Dust like RWBYs Part 1 - Weiss

The snow fell gently to the ground, draping the world in a blanket of white. I had gone to sleep as excited as anything reading the weather report. We hadn’t had a snow day all year, so this was going to be as good of a shot as any.
Of course, my school believed that everything should wait until the last minute. They didn’t post the school closures on their website the night before, just in case the prediction of 12-16 inches happened to be wrong. So I still had to wake up to my alarm clock chiming with its daily question “If people count sheep at night, what do sheep count?”
“Oh, shut up already,” I grumbled, flipping it off. The thing I hate most about this alarm is that it doesn’t just wake you up, but it injects a question to think about into your head. There’s no way I’d be able to get back to sleep now that I’m stuck thinking about sheep.
I slipped on my slippers and stumbled over to my computer. I pulled up our school website, which took absolutely forever to load due to their excessive use of flash, and smiled as the message of the day flashed across.
“No school today due to inclement weather.” I could’ve jumped out of my slippers with joy. A three day weekend thanks to our glorious friend mother nature.
I took a glance back at my bed, thinking I could possibly slip back under the covers and catch up on this past week. Studying for the SAT until 2 AM and waking up at 6:30 AM really did me in.
Groggily, I stumbled down the stairs. My parents had already gone out for their morning walk, leaving out my bowl and cereal. They really are something. Even in a snowstorm, they’ll walk first thing in the morning.
As I poured out some cereal, my phone buzzed.
“Hey TJ! Did you hear?” it flashed on my screen.
Who’s this? Oh, Martin. He’s always up at this hour anyways. “Of course I did.”
“What’re you going to do?” it flashed.
I rushed to finish my cereal so it didn’t get soggy while I chatted. “Sit around and play video games all day.”
The phone lay dead for a few minutes. I went to wash out my glass and bowl before I put it in the dishwasher. Seriously, what’s the point of a dishwasher when we have to wash everything before we run it anyways?
I had gone upstairs and thrown on some sweatpants and an old shirt when my phone buzzed again. “No you’re not. Ant and Kenny’ll be coming with me and picking you up in thirty minutes.”
I sighed. I was so close to having a nice relaxing day of running dungeons and making some actual progress on my character in Gaida Online, but now I’m stuck with whatever nonsense they were going after. I could always tell them no, of course, but then I’d have to deal with them accusing me of having an internet addiction, and my parents nagging me all day to get off the computer and do chores around the house.
Knowing full well that I had no other option, I threw on a hoodie and jacket. By the time I had thrown on a hat and gloves, grabbed my wallet, and stuffed my pockets with tissues, the doorbell rang as Martin pushed it in a rhythmic patter.
I stumbled downstairs and opened the door to the people who called themselves my friend. Martin, the short fat kid with straight A’s and loved to show it. Next to him was Anthony, or Ant for short, the stick figure who spent all his time thinking about his next meal and how to cook it. The three of us made a perfect set, banding together as everyone laughed at us and called us nerds.
Kenny, however, was different. He had a square face and a firm jaw, and muscles up and down his body. He played linebacker on the high school football team, and won state wrestling championships year after year. If I was gay, I’d say he was prime material for dating, and he should’ve been one of the most popular kids in school. But that was exactly the problem. I wasn’t gay – he was. With nobody else to consider friends, he banded with us.
“So, what nonsense are you planning today?” I grumbled as the cold wind bit against my face. I thought for a moment about getting a scarf, but decided otherwise. Even if I was unpopular, I should still try to look cool.
“We’re going downtown,” said Kenny. “They’re having a huge sale on spring clothes to try and drive away the winter!”
Spring? With all the snowflakes falling out of the sky, I found it hard to believe that spring would ever come. I shivered as the cold penetrated my coat.
“Well, let’s get going then,” I said. “I’m freezing here.”
We walked down the freshly plowed sidewalks towards downtown. I’m so glad that our town passed the Zamboni Initiative. But after enough cops got injured because people didn’t shovel their sidewalks, they really had no choice but to do it themselves. Of course, they’d be coming around a couple more times to collect their overtime, but that was none of my concern.
“Do you even need any extra clothes?” I asked Kenny.
“You can never have too many outfits,” he chuckled. “But, no, this is more for you guys.”
“What? I have plenty of shirts.” I hopped over a crack in the sidewalk as the town came closer into view. We probably could’ve just walked on the streets, considering that there wasn’t a single car on the road.
“Which is why you’re wearing the same ratty shirt you wear every single day you’re home alone, right?” asked Kenny.
How the hell did he see through my jacket? But he just had some way of knowing, I guess.
“Well, at least I have enough,” said Ant.
“Yeah, but nothing matches your green eyes,” Kenny smiled. “I’m gonna get you something super special!”
A truck barreled up the hill. I guess some people don’t get days off when it snows. That there was the main motivation for studying for the SATs – to make sure that I wouldn’t be driving on of those things one day.
The eighteen-wheeler grew louder, drowning out our conversation as we passed by the town hall. It zoomed past us, and with it, a flurry of white fell off of it. I couldn’t dodge in time before it landed right on me, knocking me onto the ground.
“TJ?!” Martin rushed over to me.
The snow was everywhere on me, melting on my clothes. “Sheesh, I hope this’ll dry soon…” I grumbled, brushing off what I could. “Stupid trucks. There needs to be some law to make them brush off their roofs.”
“You can’t go making laws for everything,” frowned Ant. Ah, our republican friend. He and I had a ton of arguments over the benefits of government and non-interference.
I sneezed from the bit of it that got in my nose. “Well, let’s get going. The store’s not far now, right?”
Martin put his hand up to his brow to judge the distance. “I guess maybe another fifteen minutes’ walk.”
That was the last word I could get out as the rest of the walk, I erupted into a flurry of sneezes and coughs.
“Are you all right, TJ?” asked Kenny. “You look really pale.”
“I’m… cough!” I tried to get out. It couldn’t be that much farther, right? My hope of my clothes drying off soon had gone to nil. My body felt tingly all over from the cold wet seeping in. I had to get out of these and into something dry. Forget if they’re clothes meant for spring, they’d be warmer than this.
The department store came into view – its steps just barely shoveled. A few girls crowded the entranceway waiting for it to open its doors, but outside of that, everyone else was sane and snug at home, playing video games or watching television. Why did these guys have to be my friends?
“Maybe I could resell some clothes at market value,” said Ant. “Invest a couple hundred, maybe make 20 bucks profit?”
He was going to be a stock broker for sure. “Don’t think about something like… cough!” I coughed.
“Do you think he’s sick?” asked Kenny. “Even his voice is cracking.”
“Dude, I’m fine. Like, cough!” I struggled to get out.
“Even if he is, we’ll just have to wait here,” said Martin. “It’s the quickest way to warmth we can get.”
And he wasn’t wrong. The manager opened up the door a minute later, causing a tiny stampede as the girls and we rushed in. I felt the warmth pouring over my body, but it still felt tingly and strange.
“Here,” said Martin, handing me a pair of black pants and a grey short sleeve shirt.
“Those don’t match at all!” said Kenny. “No, let me find something a little better.”
Martin scowled. “Kenny, he’s sick. That doesn’t matter at all.”
“Oh, right…” Kenny said, remembering himself. He wasn’t the brightest one of the bunch, that’s for sure.
I stumbled into the changing room, completely drained. But the coughing seemed to have settled down, and I didn’t feel particularly numb anymore.
I closed the door behind me and look into the mirror. I really did look pale, didn’t I? Even my dark blue eyes seemed to be lighter. Wait, is that a scar on my left eye? I tried to rub it off, but it didn’t budge. It was as if something had cut me harshly there. Maybe I got cut from the snow?
I pulled back my hood to get change. But when I did, my short brown hair didn’t pop out, oh no. Instead, a large mess of white hair followed, falling back my back in a long ponytail that fell all the way down to my waist.
My eyes went wide with wonder at that sight. I grabbed it with my hand and gave it a tug, thinking it might just fall off. But it did no such thing, and instead I felt a soft tug on my scalp. Of course it would. It’s my hair, and it matches the soft features of my face perfectly.
Soft features?
“WHAT THE HELL?!” I screamed in a voice that was way too high to be mine. I leaned in closer to the mirror and put my hand to my chin, trying to feel for whiskers. But there was nothing there. It was completely smooth, as if it had been freshly waxed. But I knew it wasn’t waxed. There were no whiskers beneath there trying to burst through.
“TJ?” I heard Ant banging on the door. “Are you all right?”
Oh, crap, they heard my scream. I can’t let them see me like this. “I…” No, I can’t talk normally. My voice sounds like a girl’s now. “I’m fine,” I said as deeply as I could.
“You sure? You sound really bad,” said Ant.
“I-I’m fine!” I said, losing control as my voice rose in pitch again. “Just leave me alone!”
I half expected him to break down the door to come in and see if I was fine, I grabbed my hood, ready to pull it back up over my head.
“Well, just let me know if you need anything,” he said. I didn’t let go of my hood until his footsteps had disappeared into the rest of the store.
Well, if something happened to my face, I better check out the rest of my body to make sure that it was JUST my face that got affected. I unzipped my jacket and pulled off my gloves. Well, my neck’s thinner, but that was to be expected. But my heart dropped when I saw my hands. They seemed longer and more slender. But they were also callused, as if they constantly held something or another.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I whipped off my shirt and sweatshirt in one go, and nearly collapsed when I saw my reality.
This was no man’s body. My gut had flattened itself out, redistributing itself onto my chest. I touched a breast to verify that I wasn’t just seeing things, but when it bounced in response, I knew that they were real.
Somehow, I knew before I put my hands in my pants that I’d find nothing there. But I verified nonetheless, and when reality hits, it hurts. “Why?” I asked silently.
I’d think most people would’ve had a different reaction to finding out that they turned into a girl. They’d probably scream and flip out, trying to piece together what had just happened and how to change it back. That’s not to say that I wasn’t trying to figure out how to turn it back, that’s for sure. But, I was more curious as to why someone would’ve done this to me.
I’d read my share of fantasy stories about guys suddenly turning into girls. A little fetish, you could almost call it. But they all had the same themes. It’s either a surgical change, which this obviously was not, some strange disease, but this came on way too quickly to be like any of those diseases, or some kind of witchcraft or voodoo. So somebody had to have wished this on me. But who? People made fun of my gaming habits, that’s for sure, but what difference would it make if I was a guy or a girl?
“Are you all right in there?” Martin banged on my door. “You’ve been in there for twenty minutes!”
You’d be in here for twenty minutes too if you discovered you had a new body, Martin. “Sorry, I’ll be right out.” Manipulating my voice to go lower really was quite a challenge.
I threw my old shirt and hoodie back on and stuffed my hair down my back. I looked at myself in the mirror, seeing if I could fake it. White hair really is hard to hide. I brushed my bangs to the side, trying to hide them from view, but they just weren’t long enough to tuck behind my ears. I lowered my hood as low as it would go, and hoped that would be enough.
I can figure this out later. For now, I don’t need my friends asking me all sorts of questions. I gulped, surprised at the sensation of a female throat swallowing – no longer feeling the movement of the adam’s apple. In a lot of stories, when a guy turns into a girl, their friends wind up being perverts who just want to take advantage of her. This isn’t going to be that kind of a story for me, was it?
I threw open the door and hung the outfit they gave me on the rack.
“What’s wrong with that one?” asked Kenny. “Besides looking awful.”
I kept my face low. “It didn’t fit. Besides, I have enough clothes and not enough money.”
“You need something dry,” said Martin.
“My old clothes dried,” I responded. He had no response to that as we started to shop for Ant.
I don’t know how I didn’t realize that I had turned into a girl earlier. Maybe it was just the excessive cold or that snow from the truck driving me into hypothermia, but I didn’t feel any different before. But now it was as if every step felt different. My center of balance had changed thanks to the redistribution of fat on my body, so it’s like I had to lean back a little extra to keep myself upright. Not to mention how much harder it was in general to walk with these wider hips. I guess girls are used to it after growing up with them, but for me it was like I was walking on stilts.
“TJ, is something wrong?” asked Ant while Kenny held up an outfit against his body. He quickly shook his head no and went back to the clearance rack.
“No, it’s nothing.” I sat down on one of the benches reserved for people to try and try on shoes, glad to have a chance to sit down. My eyes slid over towards these white high heels, and I couldn’t help but think how good my calves would look in them. No, you’re a guy, TJ. Don’t think about things like that.
In the end, Ant got 1 shirt, Martin got a new pair of pants, and Kenny got himself 5 complete outfits to go with every pair of shoe he owned.
“Whose turn is it to carry everything?” asked Kenny as we pushed the shopping cart to the return area. We had made a sort of system that any time we bought something, we’d rotate who’d have to carry it.
“I think it’s TJ’s turn,” Ant thought.
I coughed purposely. They all turned to look at me as I turned a little red. I didn’t change my voice for that! It sounded so high and cute, nobody would’ve mistaken that for a guy’s cough.
“Yeah, he’s sick,” said Martin. “I’ll carry it for him.”
“Don’t think this gets you out of your turn,” Ant folded his arm. “I carried it last time, so I expect a full three turns before I have to carry it again.”
Martin scowled. “Some friend you are. But fine. Pass them here.” He grabbed the bags and balanced them on each side. Sorry pal, I’d do it myself, but walking alone was going to give a bit of a challenge.
And then his stomach growled.
Kenny pulled out his phone. “Well, I guess it is about lunch. Wanna grab some burgers?”
“Please,” I smiled. “Let’s go!”
“See, you’re not that sick after all,” Martin laughed.
The snow had finally let up, and people began to swarm outside.
“See, isn’t it great that we got out here so early?” asked Kenny. “We got all the good stuff before these guys could!”
“They’re just shoveling their driveways,” I said. And indeed they were. I had to dodge to stop a shovelful of snow from smacking my head.
As we walked, I noticed yet another thing I hadn’t earlier. My clothes were really loose. It only made sense. The girl I turned into was definitely smaller than I had been, so my clothes wouldn’t really fit anymore. My hips had thankfully remained about the same size, but the rest of my pants were like clown pants. My shoes were the worst, almost coming off my feet with every step.
“Well, here we all,” said Ant, heading in. “I could really go for a triple today.”
“Just one?” I smirked.
Ant laughed. “I need some room for that chicken enchilada I’m cooking tonight. You really should come over and try it. If I can sear it just right, the rest of it should be a piece of cake. Well, not literally cake. Though if you want a cake, I could bake one for you too.”
We got in line, and the other three ordered their meals. But when I got in front…
The giant specialty burger looked so tempting. I used to order two of them until I found out just how bad they were for you. But right now, my stomach revolted at the thought of that much grease. In fact, everything on the menu seemed so greasy and disgusting. Not to mention, even without the grease, it was just too much food. I was hungry, that’s for sure, but I’d never be able to eat an entire meal with all those fries.
“A chicken sandwich, please,” I said. Even the bread seemed to be a bit much, but at least there’d be a grilled piece of chicken in between.
“What kind of sauce?” the server asked.
Oh gosh, they put so much stuff on it. Lettuce, tomato, sauce… I couldn’t eat all that. “No sauce. Just stick a piece of chicken on a roll.”
I paid and walked over to the other three, who stood with their mouths gaping.
“TJ, are you sure you’re all right?”
I cocked my head before quickly bringing it back. Careful there, if you cock it too far they’ll see your white ponytail. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said. “Why?”
“A chicken sandwich? You used to brag about how many burgers you could eat here!”
I felt hot. I was dangerously close to getting caught. “I’m just not that hungry.”
Our meals arrived, and we settled down at a table. As I suspected, this bun is absolutely huge. The sandwich was going to be a real challenge to down.
My friends started to chat it up as I leaned down to take a bite. As I did, I saw several silver strands of hair creep out of my hood and across my face.
I sat back up so fast I smacked my head on the booth. I just managed to get the rogue hairs back into my hood before they all turned their focus to me. “Ow…” I groaned, the pain of smacking my head coming back in force.
“Are you OK?” asked Ant.
“Just bumped my head, no biggie,” I said, feeling the tears rushing to my eyes. Stupid tall booth. And stupid body. Why did I have to go through this?
“Let me see,” said Martin, reaching over. “I have some bandaids if it’s bleeding.”
No! Don’t take my hood off! I swatted his hand away and pulled my hood tighter around my face.
“TJ?” Martin asked.
“Just… leave me alone! I’m fine, I’m telling you!” I lifted the sandwich up to my mouth’s level and took another bite, trying me best not to seem suspicious.
“Actually, TJ, why do you still have you hood on?” asked Kenny. “I’m dying from the heat here, you know. And you look like a hoodlum like that.”
I gulped. “I… I’m still a little cold,” I tried to excuse myself.
“No, he’s right, you’re making us all look suspicious,” said Martin. “You can put it on when we get back outside, but put it down for now.”
All at once, my entire plan to try and hide what’s happened to me until I figured it out for myself had come undone. I’d have to admit it and embarrass myself to them and…
“I’m sorry,” I said, getting up off the table. “I’m really not feeling well. I’m going home.”
They looked at each other, and then back at me. “Well, if that’s how you feel, all right,” said Ant.
I fled out of the eatery before they could ask another question. I took a few more bites out of my sandwich outside before throwing it into the trash. Now I really look suspicious to them. I wonder what they’d say? Maybe they’d just laugh at me or something.
I walked down the street keeping my head down. Strands of silver hair fell out, but it’s not like it mattered anymore. In fact, this hood really was starting to get annoying.
I felt a hard thud on my shoulder. I looked up, and there was a man with his hands out. “Sorry ma’am, I didn’t see you.”
I shrug. “It’s fine,” I say, not bothering to disguise my voice. That’s right. Anyone would think me a girl now. I had a girl’s body and a girl’s face, so the only reason why anyone would expect anything different is if they knew me as someone else.
I pulled my hood down and let my hair go free. I had to think about my priorities. I guess first, I needed to get something to walk in. These shoes were a travesty to getting anywhere. It felt like I was wearing sandals, flipping back and forth.
“TJ!” I heard a shout from behind me. Oh God, Martin? What did he want now? I spun around to see his pudgy self running towards me, waving a black square. Oh, wait. I tapped my pocket. I forgot my wallet at the shop! Sheesh, Martin saved me.
Wait a second. My hood’s down. He can see my hair!
I quickly pulled up my hood just before he arrived. He leaned over panting. “Here, TJ, you forgot your wallet.”
“Thanks,” I said, pocketing it. “Sorry for before, I’m just too sick to really stay with you guys. Go have fun without me.”
“Oh, that’s fine he said, standing up straight again. “We’ll just be… um… wait a second.”
“What?” I asked.
“Your hair… why is it that long? And white?”
Oh crap! I put my hood up, sure, but I never stuffed my ponytail into it. Now it was fresh for the world to see, specifically Martin.
I tried to stuff it back in, as if I could hide it again, but Martin grabbed my wrist. “Might thin wrist you’ve got there, TJ.”
I gulped. “I’ve been dieting…” I tried to excuse myself.
“Enough of the lies,” he folded his arms. “Take off your hood. I won’t laugh, I promise.”
I thought about running away, but that’d only make matters worse. I heaved a sigh and pulled my hood back so that he could see my face in full.
He didn’t laugh. Instead his eyes just went wider. “W-Weiss?” he asked.
“Weiss? Is that something German?”
He shook his head. “It’s from a video series called RWBY. You haven’t seen it before?”
I shook my own head, feeling the weight of my ponytail follow me.
“Well, at least your head looks exactly like a character in that series. Is the rest of the body, um, you know… female?”
I closed my eyes and nodded for him.
“How?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “When I left my house I was definitely still me, but when we got to the department store, I was like this. I think somebody hexed me.”
“Who would ever hex you?” asked Martin. “You’re a nerd, sure, but it’s not like anyone particularly hates you. And it doesn’t even make sense. Why turn a nerd into a RWBY character?”
I shrugged. “Look, I want to figure this out before it spreads too far, so can you do me a favor and keep this a secret from the other guys?”
Martin thought for a moment, putting his finger to his chin. Then he dropped his head down and smiled. “Nope.”
“What do you mean, nope?!” I couldn’t believe it. My own friend betraying my darkest secrets to his friends. If this is what friends are, what use are enemies?
“If you’re going to be like that, you’re going to need all the help you can get. So that’d be all of us, not just me. We’ll get you through this so long as you can just trust us.”
I didn’t know whether to be happy or angry right now. To think that I’d actually be supported instead of mocked…
Five minutes later, Ant and Kenny had arrived and were studying my head with wonder. “Is that really you TJ?” asked Ant.
“Please don’t stare. You’re making me uncomfortable.” Maybe it was being a girl now, or maybe I’d have been uncomfortable as a guy too, but it really just felt weird to have them examining me like this.
“So, what are you going to do from here?” asked Martin when they finished accepting that I am me, even if I look nothing like I used to.
I thought for a bit. That’s right, I can’t go home now. My parents would be there, and they’d only know me as TJ. If Weiss – I think that’s what Martin called me – walked in, they’d have no clue who she actually is. I actually am. She am? I don’t know!
I took a few steps trying to think. My shoes flipped as I walked. “I guess I can start with getting some shoes that actually fit.”
Kenny’s eyes lit up at the suggestion of more shopping. “We don’t need to stop there! We can get you the cutest dresses. Oh man, white would match everything about you so perfectly. You’d be the snow princess, and I’d totally…”
I held up a hand. “Let’s start with shoes.”
We went right back to the department store, but instead of Kenny diving right into the shoes, it was Martin who did. I looked through a couple of pairs of sneakers, trying to figure out what my best size would be.
“Here you go,” Martin said, handing me a box.
I opened up and when I saw the contents, I scowled. “What is this?” I asked, looking at the boots he had presented me. They had at least a two-inch heel on the back, and their blue to white gradient hue would never look masculine no matter how hard I try. “I’m trying to walk and look like a normal guy, not stumble around in these clunkers!”
Martin shrugged. “You can buy some sneakers too if you want, but please try these one! They’re exactly like the ones Weiss wears.”
Oh, it’s a fanboy thing. No, I’m not going to appease his fanboy desires. I’m a man, I have dignity and…
I’m a friend.
I bowed my head. “Tell you what,” I said, “this Weiss person, she doesn’t walk around wearing a hoodie and jeans, does she?”
“Well, no…” said Martin.
“What does she wear?”
“Well, she has pajamas and a school uniform, but usually she’s in her battle dress.”
I waved him off. “Go get that for me. I’ll give you a full fanservice special.”
I don’t think I had ever seen him that happy. He ran off to try and find something that I could change into. Meanwhile, I pulled a pair of sneakers off the shelf.
“This is still hard to walk in,” I said as I tried walking in a pair of sneakers that actually fit my now smaller feet. But I just felt so off balance, like my feet didn’t belong in it.
“Eh, you’ll get used to it… I think,” said Ant as he watched me. Martin rushed back a few minutes later, carrying a dress that was styled with the same kind of gradient as the shoes – blue to white.
I head into the dressing room with the outfit. I never thought that I’d be giving my best friend a service like this using my body, but then again, I never thought that I’d be in this body. Memories of perverted erotic stories came flooding back into my head. Is this the start of the slippery slope that leads me to using my body on them because I feel sorry for them?
I shake my head vigorously as I slip out of my clothes. I try to keep my head up, and avoid the mirror at all costs. If I can avoid looking at myself naked, then I don’t have to believe that what’s not there may never be coming back.
I throw the dress on over my shoulders and step in the shoes.
Oh God… This is why I felt so uncomfortable before. This body was meant for these shoes. For the first time, my balance returned to me, and I could finally walk around without having to focus on it. Not to mention, this dress felt so comfortable around my shoulders and over my body, not like that crummy shirt I had been wearing.
I walked out of the changing room, and all of my friends’s jaws dropped at once. They stared at me, surveying every part of my body.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I said, feeling myself getting very hot. But, when I was a guy, I’d have done the same thing. With my long smooth legs, my wide hips, and my thin belly, this was a body to die for. At least whoever is responsible for this turned me into someone rather sexy.
“Can I take a picture?” asked Martin, pulling out his phone.
I sighed and struck a pose. “Just a couple. This is fanservice, all right? We’ll get some real clothes after.” Martin quickly agreed and snapped his shots while Kenny went off to the women’s department. When he came back, he had everything I actually needed. Jeans that fit my body, smaller shirts, a new jacket, and some undergarments occupied his arms, waiting for me to try them on.
When we left the store, I was wearing the manliest versions of anything he had brought me. If not for my head, I’m not sure if anyone would know I was a girl thanks to how I chose the baggier items instead of the form fitting ones.
“But why?” asked Martin. “You have such a nice body, so why don’t you flaunt it?”
I scowled. “Because I’m a guy. Something put me in the wrong body, and that’s all there is to it.”
We headed over to Martin’s house. “Oh, hey Martin! You’re back early,” smiled his mom.
“Yeah, my friends are staying over the night,” he said as we walked in.
She nodded with approval. “You know the rules though. Weiss has to sleep in the spare bedroom. I want no funny business between you guys!”
I blinked. Seeing Martin’s blank expression, I guess he was thinking the same thing I was. “You know Weiss?” he asked.
“Well, of course I do!” she laughed. “You bring her over all the time. Why wouldn’t I know her? Now, go along and have fun. Don’t spend all your time talking to me.”
We staggered up the steps, not sure what to make of this. “Hey, mom,” asked Martin. “Do you know a TJ?”
She stopped to think for a moment. “Well, no, I can’t say I do. Is that a new friend of yours?”
Martin turned his head back around. “Forget I said anything.”
We went down the hallway and into his room. He shut it and pulled out a deck of cards from his pocket. “Might as well have some fun while we chat,” he smiled.
He dealt the hand as we sat down. I can’t believe how much more flexible my legs are. As a guy, it was difficult to sit with my legs crossed, but with nothing in between, this was as simple as anything. Maybe being a girl wasn’t going to be that bad. That is, if I could manage to get myself back before the inevitable first period.
I pulled out my phone.
“Who’re you gonna call?” asked Ant, who had fallen into a stupid silence since he saw me in the dress.
“Ghostbusters,” I mocked. When he didn’t laugh at my joke, I put my hands up to admit the truth. “My parents. I gotta let them know that I’m here for the night.”
“Hello?” I heard my dad answer on the other line.
“Hey, dad, it’s me,” I said with the lowest voice I can manage. “I’m at Martin’s house.”
“Again?” he asked. “You were just the last week.”
“Yeah, I know, but they dragged me along,” I said. “I’m going to be spending the night here, so don’t make dinner for me.”
My dad stays silent for a bit before sighing. “Well, I guess that’s fine. It’s better than sitting at home all day on your computer. It’s not normal to spend that much time on it. Girls like you need to get out.”
I froze. Girls like me? “Haha, funny joke dad,” I said. Please respond about how you’re just pretending I’m a girl. If you don’t remember either…
“It’s not joke,” he said. “Listen, Weiss, I don’t want to put the internet on a timer again, but if you leave your computer on overnight one more time, I might have no other option.”
My own parents think I’m Weiss? I stared dumbstruck at absolutely nothing.
“Weiss?” I heard him ask. “Weiss? Are you there?”
I shake out of my trance. “I… I’ll be sure to have fun. Thanks dad,” I said.
I put down the phone. All my friends had stopped playing to stare at me.
“What’s wrong, Weiss?” asked Martin.
“Not you too!” I couldn’t believe it. My friends forgot me too?
He cocks his head. “What do you mean?”
“What did you just call me?”
“Weiss,” he said. No, this can’t be happening! Tears started to well up in my eyes. Why couldn’t anyone remember me? If they couldn’t remember me, how am I supposed to find the answer to this problem? Martin threw down a card on the discard pile. “I mean, I could keep calling you TJ if you want, but it seems weird to call a girl TJ. Might as well call you by the name I know you.”
Wait. What? “You know I used to be TJ?” I asked.
He stared at me all confused. “Of course I do. All of us do. I don’t know why my mom forgot, but we can worry about her later. Either way, Weiss, TJ, or whatever you want to be called, what’s wrong?”
I could’ve thrown my arms around him at that moment. Careful. You don’t want to continue down the slippery slope that leads to losing your purity. Don’t even touch them.
I throw down my card and lay back in relief. “Sorry, I’m all right now.”
“But what happened?”
“My parents remember me as Weiss,” I said. “Look, is it like my memory is fading to any of you guys? Maybe it’s just like the ones who know me best are the last to remember and…”
“No, I remember you as clear as day as TJ,” said Kenny. “Never exactly hot enough to catch my eye, but definitely a guy.”
“What about your memories?” I thought to other transformation stories. “Do you remember us doing manly things together, or like tea parties and riding horses?”
“Um…” said Martin, “there was that one tea party you held to mock your sister. But outside of that, no.”
Oh, right, I remember that one.
So if male TJ isn’t disappearing from existence, why can these three remember me, and the rest of the world not? I’d want to say it’s because they knew me best, but if that were the case, then why would my parents forget me? They knew me better than any of these three guys, that’s for sure.
The door slammed open, and Martin’s mom stormed in. “Oh, thank GOD!” she scowled.
“Mom?” asked Martin. “What’s wrong?”
She huffed. “How many times do I have to tell you the rules?” she asked. “You’re a teenage guy, for heaven’s sake. If you’re going to be in my house, you are NOT to have a girl in your room with the door closed. You understand?”
He blinked. “Since when was that a rule?”
She frowned. “Ever since you started bringing Weiss home so often. Come on Martin, we’ve been over this already.”
“Sorry,” he said. “I’ll leave it open from now on.”
His mom stormed off at that, leaving us alone again.
I threw down my card. “Well, I think that’s enough being shocked at all this,” I said. “We can’t let our emotions get the best of us.”
“Who are you saying that to?” asked Kenny.
Honestly, that may have been to myself. “Well, either way, we have a few clues as to what may have happened. Clue one: I changed on the way to the department store. Clue two: You three are the only people who seem to remember that I exist.”
Martin nodded absentmindedly. “So, what can you conclude from that?”
I tried to think for a moment. But no matter what I thought about, I couldn’t come up with a solution. I stuck my hands to my head and shook it rapidly. “I just don’t know,” I frowned.
It felt like that entire day went by wasted. After a dinner and more games with the guys, it was finally time for showers and bed.
“You go first, Weiss,” said Ant. “That way you don’t have to worry about any of us forgetting something in there and walking in on you.”
Well, I guess he had some sort of a point. I walked over to their bathroom and pushed open the door, stripping out of my clothes. It was really hard this time to avoid the mirror, but somehow, I managed to keep a good eye away from my body.
I stumbled into the shower and closed my eyes as the water poured down my skin in ways I had never felt before. I was so used to it rolling down my chest, but now it curved around my new mounds and fell onto the ground below. I’d have to turn around to get my entire body wet.
As I washed, I kept thinking about the events of the day. Why would I change on that walk? We just chatted it up, and then I get drenched in snow from that truck. Could the truck have something to do with it? No, why would it? It’s not like some wizard was leaning out the side and chanting some sort of magic spell to do this to me.
As I finished up, I gulped as I realized a rather horrifying thought. I used to just sleep in my boxers. But I couldn’t sleep in panties, could I? A lot of girls sleep nude, I know that, but considering I’m too scared to look at this body, that’s not going to be any option. And what if one of the guys walked in? What if this really did turn out like one of those perverted stories I’d read about?
I gulped as I stumbled out of the shower, trying to figure out what to do. Maybe I could just sleep in those clothes I wore today? But they really just didn’t feel right. The only thing that felt right was that dress. They did buy it, so maybe I could wear that instead? No, I’m not going to stoop that low. I’m a guy, so I’ll wear guys clothes.
But that wasn’t an option. My clothes had been removed from the floor, and in their place lay a single grey garment. I wasn’t up to date on my dresses, so I couldn’t give it a name, but I wanted to say it was a babydoll dress. I had a rather low cut collar with white lace, going up to some very short sleeves that also ended in lace. It didn’t look particularly long either, ending with another laced hem.
“I’m not wearing that,” I said aloud, as if to convince myself. It seemed so tempting, so right. But I’m a guy! Wearing something like that would just be so embarrassing…
But what was my other option? Walking out to a bunch of guys in nothing but a towel? No, TJ, you have to keep yourself pure. Your hair and your colors are all pure snow, so stay like that.
With no other option, I slipped the nightgown over my shoulders. It falls far enough down to cover any part I wouldn’t want a man to see, no matter what position I’m standing. But it’s still short enough that most of my legs stay exposed to the cold winter chills seeing through the cracked bathroom window.
I keep trying to towel off my hair, but it just won’t dry. That’s right, long hair takes ages to dry. This’d have to wait.
I storm out of the room and scowl. “So, which one of you took my clothes?” I scowl, holding my hands on my hips.
“Um…” said Martin, “that would be me. Those are Weiss’s real pajamas in the show, after all.”
At first, I think to kick him in the face. But then, I feel a sigh of relief coming over me. In the back of my mind, I had been worried that Weiss’s pajamas hadn’t just been swapped with my clothes, but actually replaced them. I had worried that my reality had started to shift, and those clothes were the first step.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “Can I have my clothes back? I need to sleep.” The clock had already struck 11, and I felt exhaustion creeping onto me like a snake on a rock.
Martin sighed. “They’re already in the spare bedroom. You could change into them if you want, but could you try sleeping in that for me? You look so comfortable in it compared to those stupid baggy jeans.”
I wanted to argue, but he had a point. I could deal with the discomfort during the day. At night, I wanted to just fall asleep comfortably. There’d be no way I could in my daytime clothes, and there’s absolutely no way I could naked. I’d have to deal with the hand I was dealt.
I shot him a smile. “Fine. Pajamas it is.”
I crawled in my bed as Martin’s mom locked the door. She REALLY didn’t want Martin sneaking in here. But as I lay down, I realized another fact of life.
“I can’t sleep on my stomach,” I said, feeling the pressure on my chest.
I turned onto my side and grabbed my pillow. Maybe tomorrow I could get some answers here. I had two days left in the weekend, so maybe I could figure something out before the next day of school. I thought that as I drifted off to sleep.
***
A cold breeze blew in from the open window. I pull the covers close to my body, squeezing my arms tight. As I squeeze, my arms push against some unfamiliar mounds on my chest. It feels so unfamiliar, but at the same time, kind of good.
My eyes bolt open and I swing up to a sitting position. My chest bounces with the sudden motion. As I try to look down to see what that weird lump is, long white strands of hair fall in front of my face.
Oh, right. The memories of yesterday flood back into my mind as I remember exactly who I was and who I am. I was a guy when I woke up yesterday. Now, I’m in Weiss’s body until I can figure out what exactly happened.
I stumble to my feet and slip on the slippers that Martin’s mom had left by my bed. I wobble from the grogginess as I head to the window and pull up the shade to look out.
The snow had returned by the looks of it. Snowflakes poured out of the sky, trying to join the congregation that was trying to kiss the ground. As they fell, the wind pushed them aside, creating beautiful spirals of white in front of my window. There’d be no going outside, I knew. Not in this weather.
As I turned to return to my bed, my stomach lets me know that there’d be no such option. It pinched the insides of my body, informing me that there’s only one room in this house that I can go to.
I rushed out of my room, which Martin’s mom had thankfully unlocked in the middle of the night, and fled straight to the bathroom.
It still felt weird to go as a girl. But I didn’t dare look down for confirmation of my body. That could wait, if it ever needed to happen.
After I finished wiping (which was another weird thing…) I headed downstairs to the breakfast table, where Martin, Ant, and Kenny had started to eat some French toast.
“Syrup always tastes great on a snowy day, right Weiss?” asked Kenny, holding up the bottle.
I settled down into a chair and took a slice of the French toast. I was in the middle of pouring syrup onto it when I realized that Kenny had just called me Weiss as well. I shuddered thinking about it. In these stories, a lot of magic happens overnight. People change, bodies morph, and feelings bend. Did that happen to Kenny too?
“Kenny, who was I two days ago?”
He stuffed an entire slice into his mouth at once. Football players really need to know how to eat. “Well, you were you, of course. Well, TJ, not Weiss. But still yourself.”
I sighed with relief. I guess I don’t have to worry about my friends forgetting about me.
They managed to scarf down four slices a piece, while I struggled with my one. I missed having a guy’s stomach. Food tasted so nice, and it was so satisfying when I could eat anything I wanted to the extent I wanted.
“So, what are we doing today?” I asked as I washed off my plate.
“What do you think?” asked Martin. “As much as I’d love you to stay as Weiss, and maybe become my girlfriend…”
“Go die in a ditch,” I snarl.
He holds his hand up. “Kidding, kidding. You’re nothing like the character in the show anyways. But as much as I like having a real life Weiss by my side, we need to find a way to turn you back.”
“And that means it’s time for Detective Ant to come through!” Ant exclaimed, bouncing up out of his seat. He held a juice glass in front of his eye.
“What are you doing?” asked Kenny.
“It’s a monocle,” Ant said. “See, it’s round, goes over one eye and…”
“It’s a juice glass, and you’re gonna break it,” said Martin. “Put it in the dishwasher before you drop it.”
“Fine,” he mumbled, putting it in. “But I’m still the chief detective.”
I blinked. “Why’re you so into it?”
He smiled. “My dad’s an investigator for the police, so I know a few of his tricks. It’s always been one of my dreams.”
“I thought you wanted to be a chef?”
He laughed. “Chef by day, private eye by night! I’ll be the Great Chef Investigator, Antoine!”
“You’re not even French, Anthony,” I folded my arms.
“Well, lead on,” Martin said, gesturing us upstairs.
We followed his lead. When I walked into his room, Kenny pointed me the other way.
“Huh?” I asked. “Aren’t we investigating?”
He shook his head. “We’ll start. You get changed.”
Changed? I looked down, and when I saw that I was still in those frilly pajamas, I felt myself getting hot from head to toe. “Um… I’ll be right back!” I said, running back to my room.
When I got to my room, I pulled out the bag of all the clothes we had bought for me yesterday. They were all androgynous, except for the panties. Boxers pretty much bit my thighs like fire, so I had to accept that little bit of feminine attire.
I shifted through them trying to find the best looking ones of the bunch. And as I did, my hand hit the rather silky blue and white dress that Martin had bought for me.
I pulled it out and stared at it. It was so comfortable to wear yesterday, and it’s not like I’d have many opportunities to wear a dress. It did go really well with my eyes and my hair, and it showed off my curves so much better than these t-shirts and jeans. I’d look like such a cute girl in it.
I put it back in the bag for exactly that reason. “You’re a guy, TJ,” I said in my high pitched feminine voice. “You’re a guy. Remember that.” I threw on a pair of jeans and sneakers and hobbled back to Martin’s room.
They gathered around a laptop, where Ant furiously typed away.
“Wow, look at all this!” said Kenny as Ant scrolled down.
“Did you find anything?” I asked as I walked up to them to try and see what was going on.
On the computer screen were hundreds of camera angles, folders containing information on almost every person in town, lists of every open case, and even some more routine things like traffic light times and where every police car was at the present moment.
“Are you supposed to be on that?” I asked. No matter how you looked at it, this was definitely some highly sensitive information.
“Are you supposed to be a girl?” asked Ant. I scowled at that jab. “Sorry, sorry. But no, I shouldn’t be on here, but why wouldn’t I? Unless you want to stay like that forever, we’ll have to break a couple of rules.”
I gulped. Never before had I thought of it like that. If this didn’t work, I’d be stuck like this forever. I’d be a girl to the end of time. That was scary as hell…
I settled down next to them and stared on the screen. “So, did you annoy anyone on Thursday, Weiss?” asked Ant at the start.
I thought back. Thursday was a pretty far way away. “Well, I don’t think so.”
“Go through from the start of the day,” said Ant.
I tried to remember everything I could. “Well, I walked to school, like always. Didn’t bother talking to anyone, and I doubt anyone wanted to talk to me at that time in the morning anyways. Got a failing grade on my math test. Didn’t talk to anyone again to the second block. Lunch I ate alone in a corner after acting cheerful with a lunch lady. Mary got mad at me for not passing the ball to her during gym. I slept through the last block.”
“What a boring life,” yawned Kenny.
“Sorry, we aren’t all Mr. Active like you,” I scowled.
“Enough, you two,” Martin waves his hands to calm us down. “What was that about Mary?”
I thought back. “We were paired up for basketball, and we were down by two. She wanted me to pass her the ball before time ran out, but the shot was wide open and I took it.”
Ant thought for a bit. “So maybe she turned you into a girl?”
“It seems like a pretty silly reason to turn someone into a girl,” I folded my arms. “She was mad, sure, but what good would changing me into a girl do for her? Not like I’d pass her the ball now.”
Ant put his hand on his chin. “Dismissing a lead like that can only result in failure. We have to pursue this.”
He clicked around, and within seconds, everything I could have ever wanted to know about Mary was plastered on screen. From her birth certificate to her school ID to her phone number, everything was there.
“Wow, she’s actually a complete idiot,” said Kenny, his eyes directed at her report card.
“Come on, don’t look at something like that,” I said, turning his head away. But my eyes couldn’t help but see that her grades weren’t exactly the first few letters of the alphabet.
“Hm, why don’t you call her?” asked Ant, handing me a phone.
“What use would that do?” I asked as I flipped open the phone. Seriously Ant, a flip phone? He really is a decade behind the times.
“Apologize for not passing the ball,” he said.
“But I’m not sorry for that at all! I’d do it every time!”
He shrugged. “Not the point. Best case, she turns you back. If she doesn’t, we’ll at least get to see if she remembers you as TJ or Weiss.”
Oh, that’s true. If it was a spell, the caster should be immune to the effects of it.
I dial the number that Ant had pulled up and let it ring. It was almost 10 in the morning, so she should be up, right? She was one of the more athletic girls in school, and actually a member of the basketball team, so that would probably explain why she was mad at me for not passing the ball to her.
“Hello?” I heard her voice on the other side of the phone. It was still kind of groggy, so I guess she must’ve just woken up.
“Hi, Mary,” I said keeping my voice low. “This is Wei—TJ.”
“TJ?” she asked. “Um… how did you get this number?”
I put my hand to the voice part of the phone. “She knows my name!” I said. That means it’s her!
“Sorry, I was just upset by what happened yesterday,” I lied. “You know, with the basketball and all. You’re on the basketball team, I’m not, so I really should have passed the ball to you. You’d have made the shot because you’re just that talented.”
The phone hung dead for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she piped in, “Who is this?”
I gulped. “I said it’s TJ and…”
I heard something crash. “I don’t know who the hell you are, or how the hell you know that I was in gym yesterday, but don’t call me again!”
I froze. “Um… I was with you yesterday playing basketball and…”
“That was WEISS, you moron! And she DID pass the ball to me, like any good teammate would have. If you call me again, I’m forwarding the call to the police, you pervert!”
The dial tone run in my ear, signaling that she had hung up the phone.
I lowered my arm from my ear.
“Well?” asked Martin. Everybody had tensed up their bodies in anticipation.
“False alarm,” I said. “She doesn’t know me.”
Everybody slouched back, and I could hear the groan from everyone in the room.
“So, what do we do now?” asked Kenny. “Design dresses for her? I mean, I know she might not like it, but listen, Weiss, you have to accept who you are. I’ll be sure to get you in the prettiest…”
I held out my hand to stop him. “Let’s try and find a solution first. We can’t give up there.”
“Well, that was our only lead,” said Ant. “Who else could it have been?”
I stopped to think. “Well, what if it wasn’t witchcraft?”
“Huh?” asked Martin. “You were a guy when we met you, and when we arrived at the store, you were a girl. People don’t just change their genders walking. It takes years of hormones and surgery.”
“And how would you know that?” Kenny nudged him in one of his fat rolls of flesh.
Martin growled. “I’m happy as a guy, thank for you very much. But my cousin went through it, so I know exactly how it normally happens.”
I thought back. “Well, we were walking down the street, chatting… I guess when I felt funny was when the changes were actually going on.”
Ant nodded, getting back to the topic at hand. “So, what was the catalyst that made you start feeling like that?”
We paused for a moment before all of us came to the same answer. “The truck!” we said together.
“Well, it’s a lead,” Ant said, trying to pull up a view. “Town hall, town hall…” he mumbled.
Within minutes, he had a grainy video from the day before playing from a surveillance camera. The four of us walked along the sidewalk, chatting. And then the truck came rumbling up the hill.
“If we can just make out the license plate…” he said, zooming in.
But it was too blurry. He moved frame by frame, hoping to see something clearer.
And then the screen went black.
“Huh?” he asked. “Did they catch us?”
“No, the other folders are still up,” I said, pointing to the side. “Try zooming out.”
He zoomed out, and we saw the culprit of the dark screen. A bird had flown in front of the camera, obscuring the picture. By the time it had left the view, so had the truck.
“That damn bird!” I cried out. I saw myself on the ground covered in snow, about to deal with my new fate.
“Well, there goes that lead,” said Martin.
“Not quick,” said Ant, standing up.
“What do you mean, not quite?” asked Kenny.
“We’re heading to the town hall.”
“What good’s that going to do?” asked Martin. “It’s not like that truck’s coming back.”
Ant threw on his coat. “It won’t, but they have a better video than what’s available here. If we can get a license plate number, we have a lead.”
“And how are you going to get them to give you that video?” I ask.
He shrugs. “We’ll figure that out when we get there.”
I head off to my room to grab my coat. The dress lies on the floor where I left it, begging me to change into it. It’d look so nice to tour the town in, and maybe it’d help us when we got to the town hall in actually getting that video.
I shook my head. Girls wear dresses. And despite having breasts, I am not girl. I am TJ, not Weiss. I throw my coat on and slam the door behind me.