his wife. The two of them share an unspoken conversation. Zoe looks between them in confusion.

What're they doing?
Having a staring contest?

"Zoe, come sit down." Zoe's mother urges her.

Zoe follows her mother to the living room while Zoe's father grabs himself a pepsi. Zoe and her mother take a seat on the couch.

"Your father and I have talked about it before, and we think there need to be some new ground rules." Zoe's mother starts.

Zoe furrows her brow skeptically.

"What? Um... why?" Zoe questions.

"You're a girl now, Zoe. There are some things that girls need to be aware of that boys do not." Zoe's mother explains.

Zoe nods slowly at her mother's words. Zoe's father joins them on the couch with his soda in hand. Zoe's mother resumes her lecture.

"For starters, I don't want you wearing anything too revealing. Like you were on Sunday." Zoe's mother says sternly.

"Mom I didn't mean to, I just grew!" Zoe argues.

Zoe's mother raises her palm as if to gently stop her daughter's protests. Zoe pouts.

"If me or your father see you wearing something inappropriate, there will be some consequences." Zoe's mother warns.

Zoe scrunches up her face a little, but nods in agreement. Zoe's father brings up the second rule.

"Now, about those boys-" Zoe's father starts.

"My friends, you mean?" Zoe corrects him.

"Yes, your friends. They may have been your buddies since you were a kid, but they are still boys, Zoe." He continues.

Zoe crosses her arms over her ample chest. She frowns judgmentally at her father. Zoe implicitly trusts Jamison, Derek, and Theo like she would family. They've known each other since they were in kindergarten.

"I don't want you letting your guard down, Zoe." He finishes.

Zoe's mother shakes her head with a smile, cutting in to explain what he's getting at.

"You have a curfew, honey. We want you home by nine, no later." Zoe's mother states.

"Nine?! That's like, no time after school!" Zoe shouts.

Zoe's mother gives her a look that quiets her down.

"Nine. No later, or we'll come looking for you." Zoe's mother finishes.

Zoe lets out an irritated groan. She nods begrudgingly at her parents.

"You also need to be sure your father and I know where you're at. You'll need to call us when you go places after school, and so on." Zoe's mother explains.

"Mom this is too much!" Zoe whines.

"Zoe this is for your own good. We just want to keep our daughter safe." Zoe's mother says softly.

There's a moment where Zoe glares up at her parents, but she can't bear to stay mad at them. They're supporting her fully, yet she's getting irritated over a few new household rules. Zoe gives them both an apologetic hug.

"I love you guys." Zoe mumbles.

"We love you too, kiddo." Zoe's father chuckles.

~

Zoe is pacing around her room with a worried expression adorning her features. She flops onto her bed with a dramatic sigh.

What am I gonna tell the guys?

Zoe pulls out her phone and checks the group chat. No new messages. She starts typing.

Ryker: Hey guys my parents gave me a curfew

Seeing that old name is a bit of a slap to the face, but she wants to change it after coming out to them in person. These things are best done face to face. Her phone buzzes.

Derek: lmao fr? hahaha

Ryker: T_T yes for real, butthead

Theo: Did they give a particular reason for it?

Zoe softly bites her lip as she contemplates what to tell them. She doesn't want to lie to them anymore than she already has. She types a response.

Ryker: It has to do with something I want to tell you guys in person, tomorrow

Jamison: Tomorrow? When's your curfew..?

Ryker: Uhhh... 9

Zoe winces as her phone blows up with multiple messages all at once. She groans in embarrassment as she reads them.

Derek: LMAOOO

Derek: Baby ryry cant stay out after dark

Theo: That does seem a bit ridiculous

Jamison: That is a little earlier than I expected...

Zoe grabs her pillow and pushes her face into it. She lets out a shrill scream. Her phone buzzes again, and she reluctantly checks the message. It's from Tracy.

Tracy: Hey!

Zoe: Hi! :)

Tracy: So I was wondering if you were free tomorrow evening..?

Zoe: Uh idk I probably will hang out with my friends

Zoe: My other friends I mean!!!

Zoe: Oh and I do have a curfew now...

Tracy: A curfew?

Zoe: I came out to my parents and they made new rules!! >:(

Tracy: Pfft omg. I mean I have a curfew, but I also carry pepper spray so

Zoe: Maybe I should get some

Tracy: You def should, ur tiny

There's a knock on Zoe's door. She expects whoever it is to enter, but they don't. She sits up.

"Come in?" Zoe calls out.

Zoe's mother steps in with a slightly awkward smile. She glances around the strangely tidy bedroom before looking back at her daughter.

"Just came to say goodnight, honey." She explains.

"Oh, goodnight! Love you mom." Zoe replies.

"Love you too, honey." Zoe's mother finishes.

Zoe sets her phone aside as she watches her mother carefully shut her bedroom door. The moonlight is pouring in through her bedroom window. Zoe looks up at the partially full moon and smiles to herself.

Being a girl is the best.

Zoe drifts off to sleep without a second thought.