Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Dot 4: Catch the Fashion Bug

Last time: Dot had her first official school day, managed to get in trouble, and ended up designing a dress that Dana has seen before, but not on Earth ...

I crawled into my bed at the end of a busy first day of school. Even though I had managed to get in trouble with my new home economics teacher, the most disturbing moment came after, when Dana somehow recognized a dress I designed.

I sighed, and attempted to sleep.

The next morning at breakfast, Dana had an answer to my mystery.

She told me that she had a “magic cellphone” that allowed her to contact Danu, and her adopted mother had told her because she can see all the possible futures, she had seen me make the dress, and could show it to Dana before I had even made it.

I decided I would let the thing go, at least for now, since the idea of being able to map probable futures sounded like the sort of thing that would give me a headache.

After that bit of weirdness, the next few days were relatively calm.

Well, calm, but still very busy. I got into the school routine, I slept, ate, went to classes, went to therapy, did my homework, and then went to bed to start all over again.

Not that I didn’t have any downtime. Since the kids in the other dorms seemed to be wary of those of us from the mixed dorm, we spent what free time we had together.

Which meant I spent more time with Chris.
I had no idea what to do with my attraction to him, and he apparently had no idea what to do with my feelings either, since we never had a conversation about it.

But Friday, things changed.

I was in my Tinker class, trying to figure what my hugglebug did, when it activated.

It changed shape, enlarging its eyes, and producing a pair of arms, which wrapped around me.

I wasn’t scared, in fact the “hug” felt really good.

Then the hugglebug let me go, and before I could stop it, the bug had leaped out of the classroom.

I got permission from my teacher to chase after it, and soon I was running down the hall.

It went to a room, and when I entered, I immediately stopped in shock.

In the middle of the room was Chris, holding the hugglebug, which now resembled a cat ...

And wearing a dress.

At that moment, if I had the ability to drop into a hole, I would have done it.

He didn’t seem upset, but simply said, “Dot, I think we need to talk. Perhaps you can tell me what this,” He gestured to the dress he was wearing, “is about.”

My Tinker teacher, who had followed me along with some of my classmates, said, “I think we should give these two some privacy.”

Once we were alone, he muttered, “This is killing my dude cred.”, then he looked distracted for a moment, and then said, “Sorry. Please tell me what’s going on.”

Then for what felt like the millionth time since I had woken up as Dot I talked to someone about what happened to me during my boy childhood. I also told him about the dresses I designed on the plane ride here, and the fact that all my dresses were worn by boys, and my growing attraction to him.

I honestly expected him to tell me to stay away from him, but he surprised me by giving me a hug.

We separated, but he held both my hands, and said, “Let me tell you a couple of things. First, I’m very sorry you went through that. Honestly, I admire how you’re holding it together. And ... well ...while my body is definitely saying it's attracted to you, my brain is still processing being a dude, much less how attraction plays out in a dude’s body.”

“So what do we do now?” I replied.

“Well, first thing, I need to get some pants on. After that, maybe we take it slow. We’re young, we have time.” He stated.

“So maybe we start as friends?” I asked.

“Any other dude would be unhappy to be put in the friend zone by a pretty girl. But from what I’ve heard, the best relationships start as friendship. So friends will do just fine.”

“For now?” I asked, trying to keep the hope out of my voice.

“For now.” He replied with a smile.

I picked up the hugglebug, and said to it, “Please restore Chris’ clothes.”

The bug looked at me as if asking “are you sure?”

“Please, hugglebug. Restore his clothes.”

It leaped out of my arms, and faster than I could see, orbited around Chris. Moments later he was wearing the boy’s school uniform again, and he said, “Thank you hugglebug”

It landed in his arms, and purred.

I breathed a sigh of relief, gathered up the hugglebug, and returned to class thinking the worst was over. But, unknown to me, this event had put Chris and me on the radar of a group of students called the Wolfpack.

Up until that moment, we had not been a target of them, being among the more "normal" looking residents of Dorm 7, but after word of the hugglebug incident got out, they saw us as potential victims.

The Wolfpack avoided obvious bullying, preferring to act when there were no witnesses or recording equipment, so they did not strike immediately, but waited, and watched.

I didn't know it then, but the hunt was on ….

To be continued ....