Chapter 1- Background

    My life and the lives of everyone else on Earth were shaped by two events that followed close together following the end of World War II.

    Six months following the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan and their unconditional surrender the so-called Burmese Flu broke out. Why they called it this is beyond my understanding as the virus had nothing to do with Burma. It supposedly broke out in China and in weeks it was a worldwide epidemic.

    Thanks to the turmoil following the war, the virus spread throughout the world in less than two months. This was in part due to its initially long incubation stage. Displaced peoples and troops returning home carried it without knowing. By the time the governments of the world realized what was happening it was too late.

    Like the Spanish Influenza of 1918, the Burmese Flu killed millions of people and, from what I have read; society came very close to collapsing. The only good thing about it was that it helped the newly formed United Nations gain power in order to fight the virus. No, the UN didn’t take over governments or anything like that. Basically it helped in containing and fighting the flu. Medical procedures were quickly developed and sent out to all corners of the world.

The tensions that had been growing between the Soviet Union and the democratic west also faded rapidly as all efforts were thrown into the fight against the bug.

I’ve read that some historians believe that the flu may have saved the world from a massive political struggle. Because some scientists believed the disease may have been caused by the atomic fallout, all nuclear weapons testing was banned immediately. It was suspected that the Soviet Union was attempting to develop their own atomic bomb, but following the death of Stalin by the flu, they too agreed to the ban that has stood to this day.

While it is true that there haven’t been any big wars since WW II ended, there have been some small conflicts, but they’ve stayed small and local.

Just as rapidly as it appeared, the flu vanished. Some think it just mutated and became less dangerous or that the human immune system adapted, either way it was over.

The worldwide death toll was in the tens of millions and, combined with the task of rebuilding the world following years of war, society entered a period of peace and hopeful stability.  I really don’t give the human race any credit for this; the basic truth was that there was too much work to be done to worry about war. Just keeping the lights on; food on the table, and other aspects of maintaining civilization was work enough for the survivors of the flu. I also think they were all just too tired and sick of death to fight any more.

However, nature wasn’t done messing with the human race and no one could argue that Mother Nature didn’t have a highly warped sense of humor.

Okay, this is my own opinion as I believe what happened next was due to nature and not an act of man. Yes, I know the theories and have read all of them; it was a weapon, it was caused by the atomic bombs, it was a plot by some secret society, etc, etc. But the fact that it has gone unchecked for decades, without any proof of a plot, tells me that it’s natural. I’m not a believer in conspiracies.

Anyway, the first reported cases of the gender mutation occurred sometime in January, 1949. The exact date and location of the first case is unknown as it was either never initially reported or deliberately covered up. Personally, I suspect that most governments tried to cover it up, just to prevent a panic, but eventually it became too big of an issue to be hidden. Cases were popping up all over the world, almost at the same time.

The one thing that they have discovered was that it didn’t come from the Burmese Flu.

The mutation initially had many names, but was eventually christened The Brubaker Syndrome or The Bru, after Dr. Harold Brubaker of London who officially identified it in 1950.  He was also the one who determined who could be affected by it.

As most people know today, The Bru only affects males. For a medical infection, it is rather particular. It only affects males around the age of eighteen. The earliest documented cases have been around seventeen years, six months; while the latest known case was at nineteen years, two months. The period that the change can occur is called the Bru zone.

The infection is also peculiar since there is no rhyme or reason for who gets it and who doesn’t. In some families all males get it while in others no one does. There have even been documented cases of twins where one gets it and the other doesn’t.  The infection rates are consistent among the entire world’s ethnicities too.

The changes occur down to the molecular level and are irreversible. One good thing about The Bru is that it has pushed huge advances in genetic science. In the drive to discover the cause and possible cure there are numerous labs devoted to genetic science.  While they are still clueless as to what causes The Bru, or how to cure it, they have found cures to dozens of other illnesses.

Anyway, once infected by The Bru, the male transforms completely into a female. They are physically no different than a natural born female. In one out of a hundred thousand cases the male takes on a female appearance but becomes a hermaphrodite retaining both male and female genitalia, each fully functional.

The transformation or “turn” normally occurs over a period of a week, with most of the internal changes occurring in the first twenty-four hours. The complete transformation usually takes a week to ten days.

In most cases the male first feels flu like symptoms, usually with a really bad fever and muscle pains. The physical changes can vary from mild discomfort to excruciating pain. They say that the lucky ones will slip into a coma and therefore not feel the most drastic changes.

While the transformation can be painful, most survive. The survival rate has been increased with the creation of specialized emergency rooms. Most fatalities occur when the external organs form first which can lead to excessive bleeding.

As I wrote earlier, The Bru infected males become completely female and in most cases fully capable of reproduction.

At first, many victims of The Bru were sterilized out of fear and ignorance. However, when some of them did have children it became evident that they didn’t pass on the effects.  Their children were normal and their male children were no more likely to be infected than a male from a natural born woman.

One of the strange side effects of the turn is sexual orientation also changes in many of the new women. According what I read, over sixty percent of the transformed become sexually attracted to men. Most, myself included, suspect the number is higher and that the transformed are lying.

Some of the transformed continue to try and live their lives as men. They keep their hair short, dress in men’s clothing, keep their male names and even go as far to take male hormones. The problem is that their bodies seem resistant to the hormones, and basically they look like girls dressed as guys. Society has nicknamed them “Bois” and many in this group have adopted the name themselves. I’m not being judgmental about them as I don’t know what I would do if I was in their place.

The impact of The Bru has had a profound affect on the world. The gender ratio has slowly shifted and now adult females greatly outnumber adult males. This mismatch will only continue to grow as long as The Bru exists.

In some parts of the world women now outnumber men four-to-one.

Women are filling leadership positions in all aspects of life. This of course is necessary; as otherwise society could not function. This is also one of the reasons for the decrease in war as women are more willing to negotiate problems.

However this doesn’t mean that the transition has been uniformly smooth. Certain countries have resisted the advance of women and ignoring the fact that men are fast becoming the minority.

Saudi Arabia has dissolved from a central kingdom into small tribal areas that are loosely connected. The oil rich areas have been leased out and guest workers brought in to do the work. These areas are off-limits to all locals, especially the women. This is because the small male ruling class doesn’t want their women to know about the changes in the world. Also they don’t want their people to know that many of the guest workers, who are keeping their country running, are women.

    Before you think that I’m picking on the rest of the world, we’ve had some problems here in the United States too.

    Many state and local governments fought change by trying to rewrite laws so that men would hold onto power. Thankfully, the federal government stepped in and passed the Equal Rights Amendment, which made sexual discrimination illegal. The funny thing is that many of the men who initially fought against this law now support it when they realized that they were slowly becoming the minority.

    Another issue that has risen from The Bru is reproduction. With each generation the number of males available for marriage has dropped. Polygamy was officially legalized in 1978, although it’s not widespread yet. The law provides for legal protection for all involved in multiple partner marriages. While in some areas, polygamy is practiced where the man and his wives and children all live in one house; the more common way is for the wives to have a separate home. The husband spends time with each family separately, sort of in a rotation basis. The separate families may or may not associate. I know it’s not exactly conventional, but strange times call for strange solutions.

The legal age for marriage has also been lowered in many states in order to fill the shortage of males. I know several guys in my class that are already married. One of my friends is married to a woman in her twenties and they already have a kid.

All marriage certificates for males younger than eighteen have a clause to account for The Bru. If the male turns the two parties can annul the marriage without going through the expense of a divorce. Lawyers weren’t too happy about losing all that lucrative income but there was little they could do about it.

Same-sex marriages were also legalized in 1978. The law passed with surprising ease. It was seen a practical solution to the shortage of males and to provide legal protection to the many same-sex families that already existed.

    Sperm banks have also become a major growth industry. It was determined that the sperm from males was safe, even if they later were infected by The Bru. A teenage male can make several hundred dollars a week by stopping by the sperm bank, which are as common as coffee houses.

    With the gradual acceptance that The Bru wasn’t going away, many states began to provide mandatory education in high school for all males. Obviously, Pennsylvania is one of these states. Males must start the class before they turn eighteen to better prepare for the possibility of transformation. Like me, most take the class at the start of their senior year of high school, although it is usually offered in the spring of the junior year too.

    No one I know is looking forward to taking the class. Don’t get me wrong, I fully agree with the need for education, but walking into that class just means that you’re in the zone for becoming infected by The Bru. I have been dreading this day since I first learned about Brubaker Syndrome, and I will be counting the days until I am in the clear.

    My family hasn’t been hit hard by The Bru, but I know that doesn’t mean a thing. My other brother Jon, is now twenty-one and in college. I watched him count the days until he was in the clear. I have had two cousins turn in the past five years, and while they now tell me that it isn’t that bad, I still think that bad is a relative term.

    Still, as much as I’m happy being a guy, I will accept my fate…no, that’s not true; I will admit that I’m scared about the turn. Yes, I know that the stigma that once existed is pretty much gone, and I know that being a woman isn’t an illness or anything like that; it’s just that the idea of changing gender is pretty frightening.  

    I’m very happy being Scott Andrew Gordon and I want to live out my life as a male. But now that I am entering the range of The Bru I will be counting down the days until I’m safe.

Chapter 2
Present Day
    
    “Scott, I'm very pleased with your paper,” said Mrs. Marion Martin. “I also appreciated your personal comments.”

    Scott fidgeted slightly as he stood in front of his high school gender counselor’s desk. “I know that we’re supposed to be positive about all this…”

    “Scott, it’s perfectly normal to be worried about this, and you wrote a very insightful paper. You have excellent background knowledge of The Bru, one of the best that I’ve seen,” she interrupted. “I appreciated that you were sincere with your feelings. Most of the papers I read are pretty void of that sort of honesty.”

    He looked at the pleasant looking woman in front of him. Her jet black hair was styled short, her brown eyes beamed back at him. She looked too young to be a gender counselor. Scott saw her college diploma on the wall behind her and could see that she had graduated from Penn State just eight years earlier. Still, he had heard she was one of the best at North Penn High School, located in the Philadelphia suburbs, and he was happy to have been assigned to her.

    “Scott, I’d rather you be honest about your fears,” she continued. “Please sit down.”

    The school was required by state law to have at least one counselor for every forty male students; North Penn, being a more affluent school, had one for every twenty students. All counselors were specially trained to assist male students as they entered the target age for The Bru.

    “Were you scared?” he asked.

    “Yes,” she replied honestly.

    While it wasn’t a requirement, nearly ninety percent of gender counselors had once been male. Marion made it clear to all her students that she had been transformed by The Bru. She felt that it let them open up more to her about their fears.

    She required all of her students to write a short paper to discover their knowledge of Brubaker’s Syndrome and to gage their emotional state.

    “Do you have any questions about the class?” she asked.

    Scott shrugged his shoulders. “No, not really. My brother told me about it.”

    Marion smiled back. She knew from Scott’s record that he had an older brother, Jon, along with a sixteen year-old sister and a ten-year-old brother. He also had both a mother and father living together.

    “We’ve made a few changes since then,” she said. “I think you’ll find it useful.”

    He scratched his short brown hair. “I read an article where they think they might soon be able to tell who will get it.”

    “Yes, they’ve been looking at DNA for the past few years, but so far they haven’t found anything specific.”

    He nodded again. Scott knew that even if they found something it would years before a cure could be discovered.

    “Scott, this isn’t easy, and I want you to know that I’m here to help you. If you feel stressed out and just want to talk, don’t hesitate to stop by. Even if you don’t get infected, the stress from thinking about it can be harmful.”

    He smiled slightly. “Thanks.”

    “Also, we have one of the best programs in the country for assisting those transformed,” she added.

    “I know…still doesn’t make it any easier,” he replied.

“That’s true, but it does help some. Now, I see that you have agreed to keep a journal for us,” she said.

“I don’t mind, but does it do any good?” he asked.

The journal was designed to collect as much information as possible, including categories ranging from diet to personal hygiene products used. All information was kept confidential and submitted to a master database. The information was constantly analyzed to look for trends or similarities in those who turned.

“The more information we collect the better. By collecting data from your everyday life and then comparing it to our database, we might see a specific trend. You will turn in your entries each week.”

“So it will be useful if I don’t turn too?” he asked.

“Exactly,” she replied.

“So maybe pizza will be a cure,” he said as a grin formed on his face.

Mrs. Martin laughed. “Okay, that’s all for now, I’ll see you next week,” she said as she signed his pass.

    Scott stood up and took the pass from her. “Thank you.”

Chapter 3

    “How’d it go, Scott?” asked Debby Schultz.

    He shrugged as he slipped his arm around her waist.

    “She liked my paper,” he replied.

    Scott was of average build. He was five-nine, and weighed nearly one hundred and forty-five pounds.

    Debby Schultz was a stunning blonde haired girl who was two inches taller than Scott. She was on the cheerleading squad and had been friends with Scott since eighth grade. Both had spent their whole lives in the area. Scott grew up in Lansdale and Debby lived in nearby Hatfield.

    Many of her friends were surprised that she was dating Scott, as he was an average student, but Debby was looking beyond high school. With the shortage of males, she figured Scott was a good choice to be going steady with. His family had few cases of The Bru and she was gambling that Scott would also make it to nineteen unscathed. She also really liked Scott and discovered that he was a sweet guy.

    “That’s good,” she replied. “I guess you’re kinda nervous about this, I mean your birthday is in six months…”

    “Can we change the subject please?” interrupted Scott. “Look, I know you care, but I just would rather talk about something else, okay?”

    Debby nodded. “You want to come by my place after the game on Friday? My parents are out of town.”

    Scott grinned. “That would be great.”

    Debby leaned over and kissed Scott. “I have to run, cheer practice.”

    “See you later,” he replied.

Chapter 4

    Scott saw his friend Kyle Barron step out of the school’s sperm bank.

    “Man, I’m so glad they opened one of these up in here,” exclaimed Kyle as he held out his money. “That was a fast hundred bucks!”

    “You could get more in town,” said Scott.

    “Yeah, but I’m horny now,” he replied with a grin.

    Kyle was nearly six-two and had short black hair. Most guys kept their hair short as if to show they were still masculine.

He was very athletic and was on the baseball team, and had been best friends with Scott since cub scouts. Like Scott, Kyle was also entering The Bru zone.

    “Did you met with your gender counselor?” asked Kyle.

    Scott nodded. “Man, I can’t believe that it’s here. Why couldn’t it hit you when you were older?”

    “I know what you mean, buddy,” said Kyle. “You know Jim Long?”

    Scott nodded. “Not well, he’s on the basketball team right?”

    “That’s right. I heard he started changing last night,” said Kyle. “My mom told me.”

    Kyle’s mother was a doctor who worked at the local hospital.

    “Shit, he’s what…six-five?”

    “You mean she now. I suppose she could always play for the girl’s team now,” added Kyle.

    Scott nodded in agreement. “If she’s good enough. The girl’s team was district champion last year.”

    While high schools still had gender specific sports, the ripple effect of The Bru had a major impact on Collegiate and professional sports. Baseball was now fully integrated, as was basketball and soccer. Football had reverted to a club sport on the college level. Professional football had disbanded in the late seventies due to an increasing lack of good players.

    Kyle and Scott walked out to the student parking lot. It was a beautiful early September afternoon, warm and sunny.
   
    “Do you check yourself when you get up?” asked Kyle.

    “And when I go to bed,” added Scott with a nervous laugh. “And when I get up in the middle of the night to take a leak…”

    “Man, this sucks, this should be the best year of our lives and we’re forced to worry about turning into a girl,” complained Kyle as he opened the driver’s side door of his truck.

    “I know. I almost wish that I was out of school,” he replied as he got in next to Kyle. “I mean, if I change, it will probably be during the school year.”

    “Well, if you do, I’ll take you to the prom,” joked Kyle.

    “Fine, but don’t expect me to do the same for you unless you look a lot hotter than Debby,” replied Scott with a laugh.

    “Yeah, that makes sense,” said Kyle as he backed out of the parking spot.  “What do you think will happen between you two if you turn?”

    “I have no idea,” replied Scott. “I love her, but we’ve never really talked about that. I brought it up a few times and she immediately changed the topic.”

    “Hey, it might be you who breaks up with her; I mean you might not be into girls after you become one.”

    Scott punched Kyle in the arm. “No way, I fully plan on being a lesbian!”

    The two friends laughed as it helped to ease the tension that existed in their lives.

Chapter 5

    “Good morning class, I am Ms. Lake and I will be one of your teachers,” greeted the plump red-headed woman. “Just so you know a little about me, I am originally from Allentown and I attended Lehigh to become a teacher. I later shifted from science to gender studies.”

    The class of twenty-nine males listened in silence. This was a class that they had dreaded attending for as long as they could remember.

    Alyce Lake had long ago noticed that the students in this class took longer to open up. There was none of the initial horseplay or joking that existed in other classes, but she did her best to keep it upbeat.

    “And before anyone asks, yes I was born male, so I know about the transformation process,” she continued.

    Kyle looked at Scott and whispered. “I told you so.”

    “Now, you all know the basics about The Bru. We know that it affects approximately thirty to thirty-five percent of the population. Some years the number is lower, although this year the number seems to running around forty-two percent,” she said.

    There was some immediate mumbling. They had all suspected that it had been a bad year, but no one had ever told them it was this high. Scott looked around and did a quick calculation; at least 12 of the 29 in the class could become women if the percentage held up.

    “Why is this year so bad?” asked Ed Gomez.

    Ms. Lake shrugged her shoulders. “No one knows for sure, but one study seems to show that the percentage rises during periods of increased solar flares.”

    “Why would that be a cause?” asked Larry Franks.

    “Flares release higher rates of energy particles which are known as a proton storm. Some scientists feel this may increase the mutation effect,” she replied. “But it is just a theory.”

    “Any more good news?” asked Kyle sarcastically.

    Instead of being angry by this response, Ms. Lake just smiled. She was pleased that the class was getting engaged in the discussion.

    “Nothing specific,” she replied. “I will try to keep you up-to-date on the latest percentages and trends as we progress through the year. I know some of you would prefer not to be constantly bombarded with information, but it’s best to be informed.”

    “What happens to us if we change?” asked Taylor Browning. “I mean, how will the school handle it?”

    “As everyone in here will turn eighteen during the school year, you will be given the option of completing your senior year here or transferring. Home schooling is an option but not recommended. We’ve seen that immersion in society is the best way to adjust to the change.”

    “How was it for you?” asked Scott.

    “I changed in November of my senior year. It started Thanksgiving weekend right after my high school’s last football game of the year,” she replied. “I played in the game as starting tight end and the changes started that night. I was out of school for two weeks as I recovered.”

    “And you went back to the same school?” asked Scott.

    She nodded. “I sort of had to, as my options were slim. The only other high schools that were close were both private and religious.”

    The students nodded as they knew what that meant. In some religious schools the transformed students were forced to transfer and in others they were required to wear a different uniform than the others girls. In some schools, the transformed girls were made to wear a red T on their blazer, so that everyone knew who they were. While private schools were allowed to do this; public schools had been banned from such procedures for years. The good thing was that this practice was slowly changing as society accepted The Bru.

    “How was it?” asked Scott. “I mean, how were you treated?”

    “I was treated very well by my classmates. I had expected the worst and was pleasantly surprised by the way I was accepted,” she replied.

    “Did you have an idea it was about to happen?” asked Dustin Wayne.

    She shook her head. “I’ve heard from some people who claimed they had a premonition of the change, but I had no inkling of what was about to happen. I went to bed and woke up around three in the morning. At first I thought it was the flu as I had a fever, but when I saw myself in the mirror I knew what was happening.”

    “Thank you for sharing with us,” said Scott.

    “You’re welcome. It’s part of my job to talk about this, but it’s still sort of painful to think about the past. Don’t get me wrong, I have accepted who I am and have made the best of it. The thing is, it’s not the end of the world. Yes, you will face new challenges, but that’s part of life even if there wasn’t The Bru.”

    “Can I ask something…it’s sort of personal, but I know that I’m not the only one in here thinking about it,” asked Rod Abbott. He was the star player of the basketball team.

    “Let me guess; are you going to ask about my sexual orientation?” she asked cheerfully.

    Rod nodded, slightly embarrassed by his question. “I don’t mean to pry, but it’s sort of a big deal and most people won’t talk about it.”

    “It’s okay, if you can’t ask those sorts of questions in here, where can you ask them? I had a girlfriend in high school up to the change. We broke up shortly afterwards as it didn’t work for either of us. I now consider myself bisexual, but I am married to another woman and am quite happy.”

While the idea of same-sex marriages was still a sore spot with the older generations; for those who had been born and raised under the shadow of The Bru it was no big deal.  In fact, Kyle’s birth mother was married to another woman.

    “Does it…um… feel normal?” he asked.

    There was some laughing from the other guys.

    “As normal as sex ever is,” she replied. “And just so you know, that isn’t the first time that someone in this class has asked me that. I want to point out that the purpose of this class is to allow you a safe environment to ask these sorts of questions.”

    “Thank you,” replied Rod. “Um, I have another question. How soon after you changed did you notice the difference?”

    “That’s another good question, as I really don’t have a set date or anything. I just noticed one day that I was attracted to men. It was a few months after I changed if that helps. I will also let you know that it wasn’t a big deal…not compared to other things.”

    Taylor immediately raised his hand. “Um, Ms. Lake, when you say other things…are you referring to your…um… period?”

    He got a bunch of dirty looks from the other guys as this was one topic that they didn’t like to think about, let alone talk about.

    “Yes, exactly,” she replied. “I know this isn’t a popular topic, but it’s important. Should anyone in here change, you’ll be placed immediately in a health class to educate you on your body. Most people have their first period after thirty days; sometimes it’s a little longer. I will let you know that it’s a good sign when you have one as it means you have a healthy and normal body. Those that change and don’t have a period often have severe health issues.”

    “She’s right, my cousin changed and she didn’t have a period. It turns out her reproductive system didn’t change completely. She’s had like a dozen surgeries since then and she still has problems,” said Rod.

    “Before class ends, I need to hand out some new permission forms. Once a week, nurses will be collecting both blood and DNA samples. This is part of a nationwide study to try and determine the cause of The Bru; participation is strictly voluntary,” said Ms. Lake as she passed out the forms. “While you can join the survey at anytime, we would appreciate it if you start as soon as possible.”

    With that, the bell rang and the students got up to leave.

    “Have a good week and see you all next week,” said Ms. Lake.

Chapter 6

    “That wasn’t so bad,” said Scott. “She seems pretty cool.”

    “My brother had her two years ago and he said she’s the best,” added Rod.

    Kyle nodded in agreement as he ate lunch.

    “Sorry about your cousin,” said Scott.

    “Thanks, she’s not doing very well. The only good thing is that all her operations have been paid for by the government.”

    “That’s good,” replied Scott.

    “What do you think about the journal?” asked Kyle as he took a bite out of an apple.

    Scott shrugged his shoulders. “I guess it may help. I mean if they spot a trend.”

    “What good will that do?” asked Rod.

    “They might be able to give someone head’s up that they’re going to turn; maybe that will lead to the cause,” said Scott.

    “I suppose that makes sense…as much as any of this does. So, have any of you made plans for after graduation?” asked Rod.

    “I’ve been accepted as a couple of colleges, but I’m waiting to make my choice until after….well you know,” replied Scott.

    “I know what you mean. I have some offers for athletic scholarships, but a couple of them are dependent on me still being a guy,” said Rod. “I also have talked to one school that said they’ll take me either way.”

    “I’ll probably go to Temple,” said Kyle. “My moms want me to stay close.”

    “That’s one of the colleges that are offering a scholarship,” said Rod.

    “Cool, maybe we’ll be there together” replied Kyle. “So, have you heard about Jim?”

    “Yeah, Coach told us all today,” said Rod. “He just turned eighteen in August.”

    “You mean she,” corrected Kyle.

    Rod shrugged his shoulders. “That’ll be hard to get used to, Jim and I have played ball together for five years. I wonder what Jim’s new name will be. Have any of you picked out a new name…in case you turn?”

    Scott shook his head. “I’m letting my parents decide, although I do have a right to reject it. I don’t want to know any of the choices as that’s supposed to be bad luck.”

    “I didn’t think someone as smart as you would be superstitious,” said Rod.

    “Not superstitious…just cautious,” replied Scott with a grin.

    “My Moms have worked on a list, but I haven’t looked at it either,” said Kyle.

    “Same here, my mom has a short list,” said Rod.

    Just then Dustin Wayne walked up to them. “You guys want in on the pool?”

    “You mean they’re actually doing it again this year?” asked Rod.

    “Yep, it’s a tradition,” replied Dustin. “The cost is fifty bucks, and it gets paid out to the first three to turn.”

    “Did you know that Jim Long started to turn last night?” asked Rod.

    Dustin shook his head. “No, I hadn’t heard, but then again we just started the pool today, too bad. So are any of you in? The deadline is this Friday.”

    “How much do you expect to collect?” asked Kyle as pulled out his wallet.

    “Well, we have around four hundred guys in our senior class who will turn eighteen this school year. If everyone joins then that’s twenty grand in the pool. However, I’d be happy if we get at least seventy-five percent in the pool,” said Dustin. “You could win five grand each as the first three to turn… win…or whatever.”

    Kyle handed Dustin five twenties. “I got you covered, Scott.”

    “Damn, where do get that kind of money?” asked Rod.

    Kyle made an up and down motion with his cupped right hand.

    “You do really that?” asked Rod.

    “Free money man,” replied Kyle. “Hell, I do it anyway; I might as well get paid for it.”

    “I hope you finish in the top three then, Kyle. Five grand is 50 trips to the sperm bank,” said Dustin.

    “I know, that’s almost a week’s work,” Kyle replied as he broke out laughing.

    “Yeah, right,” countered Rod.

    “Talk about making money hand over fist,” added Scott.

    Kyle groaned. “Damn! For that pun I should take my money back.”

Chapter 7

    Scott and Debby were lying together in her bed following making love.

    “That was so good, Scott,” she sighed.

    “I enjoyed it too,” he replied.

    Debby snuggled closer to Scott.

    “I want to do this as often as possible,” she said. “I mean, I’m not trying to get pregnant or anything like that, I just want…”

    “It’s okay, Debby,” he interrupted.

    Jim Long’s girlfriend Kathy was a close friend of Debby. The school provided counselors for this sort of thing too, as in some ways it was like a death.

    “Kathy is pretty broken up. She feels so bad because she didn’t have sex with Jim,” continued Debby. “Now, they can’t, it’s so tragic.”

    Scott didn’t say anything. Jim may have turned, but Jim wasn’t dead, still to Kathy maybe Jim was dead, he thought. He then wondered if Debby would mourn him in the same way should he turn. He decided not to bring it up, partly so it wouldn’t upset Debby and also because he was afraid of what her answer might be.

    “I just hope Jim’s turn goes well,” he said.

    “It won’t be easy for him…I mean her, she’ll have trouble finding clothes,” said Debby.

    Scott rolled his eyes. Finding a dress that fit right would be the least of Jim’s worries he thought, but he didn’t see a point in bringing this up. There was always a certain amount of underlying tension existing between couples in The Bru zone.

    Some girls felt that too much attention was given to the males who turned. After all being female was no big deal. Also the world was becoming female dominated so what was the big deal? They sometimes made fun of the newly turned girls and their wardrobe selections.

    There was also a darker issue; some girls felt that the old laws that identified the turned girls should have never been repealed. It was bad enough that there was a shortage of males in their age group, but to make matters worse there were more women with each passing day. Some natural born girls felt it might be better if The Bru killed more males than it turned.

    Scott glanced at his watch. “I gotta get going, Debby. My family’s going over to Jersey tomorrow to see my grandmother.”

    “Are you staying there overnight?”

    Scott nodded.

    She sat up and kissed him. “One more time, please?”

    Scott smiled back as he felt her hand on his cock. “Sure, babe.”

 
Chapter 8

    Scott sat in the front passenger seat next to his dad, Ron. They were going down to the Jersey shore to visit Scott’s grandmother on his dad’s side of the family. She now lived fulltime on Long Beach Island.

    Scott’s mom, Maggie, and his younger siblings sat in the back. Scott’s younger sister Annie was a junior at North Penn and planned to go to college to be an engineer. Annie was an overachiever and extremely intelligent. She and Scott were very close, and this closeness had grown as Scott’s eighteenth birthday got closer.

    Scott’s youngest brother was Harry and he idolized his older brothers. Scott was worried how Harry might react should he turn.

    “Traffic isn’t too bad,” said Ron Gordon. “I was thinking that more people might be heading down to the shore while the weather’s been so nice.”

    “Be thankful they’re not,” said Maggie. “We’re still a ways from the bridge that goes over the sound and you know how that backs up.

    Ron nodded. “How’s school going, Scott?”

    “Good,” he replied as he looked out the window.

    “That’s it, good?” asked Maggie.

    Scott shrugged his shoulders and glanced back. “You know what I mean. We had one guy turn this week.”

    “Oh,” said Maggie. “I hadn’t seen anything in the paper.”

    All teens when they turned were listed in the paper. This was done to try and normalize the change and to get the word out.

    “It was Jim Long,” said Scott.

    “The basketball player?” asked Ron.

    Scott nodded.

    “I hope everything works out for…her,” said Maggie.

    “Can we change the subject?” asked Scott.

    “Sure thing,” said Ron. “Oh, we hired a new dental tech.”

    “That’s good,” said Maggie. “I know you’ve been short handed.”

    “She’s fresh out of school, but she’s really eager to learn,” continued Ron.

    Ron was one of three dentists who had a practice together. He was the only male in the office.

    “Oh, Scott, the office is sponsoring a new scholarship. It will pay full tuition, room and board, and a monthly stipend in exchange for five years of service,” said Maggie.

    Maggie was an executive in a large pharmaceutical firm. Like many companies, they had trouble getting qualified new employees.

    “In what area would I have to work? I mean I don’t want to be the one who has to clean the animal cages,” said Scott. “I also don’t want to burn the dead monkeys.”

    Maggie reached up and playfully smacked him. “You know that’s a myth. We don’t even use lab animals.”

    A popular local legend was that the company had a special incinerator for cremating lab animals, including monkeys. The smoke stack was actually a remnant from an old power plant that had once been used on the site.

    “Hi, I’m Scott Gordon, I’m a monkey fryer,” stated Scott.

    “The official title is simian incinerator technician,” interjected Annie. “Your title makes it sound like you’re some sort of a primate clergy member; although that might not be a bad job for you.”

    Scott turned around and stuck his tongue out at her.

    Maggie rolled her eyes. “Do you want to know about the scholarship, Scott or make monkey jokes?”

    “Ook, ook,” replied Scott with a laugh. “Okay, please tell me about it.”

    “We’re developing a path for future executives, so you would need to study business administration,” she said.

    “Sounds like a good deal,” interjected Ron.

    “We’re offering three scholarships this year,” continued Maggie.

    Scott thought about it. He had thought about going into business anyway. “Okay, bring the info home and I’ll take a look at it.”

    “I already did,” said Maggie. “Just so you know, you’re more than qualified.”

    “Thanks, Mom,” replied Scott.

    “You have to have the application in by 1 October,” continued Maggie. “They’ll make the decision by December.”

    Scott nodded. “Will it matter if I turn?”

    “Of course not, Scott,” replied Maggie. “Why would you say that?”

    “Some of my friends at school have had a turn clause in scholarship offers,” said Scott.

    “I didn’t know that was legal,” said Ann.

    “It is for private universities,” said Ron. “Damn Neanderthals. I can’t believe there are those in this country that are still so close-minded.”

    “Dad, are we going to stop soon?” asked Harry. “I gotta go.”

    “Hang on, sport,” said Ron. “We’ll stop as soon as cross over into Jersey.”

Chapter 9

    “It’s so good to see all of you,” said Elizabeth Gordon as she greeted her family.

    Her family had always maintained a house at the Jersey shore and after her husband died in a car crash, she moved there fulltime. She was in what she called semi-retirement, as she worked part-time for the local municipal government in city hall. She said that sixty-eight was too young to not do anything.

    “Good to see you, Mom,” said Ron as he hugged her.

    She gave her son a big kiss and then hugged Maggie.

    “I’m so glad you came down,” said Elizabeth as she hugged her grandchildren.

    “How’re you doing, Scott?” she asked him as she slipped her arm around his waist and led him into her house.

    “I’m fine, Gran,” he replied.

    “Well, I’m so happy to see all of you. I have passes for you if you want to go out on the beach.”

    “Thanks, Gran,” said Harry.

Chapter 10

    Scott, Annie, and Harry changed and headed over to the beach. It was just three blocks away and it was too nice a day to pass up.

    They laid out their things and Harry ran down to the ocean with his wave board.

    “Don’t go too far, Harry, we don’t want to tell Mom and Dad you got eaten by a shark,” shouted Scott.

    “There are no big sharks here,” replied Harry as he looked out towards the waves.

    “Yes there are, one of the biggest shark attacks occurred right off this island,” replied Scott.

    Harry stopped and looked at the ocean and then back at his brother. “You’re kidding right?”

    Scott shook his head. “A great white ate a whole bunch of people out there, so stay close. I mean you would be nice snack for a great white.”

    Harry looked at the water and back at Scott before heading slowly to the water’s edge.

    “That happened back in 1916,” said Annie as she began to apply sunscreen.

    Scott nodded. “Shhhh, if it keeps him close he doesn’t have to know that.”

    “That’s pretty cold, Scott Gordon,” exclaimed a female life guard. “You should treat your little brother better than that.”

    Scott turned around and looked at the tall pretty brunette in the one-piece suit standing behind them. He looked at her face and couldn’t place it.

    “Do I know you?” he asked.

    “You should, I’ve lived next door to your grandmother for ten years,” she replied as she removed her sunglasses. “I also got drunk with you last year…by the way, you still owe me ten bucks for the beer I bought!”

    Scott’s jaw dropped. “Jake? Is… that you?”

    “More or less, mainly less. I’m Jill now,” she replied. 

    “Damn, when…I mean…” stammered Scott.

    “In July,” she replied, grinning slightly. “Just a week after my eighteenth birthday; some present huh?”

    Scott looked at the young woman. He had hung out with Jake many times over the past ten years and was shocked by how much she had changed.

    “You’re beautiful, Jill,” said Scott.

    Jill’s smile grew larger. “Thank you, that’s so nice of you.”

    “Hi Jake… I mean Jill,” said Annie, who was now standing next to Scott.

    “Annie!” exclaimed Jill.

    Scott remembered how Jake always had a crush on his sister. Judging by the way Jill was looking at Annie, some things hadn’t hanged.

    Annie got up and hugged Jill. “Good to see you.”

    “Same here. Are you down for the whole weekend?” asked Jill.

    “Yes,” replied Scott. “So are you a full-time life guard?”

    “Just until the end of the month,” she replied. “Thankfully I didn’t lose my job after the turn.”

    “That’s good to hear,” said Ann.

    “Well, I better get back to work. I’ll stop by later,” said Jill.

    “Good,” said Scott.

    “Bye, Jill,” said Annie.

    Scott and Ann sat down on their towels.

    “I never would have recognized her,” said Scott.

    “I know what you mean. Crap, Jake was so cute,” she replied.

    “She still is,” said Scott.

    Annie playfully punched her brother in the arm. “You know what I mean.”

    “I do,” he replied. “You know, Annie, if Jill wants to be alone with you, just tell me.”

    “If you turn, I hope you look as cute,” she countered as she returned to applying sunscreen.

    Scott just laughed as he lay back on his towel.

Chapter 11

    “How’s Scott doing?” asked Elizabeth as she handed Ron a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

    “He started his gender class this week and one of the guys in his class turned this week,” said Ron.

    “Jake Dennison turned this past summer,” said Elizabeth. “I wanted to tell Scott before he left for the beach.”

    “Jake turned? Ann will be more upset than Scott, she had a crush on him,” said Maggie.

    “Her name is now Jill and she’s a really nice girl. The poor Dennisons, they’ve had so many turn in that family,” said Elizabeth. “Jill was their last child.”

    “It happens,” said Ron as he filled the glasses. “We’ve been lucky so far, but if it does we’ll give Scott all the help possible.”

    “I know you will,” said Elizabeth. “So, how’s Jon doing? I wish he was going to college closer.”

    “That makes two of us,” said Maggie. “He’s really close to a girl out there. I wouldn’t be surprised if they get married, but I think they want to wait until they both graduate college.”

    “We haven’t met her yet, but Jon is always talking about her,” added Ron.

    “So, tell me about my future granddaughter-in-law, and start with her name,” stated Elizabeth.

    “It’s Gina,” said Ron.

    “What a lovely name,” said Elizabeth.

Chapter 12

    After dinner, Jill stopped by.

    “So what are you plans, Jill?” asked Maggie as she helped Elizabeth pass out the dessert.

    “I want to stay down here, I’m pretty much an island girl, but jobs are scarce after Columbus Day when most places close up. I’m waiting to hear back from Rutgers as I applied for the marine biology program. I’d like to have a job that keeps me near the ocean,” replied Jill. “I’m hoping to start the winter semester.”

    “And pay’s better than being a lifeguard,” said Scott.

    “I like being a lifeguard, but you’re right about the money,” said Jill.

    Later Jill and Scott went out for a walk down by the waterline.

    “You’re in the zone now, right?” asked Jill.

    Scott nodded. “My birthday is in February.”

    “It’s not that bad,” she said. “I mean, I was freaking out when it first started, but now it doesn’t seem like a big deal.”

    “How long did it take?” he asked.

    “Six days, the first couple of days I was semi-delirious and wasn’t that aware of what was happening. When I regained my senses I was pretty much a girl. Thankfully everyone down here was really cool about it,” she said.

    “Did it hurt?” asked Scott.

    “A little. Have you ever had food poisoning?” she asked.

     Scott nodded.

    “Sort of like that, the stomach cramps were the worst part,” she replied. “I guess I was lucky as some people go through severe pain.”

    “Um, do you like guys now?” asked Scott as they continued to walk along the shoreline.

    “Are you asking me out, Scottie?” she asked with a laugh.

    Scott laughed too. “You know what I mean.”

    Jill shook her head. “Nope, I’m a lesbian.”

    “Oh,” replied Scott.

    “It’s fine Scott, I mean, there are a lot more girls out there than guys,” she replied.

    Scott shook his head. “It’s not that, I mean I’m cool with things like that, it’s just I was hoping to get some insight.”

    “Wow, you really must be worried about turning,” said Jill.

    “I have a hunch about it,” he replied.

    “I don’t think that means anything. I had no premonition or anything. I just got sick and ta da, I was a girl.”

    Scott nodded again.

    “Look, before you go I’ll give you my email address and cell phone number, don’t be afraid to use them,” said Jill.

    “Thanks, by the way, if I wasn’t already dating someone, I would have asked you out,” said Scott.

    Jill leaned over and kissed Scott on the cheek. “And if I wasn’t into girls I would have accepted.”

    Scott laughed.

    “If you do turn, look me up,” said Jill with a wink. “If you look anything like Annie, I’ll be asking you out first!”

Chapter 13

    The rest of the weekend was uneventful, although Scott did tell Annie about his conversation with Jill.

    “Jill is pretty cute…not as cute as Jake was,” said Annie. “I guess I should take that as a compliment.”

    The drive back went pretty smooth and Scott was happy that his dad let him drive part of the way back.  They listened to the Phillies game on the radio. It was an exciting game as the Phillies beat the Mets when the All-Star shortstop Jana Rollins hit a double to knock in the winning run in extra innings.

    “I don’t know where the Phillies would be this season without her,” said Ron.

    “I agree,” said Scott.

    They weren’t home ten minutes when the phone rang. Ann answered it and called for Scott.

    “It’s Kyle,” she said.

    Scott took the phone. “What’s up?”

    “Frank Reynolds started to turn yesterday,” said Kyle.

    “Shit,” replied Scott.

    “I knew you’d want to know,” said Kyle.

    “Thanks buddy,” said Scott. “Ill see you tomorrow.”

    Scott hung up the phone.

    “What’s wrong?” asked Ann.

    “Another guy in my class started to turn,” he replied.

    “Who?”

    Scott told her. “His birthday is just a week before mine.”

    “That doesn’t mean anything, Scott,” said Annie. “Come up to my room and we can talk about it.”

Chapter 14

    Scott walked into Annie’s room. He looked at her bookshelf by her computer and smiled. She was probably the only girl in eleventh grade that had a book shelf full of math and engineering manuals.

    While Annie was a serious student, she was also a very attractive young woman. She was about the same height as Scott, although she was thinner. Her body was more athletic than heavily curved. Still she had large breasts, like most women in the family. Her hair was dark brown and had a natural curl to it that seemed to flow around her face.

    Scott sat down on her computer chair and she flopped down on her bed.

    “I just want you to know that nothing will change between us if you turn; in fact it’ll probably make us closer,” said Annie.

    “I appreciate that, Annie,” he said.

    “I will help you adjust. I mean, I know how some of the girls at school can be to the new girls.”

    “Hopefully it won’t come to that,” said Scott.

    “I know, but I can tell that it’s on your mind. I know if roles were reversed I would be a wreck until I was out of the zone.”

    “Is it that obvious?” he asked.

    “You can’t seem to escape it. We go to the shore and you run into Jill, it must really suck,” she said.

    Scott chuckled. “You have no idea how funny it is to hear you say suck.”

    “Girls curse too, Scott,” she replied as a smile appeared on her face.

    “I know that, it’s just strange to hear my little sister say it.”

    Annie picked up a pillow and tossed it at him.

Chapter 15

    Scott decided the best way to get through The Bru zone was to just take one day at a time.  Yes, he would plan his future by applying for the scholarship that his mom talked about, but much of his life he decided to live day to day and not worry what could happen.

    By early October, he had grown to like his gender class as it gave him a chance to be open about his feelings. It was not a conventional class in that there were no grades or tests. There were assignments, but they were more personal in nature; one of the assignments to write a short paper on someone famous who had undergone the turn.

    “So who are you writing about, Scott?” asked Kyle as they stood in line to buy lunch.

    “I was thinking of maybe doing Beth Gates, the head of Microsoft or maybe Petra Jackson, the director of The Lord of the Rings movies, what about you?”

    “I’m doing mine on Lana Armstrong, the woman who won the Tour de France,” he replied.

    “That’s a good one,” replied Scott. “I wonder if these people would have been as successful if they had stayed male.”

    “I think so, I mean their drive to succeed wasn’t caused by The Bru…I suppose that’s why we’re being made to write the papers in the first place.”

    “Whoa, keep that up and someone might think that you’re actually smart and not just a big dumb jock,” chided Scott.

    “Don’t worry, I’ll just say something really stupid right afterwards and everyone will forget the smart thing,” said Kyle.

    “So, what’s up with you and Amber? I haven’t seen you two together much lately,” asked Scott, referring to Kyle’s girlfriend.

    “We put everything on hold until after I turn nineteen. She’s more freaked out by this than I am,” replied Kyle as he reached for a hoagie.

    “Why is that?” asked Scott.

    “Her parents were married young and her dad turned. Amber never met him as guy,” he replied.

    “Oh,” replied Scott.

    “I notice that you don’t have that trouble with Debby.”

    Scott nodded as he also grabbed a hoagie and a bag of chips. “To be honest, she’s wearing me out,” whispered Scott.

    Kyle broke out in a big smile. “I wish I had your problems. The only good thing about Amber and my timeout is that it’s making me rich. I’m on a first name basis with the nurses at the sperm bank.”

    Scott shook his head. “Dude, that’s way too much information.”

    They paid for their lunch and found a table. The weather had cooled off, so going outside was no longer an option.

    A tall girl walked towards them and sat down next to them.

    “How’s it going, Jan?” asked Kyle.

    “No bad,” she replied. “I have my tryout for the girl’s basketball team this afternoon.”

    “Good luck,” said Scott.

    “I’m not too worried. They don’t have a center and that’s what I’ve played the past three years,” said Jan.

    Jan had returned to school in late September and had slowly reintegrated herself back into school life. She said that the hardest thing was being so tall; it made blending in difficult.

    “I heard that Frank transferred to another school,” said Jan.

    Frank Reynolds had refused to take on a female persona and was living life as a Boi.

    “That’s his choice,” said Kyle. “But I saw him and he looks so feminine; even with his breasts taped down and his hair cut masculine he looks like a girl.”

    “I know,” said Scott. He could understand that some of the turned didn’t accept what happened to them, but what Frank was doing seemed rather futile.

    “My counselor said that he might change his mind after a while,” said Jan.

    I read where nearly eighty percent of Bois eventually accepted their new gender within six months,” said Scott.

    “That makes sense,” said Jan.

    “Did you think about it?” asked Scott. “I mean, considering your size, it must have crossed your mind.”

    Jan shook her head. “I hate living in the past. I can still get a full scholarship and maybe even play in the pros, so why bother.”

    “Frank was always a bit stubborn,” added Kyle.

    “I wonder who will be next,” said Jan.

    “If it’s me, I’m getting five grand,” said Kyle. “I talked to Dustin and the fund has almost fifteen grand in it.”

    “Just my luck to turn before the pool was started,” said Jan.

    “Frank didn’t get any either,” added Kyle.

    As they talked a girl walked by and stared at Jan and then turned away.

    “I see that Kathy is still not talking to you,” said Kyle.

    “I know. I’ve tried to talk to her, but she won’t listen. I mean it’s like she thinks I did this on purpose,” bemoaned Jan.

    “I guess we still have a long way to go,” said Scott as he wondered about Debby.

Chapter 16

    “Okay, today we’re going to start talking about personal hygiene and other changes,” announced Ms. Lake. She then put her hands up. “Now, before any I hear any moaning and groaning, this is not going to be a health class or anything like that. I know you’ve all had human sexuality classes. Also, if you turn you will receive additional training. The purpose of this part of the class is to let you ask questions without worrying about the reaction of the teacher.”

    The guys sat there in silence.

    “Okay, I know at least one of you has a question,” interjected Ms. Lake.

    Again, she was greeted by silence.

    “Okay, I’ll start, let’s talk about going to the bathroom,” she said. “And there’s more to it than just sitting down to pee.”

    There was laughter from the guys.

    “You’ll need to do more than just shake it,” she continued.

    The guys started laughing harder.

    Now that she had their attention she began to talk about basic hygiene.

    “So that’s why we go through so much toilet paper at home,” stated Dustin.

    “Dude!’ said Ed. “That’s way, way too much info!”

    “Hey, I have three sisters and two moms. I never realized the reason why we bought so much toilet paper. I never thought about it, so sue me!” countered Dustin.

    “The important thing is keep yourself clean. One of the biggest problems we have to face is infections and other issues that could be prevented by better hygiene,” said Ms. Lake. “Trust me; the last thing you want to deal with is an infection that you could have prevented.”

    The guys nodded as the reality sunk in that there was more to the turn that just wearing female clothes and makeup.

    After class, Scott and Kyle walked together to their next class.

    “That was pretty frightening,” said Scott.

    “You’re not kidding,” replied Kyle. “It definitely gave me something to think about.”

Chapter 17

    “Where are your parents tonight?” asked Scott in between kisses.

    “They went to into Philly to see a new Shakespeare production,” replied Debby as she kissed Scott back. “They’ll be home around midnight.”

    In one of the many twists caused by The Bru, Shakespeare’s plays were now done by all female casts, with women portraying male characters. Philadelphia had one of the best Shakespeare companies in the country.

    They were soon naked and making love in Debby’s bed. It may have been Scott’s imagination, but their lovemaking was becoming more furious.

    When they finished, they clung to each other under the covers.

    “I can’t believe that it’s Halloween next weekend,” said Debby.

    “I know,” replied Scott. The good thing was that another month was almost over.

    “I really like our costumes,” said Debby.

    They were going as vampires. Debby had joked that they should dress as football player and cheerleader, with Scott being the cheerleader, but he turned this idea down. Like many of his friends, he believed that dressing up as girl with you were in the zone was bad luck and temping fate.

    “My parents asked me if you’d like to come over for dinner Sunday night,” asked Scott.

    “And what about you?” asked Debby.

    “You know that I want you to come,” he replied.

    She leaned over and kissed him. “I accept.”

    “Cool,” he replied.

    She glanced at the clock. “My parents will be home in an hour.”

    Scott nodded. Her parents knew Scott and Debby were having sex, but it still felt strange to be doing it when they were there.

    He started to get out of bed, when she pulled him back. “Please, don’t go yet, let’s make love one more time.”

    Scott heard what sounded like a tone of panic in her voice. “What’s wrong, babe?”

    She bit her lower lip for a moment. “I had a nightmare the other night, it was so realistic! I dreamt you had turned,” she admitted.

    Scott reached over and caressed her with his hand. “It was just a dream, they don’t mean a thing.”

    “I know it’s silly, but it felt so real,” she continued.

    “Was I pretty?” he asked.

    “Don’t joke about this, Scott. I’m so scared about losing you,” she confessed.

    “Look, there’s nothing we can do but wait it out,” he said.

    “Aren’t you worried?” she asked.

    “Yes... but what I can do?” he admitted. “Debby, I’m downplaying this a little, but I’ve decided that the only way I can get through this year to just take it one day at a time, and to enjoy each day the best I can. I want us to be together too. I know that some people break up to make this period easier, but I want to be with you.”

    Debby wiped back a tear.

    “Hey, don’t cry,” he said as he leaned over and kissed her.

    “Stay a little longer, please,” she begged.

    “Of course.”  He began to caress her body.

Chapter 18

    It was midweek when the next guy at North Penn turned. It was also the first person in Scott’s class and Ms. Martin broke the news to the class.

    “As you might have noticed, Dustin isn’t here,” she said. “We got word that he started to turn last night.”

    There was some murmuring among the guys. The tension was broken by Rod.

    “Well, at least she won’t have any trouble getting her money.”

    In spite of himself, Scott laughed. He then tried to picture what Dustin would look like as a girl.

    One of the many Bru related products was a computer software program that showed what a male would look like as a girl. Scott had never done it as he considered it bad luck. He joked that it wasn’t a superstition if it worked.

    There was a long list of superstitions regarding The Bru and the list seemed to grow longer every year. Scott had once Googled it and found thousands of hits. What was amusing was that depending on where you lived determined what was considered good or bad luck.

    One that was popular among more conservative areas was that maintaining one’s virginity was a sure way to avoid The Bru. Scott laughed when he saw that and knew not only that it didn’t work, but it seemed a waste of a very good opportunity. With the shortage of males over eighteen it was very easy to find a girl willing to have sex. He had lost his virginity with Debby on his sixteenth birthday.

    Other superstition involved avoiding certain types of food and drink. The only superstitions that he observed where ones that seemed to taunt the odds. He wouldn’t dress as a girl, look at potential female names, the photo manipulations and things like that. He didn’t see the pool as temping fate as almost everyone did it.

    “How’s…she doing?” asked Rod.

    “From what we’ve been told, everything is going well,” replied Ms. Lake, who was sitting on the edge of her desk.

    It had been ten years since a North Penn student died from The Bru. There was a brass plaque with his name on it in the main entrance of the school and touching it was supposed to bring good luck. The letters on it were kept shiny by the hundreds of fingers that touched it daily.

    Scott had always liked Dustin, as he was the type who could always make everyone laugh. He hoped that she hadn’t lost her sense of humor.

    “Okay, today is open topic day, does anyone have anything they want to talk about?” asked Ms. Lake.

    No one initially volunteered, so Scott raised his hand.

    “Yes, Scott,” said Ms. Lake as she pointed to him.

    “I know that we will get all the necessary help, should we turn, but is the school going to do anything for…well our girlfriends? I mean, Debby and I have talked a little about the possibility of it happening.”

    “There are support groups available for girls and also some for family members,” she replied.

    “I know that, but there’s nothing here at school. I mean, it would make sense to have something here,” he said.

    “I agree,” said Rod. “Jan Long’s old girlfriend is still upset.”

    “If it were up to me, I would do it,” said Ms. Lake. “The biggest problem is funding. They won’t cut any money from this program; and too many people remember what it used to be like.”

    “What do you mean by that?” asked Kyle.

    “Tell us,” demanded Scott.

    Ms. Martin walked over and locked the door. “I don’t want any interruptions. No one likes to talk about it much, but there was a very high suicide rate in the first years of The Bru.”

    “We’ve heard that some people killed themselves, but they were really low,” said Kyle.

    “The numbers were manipulated to hide the real totals. If you look at the statistics for the first five years you’ll see much higher rates for death. These were classified as medical reasons and not suicide,” explained Mrs. Martin. “We now recognize that this cover-up was a mistake, but no one wants to go back and re-write the past. The good thing is that out of this sprung the education program that you now have.”

    “The Bru caught them by surprise and combined with the male dominated society of the 1950’s, it was just too much for some people to take. It didn’t help that there was little support for them,” added Ms. Lake.

    “Also, society wasn’t exactly supportive. In some cases we know that some individuals and groups actually encouraged suicide,” said Mrs. Martin. “They were afraid it was contagious.”

    Scott listened intently. He had read accounts of some religious fanatics calling for the death of the turned. Thankfully, these people were not supported by mainstream religion, at least not in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. He also remembered reading accounts of forced sterilizations and in some cases female circumcision.

    “You must remember that the world had just gone through a long destructive war and then the Burmese flu. I don’t condone what was done…no one can, but it is understandable when looked at in context with what else had just happened,” continued Mts. Martin. “In many ways The Bru has forced some remarkable changes on society, although we still have a very long way to go.”

    “So are the suicide numbers accurate now?” asked Ed.

    “As accurate as we can determine,” said Ms. Martin. “We know that sometimes families will cover up a suicide. The authorities won’t do anything unless they suspect foul play. They feel that the family suffered enough.”

    “Um, I know this is real personal and if you don’t want to answer it, it’s cool; but did either of you think about…well killing yourself?” asked Rod.

    “I did, when it first started,” said Ms. Lake. “Thankfully, the urge to live was much stronger.”

    “I also thought about it for a second. It’s very normal, and I wouldn’t be surprised if most of those who turn have a momentary thought of suicide. I mean, it’s very traumatic to suddenly realize that you’re undergoing a monumental transformation,” said Mrs. Martin.

    “Thank you… thank you for sharing that with us,” said Rod.

    Scott decided that more needed to done and he began to applaud; the rest of the class joined in and they all stood up. In spite of their best efforts, both women started to cry.

    “Thank you,” said Ms. Lake as she reached for a tissue. She then handed the box to Mrs. Martin.

    “Okay, see you all next week,” said Mrs. Martin as she wiped her eyes.

Chapter 19

    The Halloween party was at Kyle’s house and it had been decorated as a haunted house.

    “How long did this take?” asked Scott.

    “Most of the day. My family really gets into Halloween,” he replied. He was dressed as a zombie.

    “Well, I think it looks great!” complimented Debby.

    “Thanks, by the way, you’re the sexist vampire I’ve ever seen,” he replied. “If I was already dead I’d ask you to bite me.”

    Debby giggled. “You’re so funny, Kyle.”

    “Is Amber coming, Kyle?” asked Scott.

    “I invited her,” he replied.

    “I don’t understand why some girls break up with guys; I mean it’s not like it has any impact on whether or not the turn happens,” said Debby.

    “Hey, the way things are going, if Amber and I get back together after I’m out of the zone I’ll have enough saved to put a down payment on a house,” said Kyle.

    Debby looked at him and with a confused look on her face replied. “I didn’t know you had a job.”

    Scott pulled her close and whispered in her ear.
   
    “Oh that’s sick!”

    Kyle shrugged his shoulders. “Hey we all do it; at least I’m getting paid!”

    “Do you do it?” she asked Scott.

    He shook his head. “I’m too worn out from being with you.”

    Debby giggled. “You’re awful!”
   

Chapter 20

    The party was a big success, although Amber didn’t come. Kyle tried to act as if it was no big deal, but Scott could tell that his friend was hurting.

    Scott wondered which would be worse, being close to someone when you turned, or being separated; he decided that it was better to be with someone.

    He wondered if he should talk to Amber, but decided to let nature take its own course.

    The following week two more boys turned. Scott didn’t know either of them and he was told that neither was in the pool.

    He was eating Lunch with Kyle and Rod, when a girl walked up and sat down next to them.

    “Well? What do you think?” she asked.

    Scott looked at the redheaded girl. She was pretty in a very natural way. She was wearing jeans and green sweater that flowed over her large breasts. He then realized who she was.

    “Dustin?” he asked.

    “That’s my old name. I’m now Darcy,” she said. “There was no way I wanted to be called Dusty.”

    “I didn’t expect to see you back so soon,” said Rod. “I mean, you turned what a week ago?”

    Darcy nodded. “I was lucky and it happened pretty fast.”

    “Lucky is a relative term,” said Kyle.

    “Yeah, but I pocketed five grand,” she replied with a laugh. “I know that isn’t enough, but it’s better than nothing.”

    “Why didn’t you take more time off?” asked Scott. “I mean you should have gotten two weeks off.”

    “I was ready to come back. My sisters were driving me crazy. I mean they all wanted to give me makeup lessons at once.” She then started to laugh.

    Scott smiled back. “You’re amazing. I can’t imagine finding so much humor in this.”

    Darcy smiled back. “If I didn’t joke about it I would go nuts.” She then looked at her watch. “Gotta run, I have an appointment with my counselor.”

    “See you around Darcy,” said Scott.

    Darcy stopped and looked back. “It’s not as bad as I thought it would be.”

    They three guys watched her walk away, her ample bottom straining slightly at the fabric of her jeans.

    “She’s pretty cute,” said Rod.

    Kyle nodded. “She does have a nice ass.”

    “Wait till I tell her you said that,” joked Scott.

     Kyle made a fist and pretended to punch Scott.
   

Chapter 21

    “Scott, what’s your question?” asked Ms. Lake.

    “Why do the turned look so feminine? I mean, I look at my friends who have turned and they really look like girls and I’m not just talking about their bodies, but even their faces look different,” he asked.

    “Part of the facial change is fat redistribution, but there are actual changes in the bone structure too,” she replied.

    “Wouldn’t that hurt?” asked Kyle.

    “Yes, but most of the changes occur in the stage where the turned is unconscious. When you come out of it, your face does feel sore, sort of like after you’ve been punched,” she explained.

    “What happens if you don’t pass out?” asked Rod.

    “I’ve been told the pain is intense; usually the person will be sedated to ease the discomfort,” she stated. “The rest of the body will feel sore too, especially in the hips. The good thing is that this discomfort passes quickly.”

    “How fast do the symptoms come on?” asked Ed.

    “It varies. For me, it came on really fast,” she replied. “The standard procedure now is to immediately transport the person to the hospital. This has greatly decreased the death rate from The Bru.”

    “I also read that in the early days of The Bru some died from starvation, is that true?” asked Tim Lewis, a short slightly overweight guy.

    “Not exactly, but the body’s metabolism jumps into overdrive during the transformation and you can expect to initially lose a lot of weight; this put stress on the internal organs such as the kidneys and liver. One of the key things that they will do is put the person on IVs,” she explained.

    “And it feels like the flu when it first starts?” asked Scott.

    “That’s right, that’s exactly what it felt like to me,” replied Ms. Lake. “Any other questions before I start the lesson?”

    The guys looked around and say that no one was raising their hands.

    “Okay, I’m passing out a new form. The tax refund rates for Bru related expenses have been raised. You can now claim up to five thousand dollars,” she said as she handed out the papers.

    “What can you claim?” asked Rod.

    “Clothes, shoes, personal hygiene items, eyeglasses, and things like that. The paper lists all acceptable deductions. The key thing is to keep all receipts,” she explained. “We recommend that you keep a file-folder for all claims.”

    The guys looked at the forms and shook their heads.

    “I know this isn’t pleasant for you; but your bodies will be different and you might as well dress comfortably. Even if you just want to wear jeans you’ll need female ones. Also, wearing a bra is pretty much a necessity,” she explained.

    There were groans from the guys.

    “Look, if you have large breasts you’ll appreciate a good fitting bra. There are local stores that will give you a free fitting. While we’re on the topic, while it isn’t a guarantee, if the women in your family are large breasted the chances are you will be too and vice versa.”

    “Crap,” muttered Kyle.

    The rest of the guys heard him and laughed.

    “I wouldn’t laugh too much, Steve. You’re sisters are pretty large too,” said Kyle to Steve Langley.

    Scott thought of the women in his family and sighed; even his younger sister had large breasts.

    “Okay, the bell is going to ring in a few seconds. See you all next time,” said Ms. Lake.

Chapter 22

    While they ate lunch, Scott, Kyle, and Rod talked about their class.

    “I’m glad you asked that question, Scott. I was wondering about that myself after I saw Dustin…I mean Darcy. I mean she looks so much like a girl and no offense, but Dustin wasn’t that good looking,” said Rod.

    “I know,” replied Scott as he ate a French fry.

    “I saw Frank the other day at the mall,” said Kyle.

    “And how’s he doing?” asked Scott.

    “Frank is still trying to be a guy; but it’s not working very well,” said Kyle.

    “It usually doesn’t,” said Rod.

    Most Bois dressed in loose baggy clothing, and tried to keep their breasts pressed close to their bodies. The problem was they almost always had very feminine looking faces.

    “It seems rather futile,” added Kyle. “I mean, if they could take hormones and do the things that transgendered people do it would be different.”

    Some of the Bois tried to take male hormones, but in most cases their bodies rejected them, and in some cases the Bois would get very sick.

    “I don’t know, I mean it’s a free country,” said Scott. “I agree that it is a waste of time, but it’s Frank decision.”

    “So if you turn, will you live as a woman?” asked Rod.

    “I don’t like to think about it…bad luck, but I wouldn’t be a Boi,” he replied. He took a sip of his soda and then turned and looked at Rod and Kyle. “Let’s change the subject, okay?”

Chapter 23

    Over the next couple of weeks, five guys turned at North Penn. Scott only knew two of them and even then it wasn’t very well. Two of the guys were in the pool and so the initial amount of money was gone. A second pool was started and Scott and Kyle made their contribution.

    “Are you going anywhere for Thanksgiving?” asked Kyle as they drove to school.

    Scott shook his head. “It’s my family’s turn to have everyone over,” he replied.

    “What’s up?” asked Kyle. “You’ve seemed down the last couple of days.”

    “It’s nothing,” replied Scott.

    “Bullshit,” countered Kyle.

    Scott laughed slightly. “Okay… I had a dream the other night where I turned.”

    “That’s it?” asked Kyle. “Man, we all have them.”

    Scott shook his head. “This one was so realistic. When I woke up I actually checked to see if I was still a guy.”

    “Fuck, that’s normal. I had one like that a few weeks ago. Look, this shit is on our minds all the time so it’s only normal that it invades our dreams too.”

    “Wow, that almost makes sense to me,” said Scott.

    “I’m smarter than I look.”

    “That’s not that big of an accomplishment,” said Scott as he fought back a laugh.

    “Just for that I should make you walk home!”

    Scott smiled at his friend. “Thanks, Kyle. This is really starting to get to me.”

    Kyle glanced over and then looked back at the road ahead. “It’s normal to be worried. I think about it all the time myself. I ask myself why is this happening…and so far I haven’t gotten any answers.”

    “I used to think that this was natural, some mutation caused by the war and radiation, but now I wonder. I mean, it’s too damn selective. Why does it only affect guys at our age?”

    “I know what you mean,” said Scott.

    “Also, why haven’t they found out anything significant about it? I mean they’ve cured dozens of diseases in the past fifty years and yet they know nothing about The Bru.”

    “Maybe you should become a doctor or a scientist.”

    Scott nodded. “Maybe I should.”

Chapter 24

    Scott kissed Debby goodnight and watched her walk out to her car. He waved again and then watched her drive away.

    He then walked upstairs and was greeted by Ann.

    “How’s Debby?” she asked.

    “Fine…I don’t know, she’s getting so clingy,” he replied.

    “You want to talk about it?” asked Annie.

    Scott nodded and they walked into her room.

    He sat down and looked around. “Every time I worry about turning I just think about your room. I mean it’s so…unfeminine.”

    “I’ll take that as a compliment,” she replied. “I’ve never been into pink or lace.”

    He nodded.

    “So, have you and Debby talked about what will happen between you two…if you turn?” she asked.

    Scott smiled. “That’s another thing I love about you, Annie, you’re always right to the point. No, we haven’t.”

    “Maybe you should…I mean just in case,” she said.

    Scott shrugged his shoulders. “I suppose so, but part of me doesn’t want to hear her answer.”

    “Do you love her?” asked Annie.

    “I suppose so,” he replied. “I like being with her, and I don’t just mean when we fool around.”

    “You think she’ll break up with you if you turn, right?”

    He shook his head. “Not think, I know. She told me once that she’s not into other girls.”

    “I see,” replied Ann.

    “And if I turn there’s no guarantee that I’ll be into girls. I saw Jan the other day at school and she was walking arm and arm with Mike Carter.”

    “Did she look happy?” asked Annie.

    “I suppose, look I understand and I’m not judging Jan. It’s just that I can barely imagine what it would be like to change genders, but to also change sexual orientation too? I mean I guess I should be happy that The Bru doesn’t change ethnicity or even species!”

    Annie stared back. “I can’t imagine what it must be like for you to go through this. It’s more than just a gender shift; rather it’s a drastic change in your very core essence.”

    He nodded. “Annie, this really scares me. I mean, I put up a strong front in school and for Mom and Dad; but inside I’m living on the edge. I still have over a year of this and to be honest I don’t know how I’m going to make it.”

    “You can always vent to me,” said Ann.

    “Thanks,” said Scott. “Look, I know that I will be taken care of and, from what I’ve heard, once it has happened most people feel okay with it…it’s just this damned waiting for something to happen…or more importantly not to happen.”

    “Have you talked to your counselor about these feelings?”

    He nodded.

    “That’s good,” she replied. “I wish I knew what else to tell you.”

    “Just talking is fine,” he replied. “I really appreciate being able to talk to you.”

    “You’re welcome,” she replied.

    Scott got up and gave her a hug.

Chapter 25
   
    “Okay, who has a question?” asked Ms. Lake.

    Kyle looked around and raised his hand.
   
    “Yes, Kyle,” said Ms. Lake as she pointed at him.

    “This may be a little personal, so if you don’t want to answer it that’s cool,” he replied.

    Ms. Lake smiled. “What do you want to know?”

    “When you turned did you and the others immediately start dressing in women’s clothing and wearing makeup?” he asked.

    She got up from her chair, walked around to the front of her desk and sat down on the edge.

    “Not everyone did,” she replied. “Some tried to hold onto their male lives as long as possible. I debated it for a few days before figuring it was sort of futile to try and pass myself off as male.”

    “How did it feel when you first started wearing women’s clothes?” asked Tim.

    “I was worried about it,” she replied honestly. “When I went back to school, I was really nervous. However, to my amazement it was pretty much a non-issue. My closest friends were just happy I was okay.”

    “I notice that with exception of the Bois that those who turn immediately adopt a female wardrobe, when did that become the norm?” asked Scott.

    “I would say the last ten years,” she replied. “It’s a fairly new reaction and if you ask me it’s a change for the better. I had too many friends who were angry and bitter about what happened to them and their lives were disrupted and I don’t just mean from the turn. They didn’t progress with their lives; they lost a lot of living by being at war with what happened. I’m not going to tell you that if you turn you should just whistle a happy tune and skip merrily down the lane…”

    She was interrupted by laughter. She put her hand up as she smiled.

    “Please let me continue. Look, it’s normal to be upset if you turn. I would be more worried about someone if they didn’t as it’s a huge shift in your essence. But, those who turn aren’t even twenty; you have a long life ahead of you and it’s a waste to not go for your dreams.”

    “Do you still think about what life would have been like if you didn’t turn?” asked Rod.

    “Sometimes,” she replied with a nod. “However, I’m very happy with my life now. I have people in it that mean the world to me. So, I have moved on and if any of you turn I highly recommend that you do the same.”

    No one said a word and then Kyle began to clap and was joined in by the others.

    Ms. Lake smiled back and it took all her willpower not to start crying.

    “Okay, we still have a lesson to cover,” she said. “Let’s talk about this week’s reading assignment.”

Chapter 26

    The weeks slowly passed by and almost by magic it was the Christmas break. The holidays were fun, but there was an underlying tension for guys like Scott. Like the others, he tried to act as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

    Debby was extremely excited about the New Year’s Eve party that they were invited to and the fact that her parents were out of town for the weekend.

    “We’ll have the house all to ourselves,” she explained to Scott. “I can’t wait until I get you into bed!”

    It may have been his imagination, but it seemed as if Debby was becoming more aggressive sexually.  He didn’t say anything about it to her.

    After the party, they headed over to her house and Debby led him upstairs.

    She was very controlling as she undressed him.

    “You know, if you turn, I could get into the idea of dating another girl,” she whispered as she began to kiss him.

    “What?” exclaimed Scott.

    Debby kissed him again. “I mean, so many girls at school have been with other girls that I figured I might have to try it some day and if you turned you might as well be the first girl. I bet you’ll be cute.”

    “Hopefully we won’t have to find out,” replied Scott.

    “Seriously, aren’t you curious about how you’d look?” continued Debby.

    “Debby, I don’t want to think about that…unless it happens,” he replied.

    “You know, a lot of girls dress up their boyfriends, just for fun,” she replied.

    Scott stared back at her. “What’s gotten into you? I mean we’ve always agreed not talk about this.”

    “What’s wrong about talking about it?” she asked. “I mean, if you turn, you’re going to have to deal with it.”

    “That’s true,” he replied. “Look, it’s just that I’m a little superstitious about talking about specifics or tempting fate.”
   
    “So, dressing in girl’s clothes would be tempting fate?”

    Scott nodded. “It’s silly, I know that.”

    “Then let me dress you up,” interrupted Debby.

    Scott shook his head.

    “Please,” begged Debby. “I have an outfit that you’d look great in.”

    He stared back in shock. “We’re not exactly the same size.”

    “No, I’m taller than you. I borrowed it from my sister’s stuff. I even have a wig that would look so hot on you.”

    “You really want to dress me up?”

    Debby leaned over and kissed him. “Yes, Scottie.”

    “That’s not exactly a girl’s name,” he replied.

    “It’s good enough for tonight, now will you let me dress you up?” she asked as she rubbed his cock.  “I just know you’re going to be a very sexy girl.”

    Debby then ran her hand across Scott’s chest.

    “Look, Scottie, it’s happening! You’re growing breasts!” she squealed. “You’re turning!”

    ***

    Scott woke up suddenly with a start and looked around. It took him a few moments to realize that he was in his own bed and that it had all been a nightmare. He ran his hand through his hair and realized that he was covered with sweat. 

    He got out of bed, walked quietly into the bathroom and washed up. The cold water felt good on his face. He looked up at his reflection and shook his head before drying off his face.

    “Get a grip, it was just a dream,” he said aloud to himself.

    He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost three in the morning. He let out a sigh and headed back to bed.

Chapter 27

    “Did you have nightmares about it?” asked Scott.

    He was sitting in his gender counselor’s office at school. It was the first day back from Christmas break.  There was no need to define ‘it’.

    Mrs. Martin nodded. “It’s quite normal unfortunately. However, having nightmares doesn’t mean you’re going to turn or not. It just means that you’re under stress. It’s not a premonition or anything like that. There’s absolutely no connection between nightmares and turning.”

    “What can I do?” asked Scott. “I mean, my birthday is next month and that means a whole year putting up with this. I had three similar nightmares this past week.”

    “You need a hobby, something to take your mind off it,” she suggested.

    “Any ideas?” he asked.

    “Sports are always good, maybe start jogging,” she suggested. “How about skiing?”

    Scott nodded. “I like skiing.”

    “Why not join the ski club? They have weekly trips to Spring Mountain and also trips to the Poconos.”

    “That might be fun,” he said. “Is it too late to join?

    “Well, considering I’m the faculty advisor I think we can get you in,” she replied with a smile.

    “Thanks, Mrs. Martin,” he replied.

    “Scott, you just have to remember that you’re not alone in all this. Don’t hesitate to ask for help.”

Chapter 28

    “How was the skiing, Scott?” asked Mom.

    “It was pretty good,” he replied as walked into the kitchen. “Hmm, dinner smells good!” 

    “I’m making a beef stew,” she replied.

    Scott grabbed a soda out of the fridge and sat down at the kitchen table. “Where’s Annie?”

    “She’s over a friend’s house studying for the SATs.”

    Scott nodded. “I’m glad I don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

    Maggie walked over and sat down next to her son. “Speaking of worrying about things. How’re you doing? Any more nightmares?”

    He shook his head as he sipped his soda.

    “Good,” she replied.

    “How did you know?” he asked.

    “I’m a light sleeper,” she replied. “I’ve heard you get up. If you ever want to talk about it you can come get me.”

    “Thanks, Mom,” he replied. “I’m doing better now. Mrs. Martin was right about finding a release.”

    “The offer is always there,” she said. “Oh, your dad wants to take you out for dinner for your birthday, do you have anyplace you want to go to?”

    Scott took another sip of his soda. He would just as soon have not celebrated his birthday, but he didn’t say that. “I’ll think about it.”

    “Okay,” she replied as she got up to check on the stew.

    “Mom…thanks,” he said.

    She turned and smiled at him. “You’re welcome, dear.”

Chapter 29

    Try as he might, Scott couldn’t get into celebrating his eighteenth birthday. The birthday he was looking forward to was the one after that. While it was true that some males turned after they turned nineteen, the percentages were quite small.

    Scott checked the latest percentages of males who turned and found that nearly seventy percent changed within three months of their eighteenth birthday. The numbers were spread out pretty evenly so in some ways he had made half way; but he didn’t rejoice as he still had a long way to go.

    The number of males who had turned at North Penn was consistent with national averages and it was difficult for the remaining males to see their numbers slowly decrease. Even though they never knew a world without The Bru, it was still not easy to see friends change virtually overnight.

    Some of the guys began to take additional male hormones, even though there was no medical evidence that this warded off The Bru. There were countless mixtures of hormones, vitamins and other supplements that were supposed to prevent the male from turning.

    Scott and Kyle ignored these home-remedies as either a waste of money or possibly harmful.

    “I know for the fact that hormone injections don’t work,” said Kyle. “My cousin was on them for months and he turned last month.”

    “Did he get them from a doctor?” asked Rod.

    Kyle nodded.

    “And they were human male hormones?” Rod asked.

    Kyle nodded. “No offense, but I would rather be a girl than have someone inject stallion hormones in me.”

    “I heard that it works,” said Rod.

    “I also heard that it increases your chances of winning the Kentucky Derby,” added Scott.

    “Whoa, a joke from Mr. Gloomy!” said Kyle.

    “Sorry, it won’t happen again,” replied Scott.

    “Yeah, I’ve noticed how moody you’ve been too,” added Rod.

    Scott shrugged his shoulders.

    “Look, I know it’s your birthday this week, but there’s no reason for you to be any more worried than any other day,” explained Kyle.
   
    Scott smirked. “Gee, since you put it like that I guess I’ll just be depressed until I’m nineteen.”

    “Hey, I turned eighteen three weeks ago and nothing happened to me,” added Rod.

    “A good thing that nothing has happened, the basketball team would be sunk without you,” said Kyle.

    “I know. We still have a huge hole from Jim’s turn…at least the girl’s team is undefeated,” said Rod.

    “And the last thing the school needs is another really tall girl,” said Kyle.

    Rod smiled and casually flipped his friend the bird.

    “Do you think it’s true that they might do away with separate male and female teams?” asked Scott.

    Rod shook his head. “Coach talked to us about it and said that it’s just a rumor. He said that it happens every few years. The schools want to have as many activities as possible to keep our minds off The Bru.”

    “Damn, I’d hate to think what we’d do without school activities, I mean we talk about it all the time as it is,” said Scott.

    “I know what you mean,” added Kyle. “Well, we better get going; the bell is going to ring any second from now.”

Chapter 30

    It was the day before Scott’s birthday and since it was a Friday, he was getting birthday greetings from many of his friends. He put up a good front and smiled back.

    Mid morning he began to feel a little off, not really sick, just not right. He sloughed this off as being depressed about his birthday.

    However, by lunch, he began to feel physically ill. He staggered into the boy’s room as he felt like he was going to throw up. Thankfully, this feeling passed as quickly as it had come on, but he still felt sick.

    “Scott, are you okay?” asked Kyle.

    Scott turned around and was about to reply when he passed out.

    Luckily, Kyle was able to grab him before he hit the tile floor. Kyle immediately noticed that his friend was unconscious and a sickening feeling swept through him.

    “Ah, shit, Scott…man, I’m so sorry,” he bemoaned as he realized that his best friend had entered the early stages of The Bru.

    Then Kyle noticed that Scott was bleeding from the groin area. A sense of panic swept through him. The bleeding meant that Scott’s turn was life-threatening.

    Rod walked into the bathroom looking for his friends and immediately saw Kyle on the ground holding Scott. By now there was a pool of blood around Scott. Kyle had taken off his sweatshirt and had pushed it between Scott’s legs in an attempt to slow down the bleeding.

    Kyle turned around and yelled. “Go get some help!”

Chapter 31

    Maggie rushed into the hospital and was directed to the third floor, which was where the facilities were located for teens affected by The Bru.

    Ron was already there and when he saw Maggie he immediately hugged her.

    “How is he?” she asked anxiously.
   
    “Still unconscious,” replied Ron. “The doctor said that she should have an update for us shortly.”

    “Why can’t we go in with Scott?” asked Maggie.

    Ron hesitated for a moment before answering. “I don’t know. Apparently he’s lost a lot of blood.”

    “Oh dear god!” exclaimed Maggie and she felt her knees go weak.

    Ron caught her and helped her into a chair.

    “Apparently he’s had some severe bleeding,” continued Ron.

    “Is he going to make it?”

    “They…they don’t know. The good thing is that they got him here quickly,” he said. He then told her how Kyle had found Scott.

    “Where’s Kyle?” asked Maggie.

    “He’s picking up Debby at school. I called and gave the school permission for Annie to come too; I didn’t think you’d mind.”

    Maggie shook her head. “No, that’s fine, what about Harry?”

    “I called his school and his principal will bring him here.”

    A few minutes later a petite woman in surgical scrubs walked out into the waiting room. Her jet black hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

    “Mr. and Mrs. Gordon?” she asked as she adjusted her glasses.

    They both nodded.

    “I’m Dr. Lansing, and I’m head of this department.”

    “How’s our child?” asked Maggie anxiously.

    Dr Lansing sat down across from them. “We currently have Scott in the ICU. He has lost a great deal of blood. As you know the body undergoes a lot of stress during the first forty-eight hours of the turn and right now we’re just trying to keep him stable.”

    “Will he make it?” asked Ron.

    “I can’t say,” replied Dr. Lansing.

    “What are Scott’s chances and be straight with us?” asked Maggie.

    “If Scott makes it through the next twenty-four hours I would still give him a good chance,” replied Dr. Lansing. “The good thing is that Scott is strong and we’ve made excellent progress with this sort of problem.”

    “What exactly happened?” asked Ron.
   
    “Normally, when the turn starts the internal changes occur before the external ones. In five percent of the turns the vagina forms first which leads to massive bleeding. Thankfully he was found quickly and even more fortunately the EMTs got him here quickly. They were able to determine what was happening and so we were standing by to start transfusions immediately. I’m hopeful that this will make all the difference.”

    “Can we see him?” asked Maggie.

    “Not right now,” replied Dr. Lansing. “We have a full team working on Scott and we’re keeping him sedated.”

    “I want to see my child!” demanded Maggie.

    “I understand, Mrs. Gordon, but right now we need to get him stable. I will keep you informed,” she replied calmly.
   
    “We’ll be waiting,” said Ron.

Chapter 32

    Annie arrived with Debby and Kyle. Maggie and Ron told them what they knew.

    “Scott will make it,” stated Annie with confidence as she sat down next to Maggie.

    “When can we see him?” asked Debby.

    “No idea,” replied Maggie as she slipped her arm around Annie.

    “Mom, Dad, what will we call Scott now?” asked Annie. “I mean when she wakes up we need to move on.”

    Maggie felt pride that her daughter was so strong. Like all parents, Ron and Maggie had discussed the possibilities of their son’s turn and what they would call her. It was a tradition to keep the first letter of the male name.

    “We thought about Sheena, after your great grandmother,” said Maggie. “However, we’ll give…her… a right to veto the name.”
   
    “That’s a good name,” commented Annie, although she really hated it. “What do you think, Debby?”

    Debby didn’t reply, she just lowered her head and started to cry.  Kyle slipped his arm around her to comfort her, but she pushed him away. “This is so unfair!” she screamed.
   
    “Debby, Scott’s going to make it,” said Annie.

    Debby glared at Annie. “What are you all talking about? Don’t you realize that Scott is dead!” she exclaimed as she got up and stormed out of the waiting room screaming. “Scott’s dead! Scott’s dead!”
   
Kyle was about to go get her, but was stopped by Maggie. “Let her go, Kyle. She’s just upset and I doubt she meant what she said.”

He wasn’t so sure, but he did as he was asked.

Chapter 33

An hour later, Dr Lansing returned to the waiting room. By now, it was close to capacity as it was filled with Scott’s classmates and several faculty members, including both Ms. Lake and Mrs. Martin.  Harry was sitting next to Maggie.

“Are all these people here for Scott?” she asked as she looked around at the packed room.

“Yes,” answered Annie. “I’m Scott’s sister and all of us are willing to donate blood if you need it.”

“Thank you very much, it’s appreciated. I’ll get a nurse out here immediately,” she said.

“I’m Scott’s brother!” exclaimed Harry. “Can I give blood too?”

“You’re not big enough, sport, but I’m sure Scott to be pleased to hear you volunteered,” said Ron.

“Especially since Scott knows how much you hate needles,” added Annie. She winked at her brother who smiled back.

Dr Lansing then pulled Maggie, Ron, and Annie aside. Harry stayed in the room with Kyle.

“How’s Scott doing?” asked Ron. “Please be honest, we can take it.”

“She’s a fighter,” replied Dr. Lansing. “We’re doing everything we can, but she has lost a lot of blood and is still bleeding.” 

“You said, she; so the turn is happening even with all the complications?” asked Maggie.

Dr. Lansing nodded. “Yes, the physical transformation is well underway. That’s the incredible thing about The Bru; once it starts it progresses along regardless of how the patient is doing. Should Scott make it…”

“You mean when she makes it,” interrupted Annie in a slightly annoyed tone.

Dr, Lansing smiled slightly as she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry; I should have phrased that better. Working in the ICU we deal with so many traumas that we try to stay detached. The turn appears to be normal with the exception of the bleeding.”

“What about surgery? Can you do something to stop the bleeding?” asked Ron.

“I wish we could, unfortunately we cannot operate as the tissue is changing so rapidly. Any surgery would leave excessive scarring, which could lead to additional problems,” she explained as she adjusted her glasses.

“Worse than death?” asked Maggie.

“It could just prolong the inevitable. In cases like this it’s best to let nature run its course. We are trying to replace the blood loss as quick as possible. In cases where surgery has been used the patient has a very low survival rate. The problem with surgery at this stage is that it adds an additional shock to the body; often the heart cannot take it. You must understand that this is a very critical time in Scott’s…recovery. I wish I could explain it better. Just so you know; it’s very frustrating for us too. We’re not the types who like being forced to just sit back and watch.”

Ron nodded. “We know you’re doing everything you can, doctor. Is there any possibility we can see…her?”

Dr Lansing nodded. “I can take you back for just a few minutes, but you must be warned that Scott is in critical condition. During a turn like this we are very concerned with infection as the immune system is depressed. You won’t be allowed physical contact…I’m sorry.”

Chapter 34

Even though Dr. Lansing described what they would see, The Gordons were still shocked when they saw Scott.

The first thing they noticed was that Scott was barely recognizable. This was a combination of the turn and all the medical equipment that surrounded Scott’s body.

    “We keep patients like Scott in isolation to protect their immune system,” explained Dr. Lansing.

    “How long will Scott be in there?” asked Maggie.

    “We’ll know more in the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours,” she replied.

    A nurse walked over and handed Dr. Lansing a chart.

    “These are Scott’s latest vital signs and they are looking stronger,” she explained.

    “Scott will make it,” stated Annie again with confidence.

Chapter 35

    Maggie, Ron, and Annie returned to the waiting room. Maggie then told everyone Scott’s status.

    “I recommend that you go home and we’ll keep you informed on Scott’s status,” continued Maggie.

    She sat down next to Harry who was sleeping on the couch. She gently lifted up his head and set it down on her lap as she began to gently stoke his hair.

    “We’ve already set up a phone tree,” replied Kyle. “I’ll stick around for a while and send out updates.”

    The rest of the students slowly filed out, leaving just Scott’s family, Kyle, Mrs. Martin, and Ms. Lake.

    Sensing that that her parents wanted to talk to Scott’s teachers, Annie grabbed Kyle by the arm.

    “Come on, let’s go find some food,” she said. “I’m staved.”

    Kyle nodded and followed her out of the room.

    “The cafeteria is this way,” he said.

    “How do you know that?” asked Annie.

    “One of my moms works here,” he replied.

    Annie nodded. She then reached out and gently grabbed Kyle’s arm to stop him.

    “What’s up?” he asked.

    “I just wanted to thank you for saving Scott’s life,” she said.

    “I didn’t do anything. I just walked in and found him,” replied Kyle with a shrug.

    “I know that you’ve been keeping an eye on him and I appreciate that,” said Annie.

    “Scott’s the closet thing I’ve had to a brother in my life. I would do anything for him…I’d even switch places with him…her right now if I could.”

    “I know you would,” said Annie. She then leaned close and kissed Kyle on the cheek. “Thank you again.”

    Kyle was slightly taken back and at first he didn’t know what to do. He then slipped his arm around Annie’s shoulders and they walked together to the cafeteria.

Chapter 36

    For the rest of the night and into the next morning, Maggie, Ron, Annie, Harry, and Kyle sat in the waiting room. Maggie suggested that Annie, Harry, and Kyle go home but none wanted to go. Kyle’s mom came up and brought some food and drinks.

    “The waiting isn’t the worst part; it’s not being able to be with him,” complained Maggie. She put her hands up. “I know there’s a perfectly good reason for it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

    Dr. Lansing came out the next morning and sat down next to them.

    Annie looked at the fatigued doctor and wondered if Dr. Lansing had slept at all that night. There were dark circles under her bloodshot eyes and there was a general look of exhaustion in her face.

    “Well?” asked Maggie.

    “I think she’s going to make it,” said Dr. Lansing fighting back a yawn. “The bleeding has stopped and her vital signs have stabilized. We want to keep her sedated for another day. The turn is well underway and this is often the most painful period. We also don’t want her moving around and possibly starting the bleeding again. I recommend that you all go home and get some sleep. I will call you immediately if something happens.”

    “What if Scott wakes up? He…she’ll want to see us,” said Maggie.

    “She won’t wake up until tomorrow because she’s under sedation,” explained Dr. Lansing. “I know you want to be here, but there’s nothing you can do. The way things are progressing we will move her to a room and you will be able to see her then.”

    “Can we see her before we leave?” begged Maggie. “It’s really important.”

    Dr. Lansing nodded and led them down to the room where Scott was located.

    They looked through the glass at Scott. She was still on oxygen and had multiple IVs in her body. Still, even with all the medical equipment around her body, it was obvious that Scott was now female.

“She looks so tiny,” commented Maggie as she held Ron’s arm. She reached up and wiped away a tear.

“She’s lost a lot of weight,” commented Dr. Lansing with concern.

“Not the greatest place to spend your birthday,” said Annie softly.

Overhearing Annie’s comment, Dr. Lansing looked down at the chart and saw that today was Scott’s eighteenth birthday. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t notice that.”

    “It’s okay, Doc,” said Ron.

    Dr. Lansing pulled out a business card and wrote down her cell phone number on the back. “Call me if you have any questions.”

    “We will,” said Maggie as she put the piece of paper in her bag.

    “Thank you, Dr. Lansing for saving my sister’s life,” said Annie.

Chapter 37

    Kyle drove over to Debby’s house after leaving the hospital. He pulled into her driveway and walked up and knocked on the door.

    Debby’s mom met him at the door.

    “Hi, Mrs. Schultz, can I see Debby?”

    “Debby’s rather upset right now, she’s not seeing any visitors,” she replied in a flat tone. .

    “Yeah, that’s what I wanted to talk to her about,” said Kyle. “I just left the hospital.”

    “She’s not interested in talking at the moment,” continued Debby’s mom.

    “I thought she’d want to know that it looks like Scott will live,” said Kyle as he felt his anger growing.

    “That’s nice,” replied Debby’s mom without emotion as she started to shut the door.

    “Excuse me?” asked Kyle.

    “Scott has hurt her tremendously. I’m pleased that he’s not going to die, but our daughter is our only concern. She’s really upset about losing her boyfriend.”

    Kyle stared back. “Well, when Scott wakes up, I’ll make sure to tell her to write Debby an apology. I mean, she was so inconsiderate to turn right before her birthday and to almost die at the same time.”

    Debby’s mom didn’t say a word and just closed the door on Kyle.

Chapter 38

    “I’m not that surprised,” said Annie as she talked to Kyle. “Debby always struck me as a very shallow person.”

    “Shallow doesn’t even begin to describe her,” said Kyle barely holding in his anger. “Even her mother thinks that she is the victim!”

    “Well, you know what they say about the apple not falling far from the tree. Oh, we’re going over to the hospital around 7 in the morning; you want to come along?” she asked.

    “I’d like that, thanks,” he replied.

    “Um, about yesterday…if you feel I overreacted when I kissed you…”

    “Annie, it was cool, I don’t mind…in fact I liked it.”

    While he had known Annie for years, he had always thought of her as Scott’s kid sister. But yesterday he had had a long talk with her in the hospital cafeteria. They had mostly talked to just blow off steam, but as they talked, Kyle realized how much they had in common. He also realized that he might be in love with her.

    “Really?” she asked.

    “Maybe when things calm down we can go to the movies or something,” he suggested.

    “I’d like that, but wouldn’t it hurt your image to be seen with a junior?”

    Kyle laughed. “I wouldn’t worry about that. I’m more worried about what your family will say.”

    “They’ll be fine and I’m sure that my sister will be cool.”

    “Sister…shit, even though I always knew this could happen, it’s going to take some getting used to,” said Kyle.

    “I know, but she’ll be fine, she’s strong and will bounce back,” said Annie confidently.

    “I hope so,” said Kyle. “You know, I’m in the Bru Zone right now myself.”

    “So?” replied Annie. “People are people, I mean Scott, or whatever she wants to be called is still my sibling and nothing will change that. I would be a real ass if I thought otherwise.”

    “And if I were to turn?”

    “I like you a lot Kyle, I always have and it has nothing to do with what’s between your legs. I know this may seem inappropriate that we’re talking like this with Scott in the hospital, but life goes on. If we hit it off and you turn, well… girls know how to have fun together too.”

    Kyle laughed. “Gee, Annie, you made me laugh twice, it feels so good…all things considered.”

    “Good. The last thing Scott would want is for us to be moping around because she’s in the hospital.”

Chapter 39

    After grabbing a quick breakfast, Scott’s family and Kyle arrived at the hospital.

    A different doctor greeted them in the waiting room.

    “I’m Dr. Rodriquez,” greeted the fortyish looking woman. “I’ve talked to Dr. Lansing about Scott.”

    “How is Scott?” asked Maggie. “When we called last night they said she was showing great improvement.”

    Dr. Rodriquez adjusted her wire-frame glasses and nodded. “The bleeding has stopped, but we’re still concerned. We’d like to keep Scott in the ICU another day to give her body a chance to heal.”

    “Is Scott awake?” asked Maggie.

    “Not yet, we’re slowly weaning her off the sedatives. I expect she’ll be conscious sometime in the next couple of hours. I will call you immediately when she’s awake.”

    “Thank you, Dr. Rodriquez,” said Ron.

    “So we wait,” said Maggie as she sat down.

    “I’ll go down to the newsstand and pick up the papers,” said Annie. “I’ll also get some coffee.”

    Kyle got up and walked out with Annie. “I’ll go with you and I’ll also make some calls.”

Chapter 40

    “Who wants the Inquirer?” asked Annie as she held up the newspaper.

    “I’ll trade you the New York Times,” said Maggie.

    “Deal,” replied Annie.

    Kyle had brought along a portable backgammon board and playing against Ron. Harry was playing a handheld videogame.

    “Who taught you to play, Kyle?” asked Ron as he reset the pieces.

    Kyle had won the last six games.

    “My grandmother,” he replied.

    “She taught you well,” replied Ron.

    Dr. Rodriquez stepped into the waiting area and they all turned and looked at her.

    “Scott is awake,” she announced with a smile.

    “Thank God!’ exclaimed Maggie as she hugged Ron and Harry.

    Annie joined in on the family hug and then turned and kissed Kyle.

    “I only want to bring in one at time as she’s still very weak. She’s also still heavily sedated with pain killers as the changes are still occurring. I also want to point out that she is having trouble speaking because her vocal cords are still changing. We’ve given her a white-board and a marker so she can answer you,” explained Dr. Rodriquez.

    “Honey, you go first,” said Ron as she turned to Maggie.

    Maggie kissed him and followed Dr. Rodriquez to see her child.

Chapter 41

    Maggie stepped quietly into Scott’s room. She was relieved to see that Scott was awake.

    “Hi, honey,” she said.

    Scott managed a slight smile.

    Maggie walked over and leaned down and kissed Scott’s cheek.

    Scott wrote on the board and held it up. The board read “Sorry.”

    “For what, dear? You did nothing wrong, this is just part of life,” said Maggie as she sat down next to her. Maggie gently took one of Scott’s hands into her’s.

    Maggie tried to hide her reaction to the way Scott now looked. In many ways she looked like a slightly older version of Annie. Scott’s face was much softer now and her cheeks were slightly rounder. Her lips were also thicker. Maggie also noticed that Scott looked very thin.

    Scott’s hair was still rather short, but even with the male hair cut, she looked like a girl. Most of the newly turned girls wore wigs until their own hair grew long enough to be styled.

    “Dad, Annie, Harry, and Kyle are also in the waiting room,” she said.

    Scott nodded and wrote on the board. It just said “Debby?”

    Maggie shook her head.

    Scott nodded slightly.

    “Honey, don’t worry about things like that right now. You have to get your strength up so you can come home.”

    Scott nodded and wrote again. The board said. “I’m scared.”

    “I know, honey, but the worst is over,” said Maggie.

    Scott wrote again. “What day is it?”

    “Sunday,” replied Maggie.

    Scott’s eyes opened wide.

    Before he could start writing Maggie spoke. “Yes, dear, that’s why you’re in here. Your turn was very harsh and you had a lot of bleeding. The good thing is that they got you here very quickly.”

    Scott nodded. He wrote on the board.

    Maggie read it. “You passed out in the boy’s room and Kyle found you. They brought you here immediately and you’ve been here since then.”

    Scott wrote on the board again.

    “We don’t know how long you’ll be here, a couple more days at least,” explained Maggie. She then told Scott what the doctor had told them. She didn’t see any reason to lie to her child.

    Scott wrote “Thank you” on the board.

    “Honey, I want to give the others a chance to see you before you get too tired. Dad will be in next,” said Maggie. She stood up and kissed her again. ‘I love you.”

    Scott nodded.

Chapter 42

    The last one to see Scott was Annie.

    “Hi, Scott,” greeted Annie. “I knew you’d make it.”

    She wrote thanks on the board and then wrote “How’re Mom & Dad doing? No BS.”

    Annie smiled. “They’re a wreck, more over the way you turned than the turn itself. You went through a lot of blood according to the nurses.”

    “Harry?”

    “He’s worried, but he’s happy that you’re going to make it.”

    “And you?” she wrote.

    “You’re now my older sister instead of my older brother, otherwise nothing has changed,” replied Annie as she took Scott’s hand. “Look, this isn’t going to be easy, but you can count on me, okay?”

    Scott nodded as tear rolled down his cheek.

    “What are they calling me?” she wrote.

    “Scott,” replied Annie. “Mom and Dad have some ideas, but they want you to have a say in it. Don’t tell them I said this, but their first choice is lame.”

    Scott almost laughed. “What is it?” she wrote.

    “Mom suggested Sheena after dad’s grandmother.”

    Scott stuck out her tongue.

    “I feel the same way, but humor them, okay?”

    Scott nodded as he wrote.

    Annie read the board. “You actually want my opinion?”

    Scott nodded.

    “Well, if you want to stay with a name starting with S, how about Savanna?”

    Scott stared back as if she was thinking about it. She then wrote “Not bad” on the board.

    “Thanks, I think it has a classy sound to it,” said Annie. “I have to get going, the doctors want you to rest.”

    Scott wrote “Debby?” on the board and held it up.

    Annie read it. “She freaked out. Kyle went over to see her and she’s sulking in self pity. I don’t think she’s coming back.”

    Scott nodded and then wiped away some more tears.

    “Look, this isn’t the end of the world. You can and you will move on,” said Annie. “I know this hurts, but at least you know now instead of this dragging out.”

    Scott nodded again. She wrote out “Thanks, Annie.”

    “You’re welcome,” she replied as she leaned down and kissed her sister on the forehead.

Chapter 43

    “So you told her about Debby?” asked Kyle as they ate a late lunch in the cafeteria.

    “Yes, I didn’t see a reason to lie to her,” said Annie.

    Kyle nodded. “I heard from Rod that Debby is already dating someone else, a guy from Lansdale Catholic High School.”

    “Wow, my opinion of her wasn’t high, but I had no idea she was that shallow,” exclaimed Annie. “What’d she do, wait a whole day?”

    “I know, I mean she gives cheerleaders a bad name.”

    Annie laughed. “Good one.”

    “Any idea what we’re going to call Scott?” asked Kyle as he ate a French fry.

    “It won’t be Sheena,” said Annie. She then told Kyle about her suggestion.

    “That’s a cool name,” he replied. “Um, do you think they’ll let me see her anytime soon?”

    “I guess so, but from what the doctors told Mom and Dad they want to limit her visitors for the next couple of days.”

    “I just want Scott to know that we’re still friends,” he said.

    Annie smiled back. “I’ll tell her that the next time they let me see her.”

   
Chapter 44

    Maggie and Ron were allowed back into Scott’s room together early in the evening and were pleased to see that she was awake.

    Scott wrote on her board. “Hi Mom & Dad.”

    “Did you have a nice nap?” asked Maggie.

    Scott nodded.

    “How’re you doing?” asked Ron.

    Scott waved his hand back and forth.

    “Are you in pain?” asked Maggie.

    Scott nodded as she wrote. “A little but it’s okay. I’m sore all over.”

    “The doctors are pleased with your progress,” said Maggie.

    “When can I go home?” she wrote.

    “It’ll be a few more days; they want to make sure you’re okay. They also want you to get your weight up,” said Maggie.

    Scott wrote and held up the board. “I thought girls were supposed to be thin.”

    Ron smiled in spite of himself.

    “Only of you’re a fashion model,” said Maggie.

    Scott wrote on the board and showed it to them. “A new career for me.”

    “Very funny,” said Maggie.

    Scott erased the board and wrote again. “I need a new name.”

    Maggie looked at Ron and then she pulled a piece of paper out of her purse. “Here’s the short list, honey. Do you like any of them?”

    Scott looked at them and was pleased to see Annie’s suggestion on it. She looked at all the names but decided on Savanna. She pointed to it.

    Maggie looked at Ron and they both nodded.

    “It’s a nice name,” said Maggie.

    “Savanna Gordon, I like the sound of that,” agreed Ron.

    She wrote on the board and showed it. “Savanna it is.”

Chapter 46

    Savanna took her first steps the following morning as she was assisted to the bathroom. It wasn’t easy as she was still very weak from the turn and the fact that she had to drag along a stand that had her IV hanging on it.

    She was coached in what to do by the nurse, especially in the details of cleaning up afterwards.

    When she was done, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her breasts were still small, but she was warned by the staff that she could expect them to increase several cup sizes over the next few weeks.

    She also was amazed by how much muscle mass she had lost. She was so skinny. Granted part of that was due to the turn, but even taking that into account she seemed so small.
   
    “Savanna, are you okay?” asked the nurse.

    Savanna still wasn’t allowed to talk, and so she stopped her inspection and stepped slowly out of the bathroom.

    Her new hospital room was a bit nicer than the sterile room she had been. It also had a TV, which gave her something to do as she regained her strength.

    For now, all the doctors wanted her to do was to eat and sleep. At first Savanna found this to be rather boring, but she soon understood that she needed to let her body recover. She felt sore all over, especially in the hips. Savanna knew that this was due to her new reproductive system. She had felt her new wider hips and was slightly shocked by how much bigger she was down there.

    Later that morning, Savanna had asked her doctor if she was normal size and Dr. Lansing said that her now feminized body was proportional.

    “The good thing is that if you decide to get pregnant, I don’t see any physical problems. Some of the turned have small hip development and this makes pregnancy more risky and dangerous,” explained Dr. Lansing. She then gave Savanna an update on her health status.

    Savanna listened intently.

    “Does any of this bother you, Savanna?”

    “No… well, maybe a little…okay a lot, but I’ve always thought about the possibility of this happening. I guess it’s easier for us then it was for the first to turn,” she replied. “I think I need a bigger board!”

    Dr. Lansing laughed. “If you want to try talking you can, but if you feel any discomfort let us know. Now back to your comment, it’s true, things have gotten slightly easier. I had three brothers turn, and it wasn’t easy for them.”

    “Really?” asked Savanna. She was shocked by the change in her voice as it was now lighter. “Wow, this will take some getting used to.”

    “You have a nice voice, Savanna, but don’t strain it. Use the board when you can,” ordered Dr. Lansing.

    “Tell me about your brothers,” wrote Savanna.

     “They all made it, but one almost died, similar complications to what you experienced. The doctors at the time seemed lost. I decided to become a doctor because of that. The problem is that sometimes I focus too much on the physical side of the transformation and forget the mental side of the turn.”

    “So you just work in the Bru ward?”

    Dr, Lansing nodded. “It’s my specialty. It’s kept me busy as we’ve had a lot turn in the past year.”

    “Have many had problems like I had?” asked Savanna.

    “Thankfully no. You really worried us, Savanna. To be honest, I thought we might lose you a few times.”

    “I guess I should look at this as a real second chance now,” said Savanna.

    “That’s a good attitude to have,” said Dr. Lansing. “I want to apologize to you and your family. I don’t have the greatest bedside manner. I’m not good at the touchy-feely side of medicine, if that makes sense.”

    Savanna shrugged and set the board down. “I heard that from the nurses…I also heard that you’re very competitive and hate to lose. They said that you take it personally. The nurses said that I owe my life to you and I want to thank you.”

    Dr. Lansing chuckled. “Thank you. Did they really say that?”

    Savanna nodded. “They also told me that you stayed up with me for almost two straight days.”

    “They exaggerated slightly, I did grab a few minutes of sleep,” replied Dr. Lansing as she grinned back at Savanna. “But they’re right about me being competitive…I do hate to lose.”

 “I think that’s a great trait to have as a doctor in your specialty. I learned in school that a lot of people who turn like me don’t make it. I read online that even with all the medical advances that half die.”

    “Actually, it’s higher. However, we have never lost one since I took over here,” she said. “I will also do whatever it takes to keep that record perfect.”

    “That’s good to know. Do you like your job?” asked Savanna.

    Dr, Lansing nodded. “I love it, why?”

    Savanna shrugged. “If this…I mean my surviving the turn, really is a second chance then I want to do something important with my life. I like science classes, but I never really thought about medicine.”

    “You are going to college, right?” asked Dr. Lansing.

    “I planned on it,” replied Savanna.

    “What I recommend then is that you take a couple pre-med classes and see if it’s the path for you,” she suggested.

    “The biggest problem is that medical school is really expensive,” said Savanna.

    “It is, but there are scholarships. In fact, there’s one for people just like you, those who survived your type of turn.”

    Savanna cocked her head. “You’re kidding?”

    Dr. Lansing shook her head. “Just so you know, Savanna, I make a contribution to it each time I get one like you through it. So far it’s cost me thousands, but it’s money well spent. In fact, I just sent in my check for helping you through it. I can get you the application information when you’re ready.”

    “I’d like that,” said Savanna.

    Just then the orderly came in with lunch.

    “Okay, I want to see a clean plate, Savanna,” said Dr. Lansing. “You’re through the worst of this, but you really need to get your weight back.”

    “I keep eating and it doesn’t seem to do any good,” said Savanna as she looked at the food. It was turkey, mash potatoes, green beans, a salad, and protein shake.

    “That’s because your metabolism is still in high gear. The goal for the first week is to keep you from losing any more weight.”

    Savanna nodded as she began to cut a piece of turkey. She slipped it into her mouth and was pleased that it didn’t taste too bad… not that it tasted that good either.

    “Your parents will be here in an hour,” said Dr. Lansing. “I have to give them a status report; pretty much what we’ve talked about. Don’t worry; I don’t keep any secrets from my patients. How’s your throat?”

    “It feels okay,” she replied. “It also feels good to talk again.”

Chapter 47

    Maggie and Ron sat down in Savanna’s room.

    “You’re looking better, dear,” said Maggie. “You have more color in your face.”

    “Thanks, Mom,” replied Savanna.

    Maggie and Ron stared back and Savanna realized that it was the first time they had heard her new voice.

    “What do you think?” she asked.

    “It’s very nice,” said Ron. “Is it okay for you to be talking?”

    “Yes,” replied Savanna. “Dr. Lansing said it was okay, as long as I don’t over do it.”

    “Well, just take it easy,” said Maggie.

    “I guess I’ll be in the hospital for a while longer,” said Savanna.

    “Yes, that’s what we were told. I called North Penn and they’re going to send someone over with some assignments so you don’t fall too far behind,” said Maggie.

    “Gee, thanks, Mom,” replied Savanna holding back a smile.

    “I imagine that you’d want something to do,” said Ron.

    “It is kinda boring here,” replied Savanna. She could tell that they were all dancing around the real issue. “Mom, Dad, it’s okay to talk about it. I mean, I’m a girl now. In some ways it’s almost a relief.”

    “What do you mean?” asked Maggie.

    “I mean I don’t have to live in fear any more. What’s done is done. I know that I have a lot to get used to, but I’m just glad the stress of wondering if I was going to turn is over. Are you okay with this?”

    “Oh, honey, we’re just happy that you’re going to be okay,” exclaimed Maggie.

    “You’re our child, nothing has changed when it comes to that,’ added Ron.

    Savanna smiled back. “Thanks, Mom and Dad, it’s just good to hear that.”

    “Annie is coming here with Kyle after school is out,” said Maggie. “Harry had his swimming club tonight so we let him go. He’ll be here tomorrow.”

    “Cool, I’m glad that things are returning to normal” replied Savanna. “I guess you’ve told the rest of the family.”

    “Your brother is coming down from Penn State this weekend; he’s just glad you’re okay,” said Ron.

    “I can’t wait to see Jon,” said Savanna.

    “Also Gran is coming up from the shore. Jill is driving her up,” said Ron.

    “Really?” asked Savanna.

    “Jill insisted, she figures that you can use all the support you can,” said Maggie. “They’ll be here in two days.”

    Savanna nodded. “It’ll be good to see them.”

Chapter 48

    Mrs. Martin stopped in the next day to see Savanna.

    “How’re you doing?” she asked.

    “Better,” replied Savanna. “Thanks for coming by.”

    “I’m not sure you’re going to be so happy. I did bring your assignments.”

    “It’s okay, I’m getting kinda bored in here anyway,” replied Savanna. “So, what happens now?”

    “Do you want to talk about that right now?”

    Savanna nodded. “Why not? I know my schedule will change.”

    “That’s correct, but only slightly,” said Mrs. Martin as she sat down next to Savanna. “You have to attend a health class and you’ll do that in place of your gender class; otherwise your schedule will be the same. It helps that you’re not taking PE this term. Oh, you will have regular meeting with me too. “

    “That’s true,” replied Savanna. “What about…all the other stuff?”

    “We’ll take care of the paperwork. The school has contacted your parents and given them the forms to fill out. The main thing you’ll have to do is go to the DMV and get a new driver’s license. But you have three months to do that.”

    “Okay,” replied Savanna. “What about my college applications?”

    “The school already sent them notification of your turn.”

    “Wow, this is easier than I thought,” replied Savanna.

    “That’s just paperwork, Savanna. How do you feel? You can be open about your feelings.”

    “Scared,” replied Savanna. “I mean, in some ways, I’m glad this is done and I’ve stopped stressing about it. But this body doesn’t feel like mine. I look in the mirror and I see a stranger looking back. I feel weak and vulnerable.”

    “So did I,” replied Mrs. Martin. “You’re reacting the way most of us did. You’ll get used to the changes with time.”

    “I know,” she replied. “I’m not going to be a Boi or anything futile like that. I mean, I sat in the classes, listened to the lessons, did all the reading and this is still a shock.”

    “You’ll make it, Savanna. Do you keep a journal?”

    “You mean a personal one?”

    Mrs. Martin nodded. “That’s right.”

    “I have,” replied Savanna.

    “I recommend you keep it up, it can help you vent and adjust your feelings. You’re going to have good days and bad days; but life will go on…with or without you, and it’s more fun to participate in life than to just sit there.”

    “Thanks,” replied Savanna.

Chapter 49

    It was later in the afternoon that Annie and Kyle stopped by.

    “Have you had too many visitors yet?” asked Annie from the doorway.

    Savanna shook her head and broke out in a huge smile as she saw her sister and Kyle.

    “Please, come in. I’ve been doing some homework,” replied Savanna as she closed her science book.

    “You’re talking! Cool!” exclaimed Annie as she gave her sister a hug.

    “What do you think?”

    “Not bad, Savanna. You have a nice voice,” replied Annie.

    “Hi,” said Kyle.

    “Hi, Kyle,” replied Savanna. “Please come in and sit down.”
   
    Kyle walked in slowly and stood behind Annie.

    “Say something, Kyle,” ordered Savanna. “You’re starting to creep me out you big idiot.”

    Kyle laughed. “You haven’t changed that much.”

    “I wouldn’t exactly say that,” replied Savanna. “It’s very good to see you. I’m sorry they didn’t let in you sooner.”

    “I tried to say I was your brother, but they didn’t buy it,” replied Kyle.

    “Yeah, you’re not good enough looking to be my brother,” quipped Savanna. “By the way, thanks for saving my life. They tell me that if you hadn’t found me I might have bled to death.”

    Kyle smiled again. “Man, you scared the shit out of me. I saw you stagger into the boy’s room and I just followed you in. You passed out and I caught you. You started to bleed as I held you.”

    “If it makes you feel any better I don’t remember a thing,” said Savanna. “Seriously, I owe you, Kyle.”

    “No worries, Savanna, you do owe me a new sweatshirt,” replied Kyle with a grin. “I’ll leave you two alone for a while. Can I get you anything?”

    “Can you get me a cheeseburger, please? The food here is okay, but it has absolutely no flavor,” begged Savannah.

    Kyle nodded. “You like it the way you always do?”

    Savanna nodded. “Extra cheese, pickles, and ketchup...oooh and some fries too.”

    “What do you want to drink?”

    “Chocolate shake, the biggest one they have,” said Savanna. “Thank you, Kyle.”

    “Will do, Annie you want anything?”

    “Just a Diet Coke,” she replied.

    “Got it. See you in a little bit,” said Kyle.

    Annie turned and watched him leave. She then turned back to Savanna.

    “How’re you doing today?”

    “I’m up to a B-cup, or at least that’s what the nurse told me,” announced Savanna. “They said that I should grow at least two more cup sizes over the next few weeks or so, based on my size and family history.”

    Annie nodded. “I’m a 38-D and Mom is a 36-DD.”

    “I guess we’re going to learn a lot about each other,” said Savanna.

    “Well, sisters usually are close,” said Annie.

    “I know one thing new,” said Savanna.

    “What’s that?” asked Annie.

    “That you and Kyle like each other a lot. Are you dating yet?”

    Annie shook her head. “No, not yet. Do you mind?”

    “No, I like and trust Kyle. He’s a good guy,” said Savanna. “Um, aren’t you two a little worried that he might turn?”

    “We talked about that and it doesn’t matter,” she replied.

    Savanna nodded. “It does to some people.”

    “Look, since we’re sisters now I can be blunt. You’re better off without Debby.”

    “I don’t mind that she broke up with me, but the least she could do was tell me to my face.”

    “If it makes you feel any better most of your friends don’t like what she did to you either.”

    “It doesn’t. I don’t hate her. I mean, we were close, the least she could do is talk to me,” said Savanna.

    “I know you’re new at this and all, but do you still like girls?”

    Savanna thought about it for a moment. “Yes.”

    “What about boys?”

    “I haven’t thought about it,” said Savanna.

    Annie cocked her head. “You’re lying, big sister.”

    Savanna laughed.

    “Seriously; I have always been able to tell when you’re lying. It’s no big deal if you do.”

    “Okay, I lied about not thinking about it; but as to whether or not I like guys…I don’t know yet.”

    Annie nodded. “That’s a fair answer.”

    “I have a question for you, little sister.”

    “Shoot,” she said.

    “Am I…am I pretty?” asked Savanna softly.

    Annie realized how serious Savanna was and how important this question was to her. “Yes, you are. I mean you’re still skinny, but that will change as you regain your weight. You look a lot like Mom did when she was your age.”

    “I can’t be that good looking,” said Savanna.

    “No, you do look like her,” replied Annie seriously. “You’re going to turn some heads…especially after I teach you how to dress and do your makeup.”

    Savanna laughed. “Since when do you wear makeup?”

    “All the time, the trick is to make it look like you’re not wearing makeup. Look, my big sister isn’t going to look like one of those overdone sluts.”

    Both girls started to laugh.

    “Seriously, I’ll help you develop a nice style,” said Annie. She reached down and ran her fingers through Savanna’s hair.

    “Your hair seems to be a different color. It’s slightly red now; I can’t wait to see what it looks like as it gets longer.”

    “I’m not looking forward to wearing a wig.”

    “Well, we’ll get you a nice one…maybe two.”

    Just then Kyle walked in with the food.

    “Am I interrupting?” he asked.

    “No, not at all,” replied Savanna as he handed her a bag and a drink. “How much do I owe you?”

    Kyle laughed. “It’s on the house. Next time you can buy. You did win part of the pool.”

    “What?” asked Savanna.
   
    “Yep, you got the last share. Rod said that it’s around $4,500.”

    “Wow,” replied Savanna. “I totally forgot about that.”

    Kyle didn’t see a point in telling Savanna that she really hadn’t won the pool. The guys in her glass had collected the money when they heard of how hard her turn had been. They all agreed to say that it was from the pool.

    Savanna took a bit of her burger and sighed. “This is sooooooo good.”

    “Glad you like it,” said Kyle.

    “By the way, I think it’s cool that you and Annie are getting together. I can’t think of anyone else I would want to date her,” said Savanna.

    Annie pointed at her chest. “I didn’t tell her; she brought it up.”

    “Thanks Savanna,” said Kyle.

    “No problem,” replied Savanna as she nibbled on a fry. “But what about Amber?”

    “She’s dating another guy…one who’s twenty, I guess she wanted security. I really can’t blame her. It was a clean break and I wish her all the best,” Kyle explained.

   
Chapter 50

    Kyle left Annie and Savanna alone as he had to go home. Annie would catch a ride home with her parents since they were coming over after leaving work.

    “So you’re really cool about Kyle and me dating?”

    Savanna nodded. “If he’s going to date one of the Gordon sisters I would prefer it to be you.”

    “Very funny,” replied Annie. “Okay, so how are you really dealing with all this?”

    Savanna shrugged her shoulders. “I mean, other than the physical changes, I don’t feel that different. But I’m not out of the hospital yet. Yes, I’m called Savanna and I hear myself referred to as ‘she’ and ‘her’ but it really hasn’t sunk in yet. I suppose when I leave here it will hit me. I know that I no longer look like a guy…and if these keep growing…” she said as she pointed to her breasts.

    “That’s true. Do you want me to start helping you?” asked Annie.

    Savanna looked her sister. “In what sort of way?”

    “Makeup, nails, things like that. I was also wondering if you want to start wearing some female clothes,” she suggested.

    “I’m only wearing a hospital gown right now,” replied Savanna.

    “You can start wearing a nightgown or pjs. I’m not suggesting you wear a lace teddy or anything like that.”

    Savanna laughed.

    “Seriously, you need to start some time,” continued Annie.

    “I guess so,” she replied. “But nothing too extreme…okay?”

    “Sure thing,” said Annie. “Do you know when you’re coming home yet?”

    “Dr. Lansing said maybe Thursday. She also said that she wants me to stay home from school for at least a week,” said Savanna. “I suppose that I can use that time to start getting used to dressing more appropriately.”

    Annie nodded. “If you just wear jeans and sweaters it won’t be that big of a change. Yes, you’re going to have to wear a bra, but if they continue to…um grow, you won’t mind…trust me on that.”

    “I sort of figured that out. I mean, I’m not that big right now, but I’m aware of them when I walk,” she said.

    “Anything you want to talk about, just let me know,” said Annie.

    “Thanks, Annie. Um, I do have one question, how bad is it?”

    “How bad is what?” asked Annie innocently.

    Savanna gritted her teeth. “You know what I mean.”

    “Then say it, I mean it’s something you will have to deal with a woman, so you better get used to talking about it.”

    Savanna sighed. “Okay, how bad is a period?”
   
    Annie smiled back. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Okay, it can be bad; it varies from person to person. For me, I have good months and bad months. You learn to live with it.”

    “Do you get cramps?”

    Annie nodded. “Yes and water gain. Sometimes you’ll need to adjust your wardrobe.”

    Savanna nodded. “What about…um tampons?”

    “You get used to them; to be honest they aren’t that big of deal,” she replied. “So, you should expect your first period in the next thirty days, right?”

    Savanna nodded. “Assuming everything is normal. Dr. Lansing told me that I will get a full physical later this week to ensure the turn was complete. She did tell me that the one good thing about my type of turn is that the internal changes are usually without problems.”

    “That’s good to know,” said Annie. 

    Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their parents.

    “You look much better today, dear,” commented Maggie.

    “Thanks,” replied Savanna.

    “We just talked to Dr. Lansing and she thinks you will be able to go home by Thursday,” said Ron.

    “I know, she told me the same thing. I really can’t wait until I can sleep in my own bed again,” said Savanna. “Um, before you ask, I don’t need new furniture in my bedroom. It’s pretty neutral stuff right now.”

    “What, no frilly pink canopy bed?” asked Annie.

    Savanna ignored her sister. “Also, I realize that I’ll need a new wardrobe. I don’t care about most of the old clothes, but there are some T-shirts and sweatshirts that I want to keep. I figure we can sort through the stuff when I get home.”

    “Okay,” replied Maggie. “I’m taking the week off and I can help you.”

    “I can help you with your wardrobe too,” added Annie.

    “Thanks,” replied Savanna.

    “The hospital has given us documentation for your discounts,” said Maggie.

    Many local businesses offered discounts for clothes, shoes, and personal items for the newly turned. The discounts were usually good for the first ninety days following their turn.

    “I suppose I’ll also have to get a wig too,” said Savanna.

    “How do you want to do that? I can have them come to the house if you like,” said Maggie.

    Savanna nodded. “That sounds okay. However once I have it, I want to go out.”

    “You sure?” asked Maggie. “You still have a lot of healing.”

    “I can’t hide in the house all the time. I also want to get back to living my life,” said Savanna. “I know that I have to stay home for another week, but everyone knows what has happened to me.”

    “Well, it will up to the doctors when you can go back to school,” said Ron.

    “That’s fair,” replied Savanna.

Chapter 51

    The next day passed uneventfully for everyone.  All Savanna did was sleep and wake up to eat. She was even too tired to do homework.

    Dr. Lansing was actually pleased by this as she knew that rest was what Savanna needed most. Tomorrow would be a little more grueling as Savanna would have to undergo a battery of exams to ensure everything was in order.

    When she showered she had her first real chance to examine her new body. While it was strange to see her feminized body, it didn’t seem as foreign as it had first been.

    It was gradually sinking in that she was now a girl.

Chapter 52

    Savanna was sitting back in her hospital bed after undergoing a series of medical tests and examinations. It was a reminder of how weak she was as she slipped back into her bed.

    “How do you feel, Savanna?” asked Dr. Lansing.
   
    “I’m pooped,” replied Savanna honestly.

    “The turn takes a lot out of you,” she stated. “It’s actually amazing how quickly the body does recover from the transformation.”

    “It happens so fast, I would have thought that changes this drastic would take longer,” commented Savanna.

    “It’s just one of the many puzzling things about The Bru. If this just started now, I would immediately suspect it was created by some scientist,” she said.

    “So, what do you think caused it?” asked Savanna as she adjusted her bed so she could sit up.

    Dr. Lansing pulled up a chair and sat down. “I suspect that one of the vaccines produced for the Burmese Flu mutated or was deliberately changed. There wasn’t a lot of time between the two and I really suspect a connection between the two.”

    “I thought that theory had been shot down? I mean, they haven’t found any proof in all these years. If there was a connection wouldn’t they have found it by now?” asked Savanna.

    “Yes, but more information is coming out every year. I believe that in their drive to stop the flu they created all sorts of vaccines. I wouldn’t be shocked if one or maybe a combination of these attempts caused The Bru. I also think that if it had been an offshoot of something to fight the flu no one would jump to admit it.”

    “So you think the medical community has covered it up?”

    Dr. Lansing shrugged her shoulders. “I wouldn’t be shocked. Also, there are many governments that haven’t been very open about their medical research. I guess in their panic to find a cure they were willing to try anything. I also suspect that if this is a manmade creation that whoever did it is long dead. There weren’t many experts on genetics back then and most of them weren’t young.”

    “So, since this is your specialty; what’s being done right now?”

    “I think we’re getting closer to being able to identify who will turn,” she replied.

    “How soon?”

    “I think that we’ll be able to detect the genetic markers for it at birth,” she replied.

    Savanna stared back in shock. “At birth?”

    “It makes sense. If it was a straight virus then it would have mutated and be less selective when it comes to when it happens. I believe that it has become a genetic mutation and that a person is born with it.”

    “So that means there is no way to stop it,” said Savanna.

    Dr, Lansing shook her head. “If we could find the specific genetic sequence we could change it; we’ve been able to do that with several genetic illnesses. Several genetic illnesses are now corrected before birth.”

    “So…you think that I’ve had this in me my whole life?” asked Savanna.

    “It’s just my theory, but I have colleagues that believe the same thing,” she replied.  “Who knows, if you do go into medicine maybe you’ll find the cause?”

    Savanna laughed. “I’ll be happy if I just graduate.”

    “I think you’ll do more than just graduate, Savanna. I talked to your counselor and she said that you’re a very good student.”

    “My grades have been off a little this year,” interjected Savanna.
   
    “That’s to be expected, considering all the stress you’ve been under,” she countered.  “Look, I’m not going to downplay what you’ve gone through and will have to deal with. Yes, society has accepted the turn as part of life, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. Don’t try to go it alone. From what I’ve seen you have a lot of supporters, both friends and family. Don’t hesitate to seek their help.”

    “I promise,” replied Savanna. “Um, changing the subject slightly, will I be going home this week?”

    “It all depends on your test results. So far, everything looks normal, but I want to see all the results. Your body has gone through a lot in the past week and I don’t want to see you brought back because we let you go too soon.”

    “Okay,” replied Savanna.

    “Try and get some rest, you look tired,” said Dr. Lansing.

    “Is that a medical order?” asked Savanna as she fought back a yawn.

    “No, just a suggestion from a friend.”

Chapter 53

    “Well, well, it must be nice to sleep all day,” said Annie as she smiled at her sister.

    Savanna stretched and rubbed her eyes. “Jeez, what time is it?” she asked.

    “Almost four in the afternoon,” replied Annie.

    “When did you get here?” asked Savanna.

    “About an hour ago,” she replied. “Dr. Lansing said that they ran you through the wringer this morning. How do you feel?”

    “Tired, but better than yesterday,” she replied.

    “You look a little better; you’re still a little skinny though.”

    “Thanks. I guess all my weight has gone down here,” replied Savanna as she sat up in her bed. She then pulled her blanket down to show her chest.

    “Wow, it looks like you’ve had a little growth spurt,” said Annie.

    “They measured me this morning and said that I’m now up to a C-cup,” said Savanna. “They said that they’ll probably get bigger.”

    “Well, at least we can be sure of one thing then,” said Annie.

    Savanna cocked her head. “What’s that?”

    “You’re definitely not adopted,” she replied with a wink.
   
    “Very funny,” replied Savanna.

    “Hey, I can’t have you being all depressed or anything like that. I brought you a present too.”

    “What is it?” asked Savanna suspiciously.

    “Here, open the bag and see for yourself,” said Annie as she handed her sister a bag.

    Savanna opened it up and pulled out a pair of pajamas. They were dark blue and had stars and moons on them.

    “I didn’t think you’d want pink bunnies or lavender unicorns,” said Annie.

    “Thanks,” replied Savanna. “They’re probably more comfortable than this stupid hospital gown. Do you think they’ll let me wear them now?”

    “I already asked and they said sure,” answered Annie. “There’s also a couple of pairs of panties in the bag, nothing too fancy, just plain cotton. I think they’re the right size.”

    Savanna slowly got out of her bed. “I’ll go try them on.”

    Savanna then let out a soft groan.

    “You okay?” asked Annie as she got up to help her sister.

    “Yes, it’s just that I’m still sore all over,” said Savanna. “My hips hurt the worst.”

    Annie nodded and then stared at her sister. “Um, have you shrunk?”

    Savanna turned and nodded. “I’m now only five-seven.”

    “Is that normal?”

    “About twenty percent lose a few inches in height. I’m trying to go for the record of the most abnormalities in turning,” replied Savanna. “I’ll be right back.”

Chapter 54

    “Not bad,” said Annie as she inspected her sister. “I wish I had known about the height change though.”

    The cuffs of the pj bottoms were rolled up slightly to keep them from dragging on the floor.
   
    “It’s not that important in pjs,” said Savanna. “Thanks for doing this, it was very thoughtful.”

    “No problem, Savanna. How did the panties fit?”

    “They’re okay,” replied Savanna as she sat down on the edge of her bed.

    “What’s wrong?” asked Annie.

    Savanna let out a big sigh. “It’s just another reminder of how much my life has changed. I know that it’s just underwear and I know that I can’t wear my old boy stuff any more. I also know that this is just something that happens…”

    “Savanna, can I ask you a question?” interrupted Annie.

    “What?”

    “Have you had a good cry over all this yet?” asked Annie as she sat down on the bed next to Savanna.

    “What? Is that supposed to make it all better?” asked Savanna, her voice cracking slightly.

    Annie put her arm around Savanna’s shoulders. “Nope, but it doesn’t do any good holding it all in and pretending that nothing is wrong. Christ, Savanna, in the past week you almost died, you changed genders, your longtime girl friend broke up with you, and you face a whole bunch of new challenges. If that doesn’t call for a good cry I don’t know what does!”

    Savanna started to laugh, but this quickly changed into crying. She clung to Annie as she sobbed.

    “I…I’m…I’m so scared, Annie,” cried Savanna.

    Annie hung onto her sister. “I know you are, but we’re here for you. Let it out, Savanna.”

    Savanna cried as Annie held her.

Chapter 55

    Savanna washed her face in the bathroom sink. The cold water felt good. When she was done, Annie handed her a towel.

    “You feel better?” asked Annie.

    “I don’t feel as bad,” she replied. “All kidding aside, it does feel good to let it all out.”

    “I thought so. I wanted you to get it out before Mom and Dad arrive. They’re bringing Gran, Jill, and Harry. And if you feel like crying again, it’s okay, chicks are allowed to cry remember?”

    Savanna smiled back. “Okay.”

    Annie reached over and ran her fingers through Savanna’s hair. “Wow, I can’t believe how fast it has changed. I mean, it’s only a little longer, but it feels different. You look like you might have curly hair.”

    “It’s really turning red,” said Savanna as she looked in the mirror.

    “Yes, but a nice dark red. I’m rather envious.”

    “Knock-knock,” announced Mom from the room.

    “We’re in here, Mom,” replied Annie. She then turned to Savanna. “You ready?”

    Savanna put down the towel. “Yes.”

    They walked out of the bathroom together.

    Savanna’s grandmother didn’t wait for her to speak and immediately hugged her.

    “Good to see you too, Gran,” said Savanna as she returned the hug.

    Gran released Savanna. “How do you feel, dear?”

    “Better every day,” replied Savanna.

    “You look great, a little thin though,” replied Gran.

    “I know about the weight, they’re doing their best to get me back up to normal.”

    “Maybe we can help with that,” said Kyle as he walked in with Harry and Jill.

    They were carrying several large pizza boxes.

    “You still like pizza, right?” asked Harry.

    “Why wouldn’t I?” replied Savanna anxiously as she eyed the pizzas. “Oooh that smells wonderful!”

    They set the boxes down on the counter.

    “Good to see you, Savanna,” greeted Jill as they hugged. “I’m sorry you had such a rough turn.”

    “Thankfully I don’t remember most of it,” replied Savanna. “After I passed out the next thing I knew I was in the ICU.”

    “Okay, we’ve got a variety of pies. We got two with extra cheese and pepperoni,” said Kyle.

    “Thanks,” replied Savanna. It was her favorite.  “Thanks for going to Giuseppes.”

    “No problem,” he replied.

    Savanna sat down on her bed next to Jill and Annie and took a bite of pizza. She closed her eyes. “Mmm, that’s so good.”

Chapter 56

    “How long will you be here?” asked Savanna.

    “Through the weekend.”

    “Cool, what about you Jill?” asked Savanna.

    “I’m sticking around a few days too; if you don’t mind,” she replied as she helped Maggie and Annie clean up.

    “No not at all,” said Savanna.

    “I suspect you have a lot of questions,” continued Jill.

    “Just a few hundred,” she replied.

    Dr. Lansing walked in. “Sorry to interrupt your party Savanna.”

    “You’re not,” replied Savanna. She then introduced Dr. Lansing to her grandmother and Jill.

    “Well, we got your latest test results in and it looks like you can go home tomorrow,” said Dr. Lansing.

    “Really? That’s awesome!” exclaimed Savanna.

    “We will need you back next week for a follow-up. It’s standard procedure for those who went through what you did,” she replied. She then explained Savanna would have a follow-up every two weeks for the next couple of months. “It’s strictly precautionary.”

    “I don’t mind,” replied Savanna.

    “I’ll work out the details with your parents. By the way, I like your pjs.”

    Savanna pointed at Annie. “My sister picked them out.”

    “Dr. Lansing, what time will Savanna be released tomorrow?” asked Annie.

    “Late afternoon, why?”

    “I want to bring her something more appropriate to wear home.”

Chapter 57

    The next afternoon, Jill and Annie stopped by Savanna’s room. They were carrying several bags.

    “Um, you do realize that I can only wear one outfit at a time, right?” asked Savanna.

    “This is one outfit,” said Annie.

    “How did Annie talk you into this, Jill?” asked Savanna as she watched Annie unpack the bags.

    “She didn’t talk me into doing anything; I volunteered for this,” said Jill.

    “I talked to Dr. Lansing last night and I got your latest sizes; hopefully you haven’t had any more growth spurts since then,” said Annie.

    Savanna glanced at her breasts then shook her head. “No, they’re the same size as yesterday.”

    “It took a month until my body stopped changing completely,” said Jill.

    “Maybe I’ll gain back my two lost inches,” said Savanna.

    “I doubt that will happen,” said Jill.

    “I know, Dr. Lansing said that she doubted I would grow any taller. It stinks! I’m the shortest one in the family now; even Harry is taller than me.”

    “I’m just a little taller than you are,” said Annie. “The way your body is developing we look like we’ll be real close in size.”

    “So?” asked Savanna as she watched Annie and Jill lay out the clothing.

    “That means, ‘little’ sister, we can share things,” said Annie with a smile on her face.

    “I’m still your big sister!” countered Savanna.

    “No, you’re my older sister,” replied Annie.
   
    Savanna stuck out her tongue at Annie.

    “Okay, okay, enough, Savanna, try on these,” interrupted Jill.

    Savanna looked at the items that Annie had set aside. There was a sports bra, a forest green colored sweater, jeans, and a pair of green socks.

    “We picked out some sports bras. You’re still changing and they’re pretty easy to get used to,” said Jill. “Once your breasts have stopped their growth spurt you can get fitted for bras specifically for your size. Trust me; you’ll want to do that. A bra that isn’t the right size can be very uncomfortable.”

    Annie nodded in agreement.

    “Okay,” I’ll try them on,” said Savanna as she picked up the clothes and headed to the bathroom.

    “Savanna, you can change out here, we’re all girls,” said Jill. “It will be easier.”

    Savanna stopped and looked at Annie.

    “What ever makes you feel more comfortable, Savanna,” said Annie. “We can step out if you want.”

    “I guess I might as well get used to this,” said Savanna. She unbuttoned her pj top she set it down on the bed. “Um, so what do I do now?”
   
“Just slip it over your head,” said Annie.

Savanna did as she was told. Jill helped her adjust it so it fit better.

“What do you think?” asked Jill.

“It’s not so bad,” she replied.

“It looks like the right size,” said Annie. “Now try on the sweater. Do you need help?”

“I think I know how to put one of these on,” joked Savanna.

The sweater had long sleeves and a v-neck.

“Normally you wouldn’t wear a sports bra with a sweater, but it’s fine for leaving the hospital,” said Jill. “It’s also a good introduction to women’s clothing for you.”

Savanna nodded. “It looks okay.”

She then tried on the jeans and was pleased to see that they fit comfortably.

“Not bad,” said Savanna.

“Okay, put on your socks and shoes,” said Annie.

The shoes were brown ankle high boots.

“How did you know my shoe size?” asked Savanna.

“Dr. Lansing told me,” said Annie.

Savanna looked over to see Jill was setting up makeup and Annie was combing out a wig.

“Um…what are you two doing?” asked Savanna.

“You can’t walk out of here looking in between; do you want people to think you’re a Boi?” asked Annie. “Look, trust us.”

“Savanna, you’ll look great. All kidding aside, we want to help you through this with as little hassle as possible.”

“Now, sit down here, Savanna,” said Annie.

Savanna did as her sister asked.

“Don’t worry about trying to figure out what I’m doing; there will be plenty of time to teach you later,” said Annie was she went to work.

Chapter 58

“Well?” asked Annie as she watched Savanna look at herself in the mirror.

Savanna stared in semi-disbelief as she looked at herself. The wig was shoulder-length and had large curls. The color was close to Savanna’s new hair color.

Combined with her newly made-up face and new outfit Savanna looked totally feminine.

“Wow,” she replied.

“You’re really attractive, Savanna,” commented Jill.

“No… she’s hot!” replied Annie.

Savanna glanced at her sister. “I think you’re exaggerating, Annie.”

Annie shook her head. “If you look this good dressed casual, I can’t wait until to see you dressed up.”

Savanna looked at Jill, who was nodding in agreement.

“She’s right, Savanna, you’re going to turn some heads…including mine.”

Savanna felt her face turn warm as she blushed.

“Too bad you haven’t got pieced ears,” said Annie. “No problem, we can take care of that. Before you say anything, pierced ears are far more comfortable than clip-ons. Here’s a watch, it should fit your wrist.”

Savanna nodded as she put it on. “Um…does it matter which wrist?”

“No, no one cares about that,” said Jill.

“Okay,” she replied.  The first thing that came to her mind was how thin her wrists were now. Then she then held out her hands and looked at her nails. They weren’t long, but now they were shaped and covered in light pink colored polish.

Noticing that Savanna was looking at her nails, Annie commented. “It’s a nice subtle color, it works well for you.”

“I agree, Savanna,” added Jill. “Trust me, you’ll get used to it.”

“If you say so,” said Savanna.

Annie looked at her watch. “Mom will be here soon to check you out, let’s finish packing up your things.”

Chapter 59

Maggie ran her eyes over her daughter and nodded approvingly.

“You look fabulous, dear,” complimented Maggie. “I’m very impressed.”

“Annie and Jill deserve the credit,” replied Savanna.

Maggie shook her head. “No dear, you misunderstood. I wasn’t complimenting you on your outfit or anything like that. I’m just proud that you’re moving on with your life. I mean, it’s been less than a week and this is big step.”

Savanna bit her lower lip. “Thanks Mom.”

Dr. Lansing walked in. “Well, well, Savanna, you look very nice.”

“Thank you, Dr. Lansing.”

She turned to Maggie. “Everything is set, we’ll see you next week, and the appointment time and date is on the card. Don’t hesitate to call if you have any concerns.”

“We will doctor. Thank you for everything you’ve done for Savanna.”

“It was my pleasure,” she replied. Then she turned to Savanna. “And if you have any questions or issues, don’t hesitate to call me.”

“I will,” replied Savanna. She hesitated for a moment as if she was about to ask something, but then she just walked over and gave her doctor a hug. “Thank you for saving my life.”

Dr. Lansing returned the hug. “I just watched over you; you were the one doing all the hard work.”

Savanna stepped back and sniffed. Annie immediately handed her sister a tissue.

“Thank you again,” said Savanna. “Now, let’s go home.”

Chapter 60

Savanna walked into her bedroom and flipped on the light switch. While it was obvious that someone had come in and cleaned it a little, it looked the same.

For a slight moment Savanna felt as if none of the events of the past week had happened, but that sensation passed almost as quickly as it had come. A new one replaced it, and the bedroom that had been hers for as long as she could remember felt like it belonged to someone else.

She sat down on the bed and felt a wave of exhaustion sweep through her body. Yes, she knew that she would have emotional up and down swings; this had been told to her by both Mrs. Martin and Ms. Lake, but it still didn’t make her feel any better. She didn’t like the idea of having to restart her life all over again.

“How’re you doing?” asked Jill from the doorway.

“I feel like this is someone else’s room,” replied Savanna honestly.

Jill nodded. “Can I come in?”

Savanna nodded.

“I felt the same way if it makes you feel any better; it’s all part of the adjustment, in a few days you’ll feel a bit more normal,” said Jill.

“How soon did you do the purge?” asked Savanna referring to her impending disposal of male clothing.

“I boxed up most of my stuff the first week, and then slowly went through it. I ended up keeping just a few things, mainly t-shirts and sweatshirts.”

“I don’t even know if those will fit me now,” said Savanna. “I mean, I’m shorter and have a much larger chest.”

“I know this may sound cold; but it’s just clothes,” said Jill. “I mean, look at what you’re wearing right now; it’s not that much different from what you normally would have worn as a guy, right?”

Savanna nodded. “Other than the bra.”

“So, stick with that for now.”

“Um, do you wear skirts and dresses?” asked Savanna.

“Not too often, but they aren’t as bad as you think. To be honest, I don’t give it much thought any more.”

    “I guess that makes sense,” said Savanna.

    “Look, just concentrate on getting your strength back so you can head back to school. Don’t sweat the small stuff,” said Jill.

    “I’ll try,” said Savanna.

    “Also, does your school have a post-Bru support group?”

    Savanna nodded.

    “Try and attend a meeting or two; you’ll find that others have dealt with a lot of the stuff that’s going through your head. Also, don’t hesitate to call me,” said Jill.

    “Thanks,” replied Savanna.

    “I also liked the fact that you let out your feelings yesterday with Annie,” continued Jill. “Yes, she told me, we’ve been talking a lot since your turn; you’re really lucky to have a sister like her, she cares a lot about you.”

    “I know,” replied Savanna.

    “What I’m saying is don’t try to be stoic and brave and hold in your feelings. It doesn’t work and eventually they’ll find a way out. Trust me on this; it won’t be very good if you go down that road.”

    “Did you do that?”

    Jill nodded. “It wasn’t my proudest time in my life. I sort of self medicated a little.”

    “How bad?”

    “I was on the path to trouble. I don’t have to tell you how easy it is to get booze and other stuff down at the shore. Thankfully, I had some good friends that kicked me in the ass and straightened me out.”

    “Really?”

    Jill nodded. “I drank myself unconscious. I was found by some friends on the beach. Thankfully they cleaned me up and watched over me until I sobered up. They showed me photos of how they found me and it scared the shit out of me. I might have drowned if they hadn’t found me.”

    “Wow,” said Savanna. “I had no idea; I mean I always thought you had your act together.”

    “So did I; and I always thought I could handle the turn if it happened. Look, you have a lot of friends and family who are there to help up, don’t do an idiot act like me and try to go it alone. If I hear that you did something stupid like I did, I’ll come here and kick your butt!”

    Savanna laughed. “Okay, I promise,” she said as she held up her right hand.

    “I’m holding you to that,” said Jill.

Chapter 61
   
    It was around nine that Savanna’s older brother arrived home. He had called to let them all know he would late due to an accident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

    Jon was a business major at Penn State at the main campus at State College. He was due to graduate early had already been accepted for graduate school.

    Savanna was a little nervous as she waited with the others in the living room. She wasn’t sure why, as she knew that her brother would accept her. After all if he didn’t want to see her why would he drive all the way from college?

    The front door opened and Jon walked in. He was the tallest one in the family at nearly six-three.

    “Sorry for being so late, but some idiot jack-knifed an eighteen wheeler and blocked all the lanes,” he said as he stepped inside the living room.

    “We’re just glad you made it here safe,” said Maggie.

    Jon smiled and looked around the room. He stared at Savanna with a blank look on his face for a moment.

    “Yep, it’s me,” said Savanna as she stood up.

    “Wow,” he exclaimed. “It really happened.”

    Savanna nodded.

    He dropped his bag to the floor and walked over to hug Savanna. He picked her up in his enthusiasm.

    “Yikes, you’ve shrunk,” he said.

    “You think?” replied Savanna with a laugh. “Trust me; it’s the least drastic thing that changed.”

    He carefully put her down. “I don’t know what to say. I’m just glad you’re out of the hospital. I would have been here sooner but I had midterms this week.”

    “It’s okay, Jon,” said Savanna. “I’m glad you came down.”

    “I should have said the hell with the tests and come down last weekend,” he apologized.

    “What good would that have done?” said Savanna. “The last thing I would want is to mess up your life.”

    Jon shook his head. “It’s good to see you, Scott…I mean Savanna. Sorry.”
   
    “Don’t be, I’m not used to the new name yet myself,” she said.

    She sat back down as Jon greeted everyone else.

    “Thanks for driving Gran up, Jill,” he said.

    “It was my pleasure,” she replied.

    “Scott…I mean, Savanna told me about your turn. She also said that you’re going to Rutgers.”

    Jill nodded. “I’m still going to work this summer as a lifeguard. I can’t stand to be too far from the ocean.”

    “Okay, who wants dessert?” asked Maggie.

Chapter 62

    The next morning, Savanna was up first. She hadn’t slept well that night and had gotten up to make herself a cup of coffee. She was still in her pjs and robe. She hadn’t bothered with the wig and it was sitting on its fake head up in her room.

    Jon was the next one up.

    “Good morning, there’s fresh coffee in the pot,” she said.

    “Thanks. When did you start drinking coffee?” he asked as he poured himself a cup.

    “I picked it up this fall,” she replied.

    He sat down next to her. “Even without the wig you’re not bad looking.”

    “Gee thanks!” she replied with a soft elbow to his ribs.

    “It’s good to see you, Savanna...see I’m not so dumb after all,” he said. “How’re you doing?”

    “I’m sort of numb. I mean, I’m sort of on a rollercoaster of emotions,” she replied as she sipped her coffee.

    “Annie told me about Debby,” he said.

    “I can understand that she wanted to break up, but what I can’t understand is that she hasn’t even called,” replied Savanna. “I mean, I got a big card from my friends at school and there were people who signed who I barely know…and she didn’t sign it. It really hurts.”

    “I know it does, Savanna, but try and put it behind you. People handle stress in different ways. I just think that she’s so into herself that she sees herself as the victim in all this and all the attention on you just makes her feel more sorry for herself.”

    Savanna scratched her head and looked at her brother. “I thought you were a business major.”

    “I’ve taken a few psych classes as electives. We had a whole lesson on how family members, friends, and lovers react to the turn.”

    She took another sip of her coffee. “Thankfully everyone in our family has been great, especially Annie.”

    “Well, she’s been wanting a sister her whole life,” he said. “Oops, shit, that was pretty insensitive,”

    Savanna laughed. “I don’t mind. Hell, I don’t mind people being honest around me. Don’t worry, Jon, I’m not going to be offended by anything you say.”

    He smiled back. “Thanks.”

    “Do me a favor, keep an eye on Harry. I know he has a long time until he enters the Bru zone, but until I turned our family seemed untouched. I know he must be worried about it now.”

    “I will,” he replied. “So what are you going to do?”

    “The goal for this week is just getting back in shape for school. Annie and Jill are going to help me build up a wardrobe and all that other stuff.”

    “And after that?”

    “Short range, I’ll deal with things as they come up. Long range, I still plan on going to college. My doctor told me that there’s a special scholarship for people like me,” explained Savanna. She then told him about the medical scholarship.

    “That’s pretty cool. I think you’d make a great doctor,” said Jon. “Damn, it’s good seeing you walking around. You are aware how close you came to dying, right?”

    “Dr. Lansing told me the numbers,” said Savanna as she got up. “You want a refill?”

    He nodded. “I went online and did some research; you really dodged a bullet, Savanna.”

    “Dr. Lansing said the combination of Kyle finding me and the EMTs getting me the hospital made the difference,” said Savanna as she refilled her mug and then Jon’s.

“That’s just part of it. You’re lucky to have turned here. We’ve got one of the top centers around and Dr. Lansing is one of the top specialists in the country. The death rate in hospitals that don’t have a special center is extremely high,” said Jon.

    “I wasn’t aware of that,” she replied as she handed Jon his coffee.

    “Thanks,” he replied as he sipped it.

    Savanna sat down at the table and put some sugar and milk into hers.

    “By the way; I like your new name,” said Jon. “It’s unique.”

    “Thanks,” she replied. “It was Annie’s idea.”

    “Have you picked a middle name?”

    She shook her head. “I’ll leave that to Mom and Dad. I mean who uses their middle name anyway?”

    “True,” he replied. “Just so you know this doesn’t change anything between us. You’re just my sister now and not my brother.”

    “Thanks, Jon,” she replied.

    “Well, I take that back slightly. Just like with Annie, I reserve the right to play protective big brother,” he stated as he took another sip of his coffee.

    Savanna was about to make a smart ass remark, but what Jon said was strangely comforting. “Thanks, again.”

Chapter 63

    “You don’t mind?” asked Maggie.

    Savanna shook her head. “Not at all. I mean, life doesn’t stop just because I turned.”

    Harry had an ice hockey game that afternoon and he was the starting center. Savanna’s parents, grandmother, and Jon were planning on attending.

    “You sure you don’t want to come along?” asked Ron.

    “No, I’m still rather drained. Besides I won’t be alone, Annie and Jill will be here.”

    “Thanks a lot Savanna,” said Harry as he lugged his equipment bags to the front door.

    “Do me a favor, Harry and score a goal for me, okay?” asked Savanna.

    He broke out in a big smile. “I’ll do my best.”

    “You can’t ask for more than that,” said Savanna.

Chapter 64

    Annie released the tape measure that had surrounded Savanna’s chest.

    “I know that I’ve grown again,” said Savanna.

    “You’re up to a D-cup,” said Annie.

    “I hope that’s it. These are a pain as it is when I sleep,” complained Savanna.

    “Well, you look great,” said Jill. “I mean, your breasts are big, but they’re proportional for the rest of your figure. You’re going to look fabulous in a tight dress.”

    “I’ll pass on that for now,” said Savanna.

    “How do you feel about trying on some new outfits? I mean you can’t keep wearing sweats all the time,” said Annie.

    “Um, okay,” replied Savanna.

    “Good,” replied Annie. “Now, follow us, we’ve laid out some things for you in my room.”

Chapter

    “Oooh, I like that a lot,” commented Jill as she inspected Savanna.

    “See, you can wear a skirt and not melt,” added Annie.

    Savanna’s outfit was a denim skirt and a sweater.

    She had to admit that it wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. However she wasn’t ready to leave the house in one quite yet.

    “When did you get all these things? I mean I must have tried on a dozen outfits,” said Savanna.

    “We did some shopping yesterday. The cool thing is that you can mix and match the things we got you so in reality you have many different outfits now,” explained Annie.

    “We also trued to get things that would allow for growth, if you know what I mean,” added Jill.

    “Thanks,” replied Savanna. “Do you mind if I change back into jeans?”

    “No, go ahead, we’ll put the rest of the stuff in your room,” said Annie.

    “I don’t know where you’ll put it; I haven’t cleaned out my old stuff yet,” said Savanna and she took off the skirt and began to put on a pair of straight leg jeans. She decided to keep the sweater on.

    “You feel up to do that now or do you want to wait?” asked Annie.

    “What do you think, Jill?” asked Savanna.

    “I’d just box it up for now.  Like I told you yesterday, you can sort through it later. The point is you have to move on.”

    “True,” said Savanna. “Okay, let’s get started before I change my mind.”

Chapter 65

    Savannah kept a few favorite t-shirts and a couple of sweatshirts.  She tried on her favorite pair of jeans, but found that her body had changed too drastically for them to be comfortable. She took them off and put them into the boxes with the rest of her boy clothing.

    Next, with Jill and Annie’s help she organized and put away her new things.

    “So, what do you want to do with these? We can put the boxes in the attic.” suggested Annie.

    “What’s the point?” replied Savannah. “Give Harry a chance to rummage through them and then we take them to the Goodwill drop-off.”

    “You sure?” asked Annie.

    Savannah nodded. “I can’t wear anything that’s in those boxes anymore, so why keep them? I mean I grabbed a few things that still fit. Also, I’ll need room for all the new things that I’ll need to get.”

    Without another word, Annie picked up one of the boxes and carried it towards Harry’s room.

Chapter 66

    “I suppose that I’ll need to go shopping soon,” said Savannah as she reached into the fridge for a soda.

    Neither Annie or Jill said anything.

    “Um, can you two help me? I mean, I like Mom and everything, but I’d prefer someone closer to my age help me pick out my new wardrobe,” continued Savannah.

    “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” asked Jill.

    Savannah laughed. “No, but I figure I have to do it.”

    “When?” asked Annie.

    “Tomorrow,” replied Savannah. “I’m kinda beat.”

    “Why don’t you go take a nap? I mean, I remember how fatigued I was after I turned.”

    Savannah nodded. “That’s not a bad idea.” She then put the unopened soda back in the fridge. “See you two later.”

Chapter 67

    “How do you think she’s holding up?” asked Annie as she sipped her soda.

    “She seems to doing okay; but it’s not uncommon to have good days and bad days. It really didn’t hit me that my life had changed until I had my first period; that really freaked me out. Up until then, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal,” replied Jill.

    “What did you do?”

    “I got really drunk,” she replied. “I’m not proud of that, but it seemed like the thing to do at the time.” She then told Annie about her post-turn struggles.

    “I had no idea,” said Annie. “I mean, you seem to be so under control.”

    “It’s hard to describe, but even though you prepare for the turn, there’s no explaining the initial horror of realizing that you’re changing genders. I can’t imagine what it was like for those in the early days before society accepted it; I also can’t imagine what it would be like to turn in some other place.”

    Annie nodded. “I was reading about some other countries and how they treat those who turn.”

    Jill nodded. “Yeah, I know. In some countries the remaining men have legalized harems. Those who are turned are assigned to them! Assigned! That’s virtual slavery! What a bunch of barbarians. I’ve gone up to the UN a few times since I turned and have participated in a few protests.”

    “Really?”

    Jill smiled. “Yep. We even picketed in front of the embassy of one country. I don’t know if it did any good, but it made me feel a little better.”

    “Can I come with you sometime?” asked Annie.

    “Wait until you’re in college. Besides, if I took you now, your Mom would freak!”

    Annie laughed. “Okay.”

    Jill took another sip of her soda. “Anyway, I think Savannah is doing okay, but I’m glad she has you to look after her.”

    “I’m glad she has you for a friend too.”

Chapter 68

    “Where’s Savannah?” exclaimed Harry excitedly as he burst into the house.

    “We’re in the kitchen,” replied Annie.

    Harry ran in and handed Savannah three pucks. “I scored a hat trick for you!”

    “Wow! I wish I could have been there,” she replied.

    The rest of the family was soon in the kitchen.

    “He scored all three in the first period,” said Jon.

    “I told you I would score a goal for you,” replied Harry with pride.

    “Thanks again,” replied Savannah as she hugged her brother.
   
    “I just wanted to do something for you,” said Harry.

    “Well, I did something for you. There are some boxes outside your bedroom; feel free to take anything you want,” said Savanna.

    “You purged your things already?” asked Maggie.

    Savanna turned to her mom. “Why not?  I mean most of the stuff doesn’t fit me any way. Heck, Harry’s almost the same size I was before…well you know what I mean. I did keep a few shirts and things like that. Oh, guess what? Not only did I shrink a couple of inches, my feet are also smaller.”

    “Thanks, Savanna,” said Harry.

    “And if you don’t want any thing, don’t feel obligated to take anything just to be polite. Trust me, I won’t be offended,” said Savanna.

    “Um, what about your ski clothing?” asked Harry.

    Savanna shrugged. “Sure, I didn’t bother to check it, but I’m sure it doesn’t fit. I’ll have to get new boots and skis too.”

    “What if we make that your birthday gift?” asked Ron.

    Savanna cocked her head. “Wow, I totally forgot. Sure, that would be really cool Dad.”

    “Do you want to celebrate your birthday?” asked Annie.

    Savanna shrugged her shoulders again. “I wouldn’t call it a celebration, but there’s no sense in ignoring it either.”

    “Why don’t we do something tonight?” suggested Maggie. “What do you feel like eating?”

    “I could really go for your lasagna, Mom,” she replied.

    “Okay, I’ll have to go to the supermarket. Annie, you want to help me?”

    Annie nodded. “I’ll get my coat.”

    “I’ll come along too,” said Jill.

Chapter 69

    Savanna and her grandmother were sitting in the kitchen talking. Harry had gone up to sort through the boxes. Ron and Jon had gone out on some errands.

    “So, are you going to ask me how I’m doing, Gran?” asked Savanna with a wink.

    “Only if you want me to,” she replied. “I’m glad to see that you still have your sense of humor.”

    “It keeps me from crying,” replied Savanna.

    “I hope you’re joking,” she said.

    “A little. I have noticed that my emotions are much looser than before. I feel like I’m on a roller coaster at times; real happy one minute, depressed the next. Is that normal?”

    “From what I’ve read it is. Don’t forget, your whole body chemistry has changed. I suspect it will take you a while to settle down and adjust.”

    Savanna nodded.

    “What is really wrong, dear?” asked Elizabeth. “Are you still upset about the way Debby treated you?”

    “No…well, I’m more pissed off by her rudeness than anything. No, what worries me now is the fact…well, I think I let the family down,” she said.

    Elizabeth reached over and took Savanna’s hands into hers.

    “Dear, don’t think that. You didn’t let anyone down. You had no say in what happened to you. If anything we’re very proud of how you survived it.”

    Savanna smiled back and at the same time wiped back a tear. “See what I mean about my emotions.”

    “Honey, it’s okay. We’re just happy that you’re alive.”

    “You can thank the doctors for that.”

    “Nonsense!” replied Elizabeth. “Your doctors told us that your will to live had a lot to do with your survival. And don’t ever think that you let this family down. I know you’ll accomplish great things if you put your mind to it.”

    “Thanks, Gran.”

Chapter 70

    Annie asked Savanna if it was okay for Kyle to join them for dinner.

    “Hey, you may be dating him, but he’s still my friend. Of course I don’t mind,” replied Savanna.

    “Thanks, Savanna,” she replied. “I really like him.”

    With a look of confusion on her face, Savanna turned to her sister. “Why?”

    Annie immediately broke up laughing. “Oh, we’re going to get along famously, ‘little sister’.”

    Savanna rolled her eyes. “Um, I do have a favor to ask.”

    “What is it?” asked Annie.

    “Can you help me with my makeup for tonight? Wow, I never thought I would be asking you that!”

    Annie nodded. “Sure, let’s go to my room.”

First, Annie called Kyle and he immediately accepted. Savanna was glad that Kyle was coming over as she wanted to find out how things were going at school.

    As Annie applied the makeup, Savanna took note of what her sister was doing. “So, who taught you?”

    “Self taught more or less. I mean, growing up a girl, my friends and I played around with this stuff, but I like the more subtle look…although I can show you how to look sexy if you want.”

    “Subtle is good. I’ll stick to that for now,” replied Savanna. “Um… another question…can you tell me how to shave my legs and underarms?”

    “Carefully,” replied Annie.

    “Funny,” replied Savanna.

    “Don’t move, you want your eyeliner to be straight don’t you?”

    “Seriously, what do you do?”

    “I shave when I take a bath. I let my legs soak a while and then I use shaving cream and take my time.”

    “Have you tried waxing?”

    Annie shook her head. “It’s not because I’m afraid or anything, I just prefer to save my money. But you might ask Jill, she gets waxed.”

    “Okay,” replied Savanna softly.

    Annie stopped. “What’s wrong/”

    “I feel funny asking her things like that,” replied Savanna.

    Annie stared back in silence for a moment and then snapped her finger. “You like her don’t you?”

    Savanna nodded.

    “Tell her,” said Annie.

    “I don’t think so,” replied Savanna.

    “Why not? I mean she told me she likes you,” replied Annie. “And I don’t mean in a friendship way.”

    “Whoa, when did she do this?” asked Savanna.

    “The other day,” replied Annie. “Look, I wouldn’t go jumping into something until you’re back to being one-hundred percent; but you couldn’t do much better than Jill.”

    Savanna nodded.

    “Um, can I ask you something?” asked Annie.

    “Sure, what is it?”

    “Do you like boys?”

    Savanna stared back and shrugged her shoulders. “I honestly don’t know.  I mean the only men I’ve been around since I’ve turned have been family and Kyle, but he’s like family to me.”

    “Just be prepared for new feelings when you go back to school.”

    Savanna nodded. “I know, they told us that our sexual preferences can change after the turn. They say that the change can happen up to a month after the turn.”

    “How do you feel about that?” asked Annie.

    “If it feels normal, then I guess it won’t matter will it? I just know that I still like girls.”

    Annie nodded. “Okay, put your wig back. I’ll let you style it.”

    Savanna nodded and slipped on her wig. “I’ll be glad when I no longer have to wear this stupid hair-helmet.”

    “Just be glad it’s still winter. I hear they can be awful to wear in the summer.”

    “Hopefully by then I’ll have long hair,” replied Savanna.

    Annie stepped back. “You look great, Savanna.”

    Savanna looked in the mirror and had to admit that she was pleased with her appearance.

    “So what are you going to wear tonight?”
   
    “How about the green sweater?”

    Annie nodded. “And how about something besides jeans?”

    “No skirts,” replied Savanna.

    Annie glanced downward. “Not until you shave those hairy legs,” replied Annie as she giggled. “My sister the sasquatch!”

    “Funny, so what do you suggest?”

    “I have just the thing,” said Annie as she led Savanna to her own room. “Try on these.”

    The slacks were dark brown.

    “You can wear these shoes with the outfit,” said Annie.

    “I look like a tree,” replied Savanna.

    “More like a bush, you’re not tall enough to be a tree,” replied Annie as she laughed.

    “Funny, I do know one thing…you’re still ticklish, right?”

    As Savanna approached Annie stepped back. “Don’t, you’ll ruin your makeup!”

    Savanna stopped. “Okay, but I owe you.”

    Annie nodded as she left the room. “Whatever you say…little sister!”  She darted out before Savanna could reply.

Chapter 71

    “Does anyone want another serving?” asked Maggie.

    Kyle was the only one who brought his plate up for a third helping. “I’ve always loved your lasagna, Mrs. Gordon.”

    “Thank you, Kyle,” she replied. “Did you get enough, Savanna?”

    “Yes, Mom.”

    “I just want to make sure you’re eating enough. Don’t forget we have a check-up with Dr. Lansing on Tuesday.”

    “I know, Mom,” replied Savanna.

    “You do look better,” said Kyle as he sat down and began to eat his lasagna.

    “Thanks,” she replied. “How’re things at school?”

    “Kinda of quiet; no one else has turned since you,” he replied. “Everyone is looking forward to seeing you back in class.”

    “I doubt everyone is looking forward to seeing me again,” replied Savanna.

    “I can’t believe that Debby hasn’t at least called to see how you’re doing. She always acted so friendly,” said Maggie. 

    “Well, you never know how someone will react,” said Elizabeth.

    Savanna had to hold back a laugh when she saw Jill mouth the word bitch.

Chapter 72

    “Are you sure you’re not upset about not having a cake?” asked Maggie as they cleaned up from dinner.

    Savanna was putting plates into the dishwasher. “No, just having a family dinner was good enough. Maybe next year I’ll feel more like celebrating.” She then reached up to cover her mouth as she yawned.

    “Savannah, you look beat, why don’t you go into the family room with the others,” said Maggie. “Or better yet, why don’t you go to bed?”

    Savanna struggled to hold back another yawn. “I’m okay.”

    Maggie gave Savanna her best Mom look and Savanna laughed.

    “Okay, you’re right. I’m pretty fried.”

    “Don’t try to do too much too soon. The last thing we want is for you to have to go back into the hospital.”

    “You got that right,” replied Savanna.

    “Honey, I just want to tell you how lovely you looked tonight. I know this can’t be easy for you; but I admire how you’re holding up…but don’t feel you have to be up all the time on our account.”

    Savanna nodded as she sat down at the kitchen table. “I’m still in shock.”

    Maggie sat down next to her daughter. “It must be overwhelming at times.”

    “Mom, I look in the mirror and I don’t recognize myself. Then there’s this body. I feel almost afraid to touch it…if that makes sense.”

    “It will take time.”

    “Mom, you know that Debby and I were close, right?”

    “If you mean by close you mean that you two were having sex, yes.”

    Savanna laughed. “Okay, we were having sex… a lot of sex. Yes, we were practicing safe sex. The thing is, I got to know her body…but now that I have breasts and…well… everything else…it all seems so foreign.”

    “Honey, you only turned a little over a week ago. You can’t expect to be comfortable so soon. There is nothing wrong with wanting to explore your body either. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the sensations you will have.”

    Savanna’s eyes opened wide.

    “There is nothing wrong with self-gratification,” continued Maggie.

    “You do it?” whispered Savanna. An astounded look was on her face.

    Maggie laughed. “Of course; there are times when your dad isn’t around or willing. After all it’s only human.”

    “I never thought we’d be talking about this,” said Savanna.

    “Honey, who do think bought your sister her first vibrator?”

    Savanna stared back in stunned silence.  She didn’t know that Annie had a vibrator.

    “I know you think of me as just being your mom, but I’m a woman too. You have a lot of catching up to do in learning how to be a woman. I’m pleased that Annie has been so proactive in helping you; but just remember that you can always come to me. There are no dumb questions.”

    Savanna nodded.

    “We’ll have time to talk more when we’re home together this week. I just want you to know that I’m here for you.”

    Savanna leaned over and hugged her mom.

Chapter 73

    Savanna slept in the next morning.  In fact, by the time she got up it was nearly ten.

    She didn’t bother to change out of her pjs. She slipped on her robe and slippers and headed downstairs and into the kitchen.

    “Hey, we were just about to go up and check on you,” said Jon.

    “Sorry, but it felt good to sleep in,” she replied as she sat down.

    “Are you hungry?” asked Maggie.

    Savanna nodded. “I hope that you all didn’t wait for me.”

    “Please!” replied Jon.

    She smiled. It felt good to be surrounded by her family. It also felt good to be kidded by her brother.

    “Do you want waffles?” asked Maggie.

    Savanna looked over and saw that everything was set up, including a bowl of batter.

    “That sounds great, Mom.”

    “I could go for some more, too,” interjected Harry.

    “Anyone else?” asked Maggie.

    “I’ll take some. I have to be heading back to Happy Valley soon,” said Jon.

    “So soon?” asked Savanna.
   
    He nodded. “You’ll find out when you’re in college next year that you can’t afford to miss too much. Thankfully I don’t have any Monday morning classes…that’s something else you’ll learn about, Savanna.”

    “I wish you could stay longer,” she said. “I really appreciate that you came down just to see me.”

    “No problem…little sister.”

    Savanna playfully punched him in the arm.

    “I need to get going too,” said Jill.

    Savanna looked at Jill. “I thought you were staying longer?”

    “I’m driving Elizabeth back to the shore and then I have some classes to attend…but I’ll be back later this week. Hopefully by then you’ll feel up to going shopping.”

    Savanna nodded.

    “So, you’re staying home from school this whole week?” asked Jon.

    “That’s what the doctors told me to do,” Savanna replied.

    “Yes, but I’ll be bring home her assignments,” interjected Annie.

    “Yes, you don’t want you to fall too far behind,” said Ron as he got up to make a fresh pot of coffee.

    “I’m not that worried about that. My academic load is pretty light this semester,” said Savanna. “Besides, I’ve already submitted all my applications to college.”

    “Where do you want to go?” asked Jon.

    “If you had asked me that a couple of weeks ago I would have said Penn State,” said Savanna.

    “Why the change?” asked Elizabeth.

    Savanna told them about the scholarship that Dr. Lansing told her about. “There are three local colleges that I could use the scholarship at; Temple, Swarthmore, and West Chester. I had already applied to all of them. Dr, Lansing said that she could put in a word for me.”

    “I don’t know, I mean I can get used to you as my sister…but Dr. Savanna Gordon? That’ll take some getting used to!” said Jon with a big grin on his face.

    Savanna laughed at the playful kidding from her brother. It made things seem normal.

    “Well, I think it’s wonderful,” said Elizabeth before Savanna could crack back at her brother. “And I know that you’ll be very proud of her too, Jon.”

    He grinned at Savanna. “You know how I feel about you, Savanna. I like that you’re thinking ahead.”

    “I never knew you wanted to be a doctor,” said Harry.

    “I’ve always liked science and after what I went through…it’s like I was given a second chance. I want to do something important,” replied Savanna.

    “That’s really cool,” said Harry.

    “Okay, Savanna, you’re first,” said Maggie as she placed a waffle on Savanna’s plate.

Chapter 74

    Savanna watched through the large living room windows as Jon’s car pulled out of the driveway, followed by Jill.

    “I wish they could have stayed longer,” she said as she waved good-bye.

    “Jill will back later this week,” said Annie.

    “I know,” replied Savanna.

    “You feel like getting another make-up lesson?” asked Annie.

    Savanna turned away from the windows. “Sure, why not.”

    Savanna followed Annie upstairs and was slightly surprised to see that Annie wasn’t going into her own room.

    “What’s up?” asked Savanna.

    “One last surprise by Jill and I,” replied Annie.

    They walked into Savanna’s room and against the wall next to her desk was a table that had a make-up mirror sitting on top of it. Aligned in orderly rows were various cosmetics.

    “When did you do this?” asked Savanna as she looked over the items on the table.

    “This morning,” replied Annie.

    “Um, do you think that you went a little overboard with the makeup? I mean there’s a lot of stuff here,” said Savanna.

    “That’s because you’ll use up a lot as you practice. Don’t worry, I’ll never let you leave the house looking like a clown, but the only way you can learn is by trial and error,” replied Annie. “Now, sit down; it’s time for your lesson.”

Chapter 75

    Annie was pleased to see that Savanna was a fast learner, although she still had a lot to learn.

    “You’ll really need to practice your eyeliner and mascara,” she noted.

    “It’s hard. I can’t keep my eyes from blinking; how do you do it?” asked Savanna.

    “Practice. Eventually your body will accept that you’re not trying to poke yourself in the eyes,” she replied.

    “And you do this every morning before going to school?” asked Savanna.

    Annie nodded.

    “Damn, I’ll have to get up at three in the morning in order to be ready!”

    Annie laughed. “Trust me; you’ll get the hang of it.”

    Savanna stopped and turned around and looked over at Annie. “Um, just in case I haven’t said it yet…thank you for everything you’ve done for me since I turned. I mean, I don’t know how I would have gotten through this without you.”

    Annie smiled back. “Hey, we’re sisters now and sisters stick together.”

    “I know, but I still want to thank you.”

    “Look, I’m just doing what I can to help you. I can’t imagine what it would be like to wakeup and find my body had changed genders. Personally, I’m impressed how well you’ve adapted to this. I know that I would be freaking out.”

    “I’m sorta shocked how I’ve accepted this too. Maybe it’s part of the turn…I mean, I’m not used to this body yet and all the changes…but each day it feels more normal. Does that make sense to you?”

    Annie nodded. “Actually it does. I mean, if the changes were strictly physical then you wouldn’t see so many accepting their lives.”

    “Well my body is producing female hormones now,” said Savanna.

    “Yeah, but there has to be other changes. I mean, I’ve been watching you Savanna and you have changed.”

    “Duh!” interjected Savanna.

    Annie laughed. “That’s not what I mean…dummy; I mean with each passing day you’re more feminine; it’s nothing major…mainly little things, like the way you move, the things you say...stuff like that.”

    Savanna nodded. “I think know what you mean. Maybe Bois are those who haven’t turned completely; maybe their change is only physical.”

    “I’ve read some stuff online about that. I read one that was comparing the brain functions of Bois to transgendered people and they found some similarities,” said Annie. “Anyway, I guess it’s best to have everything change. I think it would be awful to go through life in conflict.”

    “I suppose so,” said Savanna. “I just don’t like the idea of changing, I mean I was happy with who I was.”

    “I know, but do you want to be conflicted the rest of your life?”

    Savanna shook her head. “I guess not. The only thing to do is move forward.”

    “Speaking of which, why don’t you clean up and we’ll try again?”

    Savanna looked in the mirror. “I really look awful don’t I?”

    “I wouldn’t put it that way…you just need to learn to be subtle, I mean you’ve got the slut look down pretty good.”

    They both started giggling and this soon turned into raucous laughter.

    Maggie had stopped just outside Savanna’s room and listened to her daughters laughing. It made her happy to see how strong Annie and Savanna were bonding.

Chapter 76

    On Tuesday morning, Maggie drove Savanna to the hospital for her check-up.

    “You look very nice, dear,” said Maggie.

    Savanna was wearing a long denim skirt, boots, and a red sweater. She had borrowed a coat from Annie.

    “Thanks, Mom.”

    “Did you do your own make-up?” asked Maggie.

    “Most of it; Annie helped me a little,” replied Savanna as she looked out the window.  “It looks like it might snow.”

    “That’s what they said on the radio,” said Maggie. “Do you want to go to the mall afterwards? We can get lunch and maybe do some shopping if you want.”

    “I guess so,” replied Savanna.

    “Honey, I know you’re worried about being out in public, but you look fine,” said Maggie.

    Savanna turned and smiled. “I am a little nervous…okay make that very nervous.”

    “I understand, but they say that will pass with time,” said Maggie.

    “I know,” replied Savanna. “But I do want to have lunch with you.”

Chapter 77

    After waiting twenty minutes, Savanna was led into an examination room. After taking her weight and blood pressure, the nurse handed her an examination gown.

“Change into this please, Dr. Lansing will be in shortly,” said the nurse.

    Savanna undressed, put the gown on, and sat down on the examination table.

    A few minutes later Dr, Lansing walked in.

    “Hello, Savanna, how are you feeling today?”

    “Good,” she replied.

    “I’m pleased to see that your weight is up,” said Dr. Lansing as she reviewed the chart.

    “Yeah, it’s all going here,” replied Savanna as she pointed at her breasts.

    “You’ll get used to them; we all do,” Dr. Lansing replied. “I’d still like you to put on a few more pounds.”

    Savanna nodded.

    “Okay, I’m going to give you a full physical this morning including an OB/GYN exam,” continued Dr. Lansing.

    “Yippee,” replied Savanna as she smiled back.

    “Just so know, I don’t like getting one either, but it’s a necessary evil,” replied Dr. Lansing.

    Savanna laughed at Dr. Lansing’s reply.

    “Okay, let’s get started,” said Dr. Lansing.

Chapter 78

    “Well, Savanna, everything looks good,” said Dr. Lansing.

    Savanna and Maggie were sitting in Dr. Lansing’s office.

    “So, what happens now?” asked Savanna.

    “I would like to see you in here every three months for the next year. However, if you don’t have your period within the next thirty days please call me,” said Dr. Lansing. “Also, I’m going to schedule you for a mammogram.”

    “The fun never ends, does it?” asked Savanna with a grin.

    “We just need to get a baseline. With the rapid changes in your body we need to make sure everything is right,” she continued.

    “I understand,” replied Savanna.

    Dr. Lansing handed Savanna a folder of papers.

    “This is the scholarship information that we talked about,” said Dr. Lansing. “The good news is that we’re offering five full scholarships this year and only three have been awarded. If you get your package in quickly, I think you have a very good chance of being accepted.”

    “Cool,” replied Savanna.

    “I also want to compliment you on your appearance today; you look very nice,” said Dr. Lansing.
   
    “Thanks,” replied Savanna. “Thank you for everything.”

    “Yes, Doctor, our whole family thanks you,” added Maggie.

    “You’re welcome, and I appreciate hearing that,” said Dr. Lansing.

   
Chapter 79

    “Where do you want to eat?” asked Maggie as they left the hospital.

    “Well, since I’m under doctor’s orders to put on weight; can we stop and get a cheesesteak?” asked Savanna.

    Maggie laughed. “I was hoping that our first lunch together would be something more upscale, but I have to admit that a cheesesteak sounds pretty good.”

    They stopped at Lee’s Hoagies in Montgomeryville and placed their order.

    “How are you feeling?” asked Maggie as they sat down with their sandwiches.

    “A little tired, but otherwise okay,” replied Savanna.

    “Do you want to go home after we eat?”

    Savanna shook her head as she took a bite of her cheesesteak.

    “No, I’m fine. I need to get out of the house,” she said after she swallowed.

    Maggie laughed. “Honey, what do you think you’re doing right now?”

    Savanna stopped as she was about to take another bite of her sandwich. “I never thought about it, wow.”

    After lunch they headed over to Montgomeryville Mall.

    “We can just look if that’s all you want to do,” said Maggie.

    Savanna nodded. “We’ll see. Um, Mom, would you mind if I get my ears pierced today? Annie and Jill suggested that I do it and I kinda want to surprise them.”

    “Sure,” replied Maggie. “I know just the place.”

Chapter 80

    “That didn’t hurt as bad as I thought it would,” said Savanna as she touched the gold studs in each of her ears.

    “The main thing is to keep them clean,” said Maggie. “Trust me; you don’t want to get an infection.”
   
    Savanna nodded as they walked through the mall. They stopped in several clothing stores as they made their way around.

    Later, they stopped to have a cup of coffee.

    “I think you picked out some nice things, Savanna,” said Maggie.

    “With your help,” she replied.

    “I just gave you some suggestions,” said Maggie. “You did well today, considering you were limited in what you could pick out.”

    “I’ll be glad when my boobs stop growing too,” whispered Savanna. “I mean, what if they don’t stop?” She then giggled.

    “Unfortunately for you, both sides of your family are blessed with large breasts; but you’ll get used to them.”

    “That’s what Dr. Lansing told me,” said Savanna as she sipped her coffee.

    “You like her; don’t you?”

    Savanna nodded. “It’s not just because she saved my life, but it’s because she treats me like an adult. I also like that she’s taken an interest in my future.”

    “I know. I talked to her while you in the hospital; she’s quite a remarkable woman. I have to admit that I didn’t like her at first; but when I realized that she stayed with you continuously when you were first brought in to the hospital my respect for her grew.”

    “Why didn’t you like her at first?” asked Savanna.

    Maggie set her coffee down. “She seemed rather cold at first. Looking back I realize her demeanor was due to her drive to save you.”

    “Maggie, how are you?” asked a woman who had walked up behind them.

    The short thin woman was in her mid-thirties. She was dressed in a business suit and was carrying a briefcase.

    “Oh, hi, Charlene,” replied Maggie. “Savanna, you remember Charlene Winters, we used to work together.”

    Savanna nodded. “Hi.”

    Charlene looked confused at first and was about to ask who Savanna was when it hit her. “Oh my god, Sco…I mean Savanna. I totally blanked there. I saw the turn notice in the paper; how are you doing?”

    “I’m okay, thank you,” replied Savanna.

    “You look fabulous,” replied Charlene.

    “I’ve had a lot of help,” she replied.

    Charlene nodded and looked at her watch. “I gotta run, I have a sales meeting in twenty minutes. I only stopped in here for the caffeine. Maggie, I’ll give you a call and we can do lunch. Savanna, I’m happy you’re doing well.”

    “Good bye, Charlene,” said Maggie.

    “Bye,” added Savanna.

    They both watched the businesswoman dash off.

    “She’s always been like that,” said Maggie with a smile. “When we worked together she was always in a rush.”

    Savanna nodded as she sipped her coffee.

    “By the way, you handled that very well,” added Maggie.

    “Thanks, Mom,” replied Savanna. “Well, I think I’ve had enough for today; can we go home? I could use a nap.”

    Maggie nodded.

    “Thanks again for everything, Mom.”

    “You’re welcome. Come on, let’s get going.”

Chapter 81

    “Cool, you got your ears pierced,” stated Annie as she walked into Savanna’s room.
   
    “Yeah, it wasn’t that bad,” replied Savanna, who was doing her class work at her desk.

    “Well, tomorrow, it’s my turn to take you out,” said Annie.

    “Where are we going?”

    “The salon,” replied Annie. “I think your own hair is just about long enough to be styled. The fact that it’s so curly will help. I also think you should get your brows waxed.”

    “I wish I had known,” replied Savanna. “It would have saved me some pain.”
   
    “Why?” asked Annie as she sat down on Savanna’s bed.

    “I shaved my legs last night and I think I cut myself a dozen times. I could have waited and gotten them waxed.”

    “I told you to take your time,” countered Annie.

    “I know you did,” replied Savanna.

    “Just so you know; waxing can hurt too.”

    Savanna nodded. “So tell me, what’s going on at school?”

    Annie updated her sister on the goings on at North Penn.

    “What about Debby? Have you seen her?”

    Annie nodded. “She totally looks right through me as if she doesn’t know who I am.”

    “Kyle told me she was dating already,” said Savanna. “I don’t mind that, I mean, it’s obvious that she likes guys, but I would at least think she would call or send an email or something. I mean I didn’t die!”

    “I know, she’s pretty rude,” said Annie.

    “Jill called her a bitch,” added Savanna.

    “Jill’s right.”

    Savanna smiled. “I hate to see it end like this. I mean I just want it to end on a better note than her ignoring me.”

    “Have you called her?”

    Savanna nodded. “No answer and I also sent email and again no answer.”

    “You should just let it go. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

    “I know,” replied Savanna.

Chapter 82

    “Okay, Savanna, take a seat,” said Nikki. “Don’t worry; I have a lot of clients who have turned.”

    Savanna sat down.

    “Okay, I’m going to take off your wig,” said Nikki. “Oooh, I love the color of your real hair. Was it always this color?”

    Savanna shook her head. “No, it was more brown than red. In fact it’s turned a little darker in the past couple of days.”

    “That’s not that unusual,” replied Nikki as she ran her fingers through Savanna’s hair. “You have good natural body too.”

    “Is my hair long enough to do anything with it?” asked Savanna. “I’m already sick of wearing the wig.”

    “I think I can give you a nice look. Of course I’ll be able to do more when it grows longer,” she replied. “Annie said that you also want your brows done, right?”

    “She says they’re too bushy,” replied Savanna.

    “She’s right,” said Nikki. “Okay, I’ll start on your hair and then we’ll do the brows. Then we’ll give you a manicure. Just sit back and enjoy it, Savanna.”

Chapter 83

    Savanna looked at herself in the mirror and had to admit that she was pleased with the results. Nikki had done wonders and had given her a very feminine hairstyle even though her hair was relatively short.

    The brows didn’t look too bad either, thought Savanna.

    She looked at her nails and was also impressed. She didn’t get tips or anything, but the manicurist had worked on her cuticles and it made a big difference.

    “Thank you, Nikki,” replied Savanna.

    “No problem, Savanna. Call me in when you’re ready for a new cut. Don’t be surprised if you find that your hair grows faster than it did before. I also can’t wait to see what it does when it gets longer. I’m hoping that you’ll have really nice curls.”

    Annie nodded in agreement. “You look great, Savanna.”

    Savanna paid Nikki and made sure to give her a good tip.

    “Okay, where to now?” asked Savanna.

    “Let’s work on your wardrobe and then grab some dinner. Kyle said he would meet us at the mall’s food court,” said Annie.

    “What, he’s not going to go shopping with us?” asked Savanna with a wink.

    Annie started laughing. “No, I don’t think he’d be interested in doing that. You know, I have a good feeling that he won’t turn.”

    As they got in the car, Savanna looked at her sister. “Did you have a feeling about me?”

    Annie nodded. “I knew you wouldn’t die.”

    They got in the car. “That’s not what I meant, although I appreciate your confidence.”

    Annie smiled back. “You really want to know?”

    Savanna nodded.
   
    “I knew you would turn. I can’t explain it, but I’ve always known you would, does that make sense?”

    “You mean that?”

    Annie nodded. “Just like I knew that Jon wouldn’t turn.”

    “What about Jill?”

    Annie nodded. “I knew she would turn for as long as I’ve known her.”

    “Whoa, that’s sort of creepy,” said Savanna.

    “I know, but I’ve never been wrong,” she replied.

    “Really?”

    Annie nodded. “I don’t know how I do it…but I can just tell.”

    “What about….no, I can’t ask you that,” said Savanna.

    “If you’re worried about Harry the answer is no, he won’t turn. We’re the only Gordon sisters.”

    “I hope you’re right, I mean I doubt if Dad would want to pay for more than two weddings,” said Savanna with a wink.

    Annie smiled back. “Do you believe me?”

    “Why wouldn’t I?”

    “Don’t tell anyone about this okay?” asked Annie.

    “I won’t…hey we’re sisters,” said Savanna.

Chapter 84

    By the time they called Kyle, Savanna’s wardrobe had grown significantly.  She made a trip out to the car to put her things in the trunk while Annie waited for Kyle.

    Savanna walked back into the mall thinking about how much her life had changed in the past weeks. When she reached the food court area, she looked for Annie. It was then she saw Debby.

    Debby was standing inline at the pizza place with her arm around a guy who was wearing a Lansdale Catholic football letterman jacket.

    The guy was at least six feet tall and very broad in the shoulders. Like most guys, his hair was short.

    At first all Savanna could do was just stare at her old girlfriend. Without thinking, she walked over and tapped Debby on the shoulder.

    Debby turned and looked at Savanna with a confused look on her face.

    “Yes?” asked Debby. “Do I know you?”

    “You don’t recognize me, Debby?” asked Savanna.

    Debby shook her head.

    “She’s hot whoever she is,” said the guy.

    “I just wanted to let you know that I didn’t die, Debby,” replied Savanna, ignoring the guy’s comment.

    “What?” asked Debby as she looked over her new boyfriend and then back at Savanna. “I…I don’t know you.”

    “Yeah, leave us alone,” said the guy, annoyed that this stranger was upsetting his girlfriend. “Damn, the mall is always filled with nutcases.”

    Savanna looked at his coat and saw his name embroidered above his football letter.

    “I wasn’t talking to you, Mike,” said Savanna. “And I’m not a nutcase. I just wanted to let my ex-girlfriend know that I’m alive.”

    Debby’s eyes opened wide and she clasped her hand over her mouth as Savanna’s comments hit her. “Scott?”

    Mike looked at Debby and then Savanna. He then started to laugh. “Wow, so this is what your ex turned into. Hey at least she’s hot. Hey are they real or just padding?” he asked as he reached over and grabbed both of Savanna’s breasts.

     Savanna gasped, pulled back and glared at Mike who started to laugh.

    “What’s the matter honey? Did that hurt?” he asked with a smirk on his face.

Without hesitation Savanna kneed him in the groin. “Did that?”

    “Son of a bitch!” he gasped as he collapsed to his knees in pain.

    The other people in the food court were now laughing at Mike.

    Debby was still in shock and could only stare at Savanna.

    “No one hits me in the nuts and gets away with it…especially some turned freak,” cursed Mike. He stood up, cocked his fist and was about to hit Savanna when Kyle grabbed him and put him in a headlock.

    “Don’t make me hurt you,” stated Kyle as he tightened his grip. “Calm down and I’ll let you go.”

    Mike struggled, but soon realized that Kyle was too strong.

    Savanna stared at Debby who was still speechless over what had just happened.

    “I really don’t care that you’re seeing someone new; but I can’t believe that you never even called to see how I was. I thought I meant something to you,” said Savanna.

    Debby reached up and wiped away a tear. “You hurt me! My whole life was turned upside-down because of you,” she whimpered softly. 

    Savanna shook her head in disbelief. “I hurt you? Do you think I turned on purpose? Do you know how close I came to dying? I can’t believe I was so wrong about you.”

    Annie came up and started to pull Savanna away. She could see that Kyle was whispering something into Mike’s ear.

    “Come on, let’s go,” begged Annie.

    “Good bye, Debby,” said Savanna as she walked away with Annie.

    Kyle let go of Mike and said. “Let it go or I will do exactly what I threatened to do.”

    Mike didn’t reply, as he bent over in pain. 

Chapter 85

    Mall security came up and questioned them. Thankfully, the witnesses all said that Mike was the one who was out of line.

    “Do you want to press charges, Miss?” asked the security guard whose name was Hannah.

    Kyle looked at Savanna and shook his head and then winked.

    “No, it’s okay,” she replied, suspecting that Mike was no threat. 

    Hannah nodded and then turned to Mike. “You’re lucky she’s so forgiving. Now, if you come with me I’ll take you to the office and we can give you an ice pack to put on your um, privates.”

    Mike looked like he was about to say something but stopped. “I don’t need anything. Come on, Debby let’s go.” 

    “At least, I have a real boyfriend now,” sniped Debby as they walked away.

    Annie grabbed Savanna’s arm. “Let it go…she’s not worth it.”

    Hannah shrugged her shoulders and turned to Savanna. “Are you okay? You can still press charges.”

    “I’m okay, thanks for everything.”

    “Okay,” replied Hannah. “Well, have a nice evening.”  She turned and walked away whistling to herself.      

    “What did you say to Mike?” asked Savanna.

    “I just told him that if he does anything to you I would beat him to a pulp,” replied Kyle with a shrug of his shoulders.

    “Thanks,” replied Savanna. “I can’t believe that asshole grabbed me!”

    “I can’t believe that you kneed him in the groin,” said Annie.

    “It was instinctive,” she replied. “Well, I guess we wore out our welcome here.”

    Kyle shook his head. “Forget it, let’s eat here. I’m buying.”

    “I hope she’s happy,” said Savanna as she watched Debby and Mike leave the mall.

    “She better enjoy her time with him,” whispered Annie.

    “You mean?” asked Savanna.

    Annie nodded.

    Kyle turned around. “What’re you too talking about? Come on, I’m hungry.”

Chapter 86

    “You didn’t!” exclaimed Jill.

    “Hey, he grabbed me and it hurt. I was pissed and didn’t have time to think,” replied Savanna as she adjusted the position of the phone.

    “So did you get some closure tonight?”

    “I guess so. It wasn’t the way I planned it, but I said my peace with her and it feels good. Damn, she really sees herself as the victim in all this!”

    “I know,” replied Jill. “In a way I feel sorry for her; I mean she’s a very insecure person.”

    “Tell me about it. So, are you coming by this weekend?”

    “Yep, I should be there Friday afternoon,” said Jill.

    “Cool,” replied Savanna. She then told Jill about her week.

    “I’m glad you’re moving forward with your life. But be prepared for the bad days.”

    “I know,” replied Savanna. “I’m both eager to get back to school and scared silly at the same time.”

    “I know what you mean. The good thing is that you have a good high school,” she said. “How’re you feeling physically?”

    “Not bad. I still feel a little sore, especially in the hips. I’m still having trouble finding a good sleeping position.”

    Jill laughed. “I’m not laughing at you; just with you.”

    “I’m also anxious about my period. Part of me is dreading it and at the same time I’m worried if it doesn’t come. Am I crazy?”

    “No; I went through the same thing. I won’t lie to you; it’s not a lot of fun, but you learn to live with it.”

    “Well, thanks to Mom and Annie I have a full supply of…’stuff’ for when it comes.”

    “That’s good. I would recommend that you try using a tampon before your first period. You might as well get used to it.”

    “Mom said the same thing. Jeez, I can’t believe the conversations I’m having with her now!” said Savanna. She then told Jill the conversation about the vibrator.

    “And?” asked Jill.

    “What do you mean?” asked Savanna.

    “There’s nothing wrong with using one; trust me on that one. If your mom is cool enough to buy you a vibrator I say great.”

    “Jill, what’s it like?”
   
    “You mean you haven’t…”

    “No, not yet. I still feel funny about it,” said Savanna. “I know it’s silly.”

    “It’s really, really, really good; trust me on that too,” said Jill fighting back giggles.

    “Wow,” replied Savanna.

    “Look, it’s your body; you might as well get busy exploring it and enjoy it. Also don’t forget about your nipples,” added Jill.

    “Thanks,” replied Savanna.
   
    “Well, I gotta run, I’ll see you Friday,” said Jill.

    “Okay, thanks for letting me vent,” said Savanna.

    “No problem, see you soon.”

Chapter 87
   
    “So where are we going?” asked Savanna.

    “It’s a surprise,” said Annie.

    “Can you at least give me a hint?” asked Savanna as she looked out the car window.

    “Nope,” added Jill.

    Savanna sat back as she tried to figure out where she was being taken. She was dressed casually in jeans and a red sweater. She had done her own makeup and was pleased that both Annie and Jill told her what a good job she had done.

    “Hey! This is Kyle’s street,” she stated.

    “Very good,” commented Annie. “And this is Kyle’s house.”

    Annie parked in the driveway.

    “What’s up?” asked Savanna cautiously.

    “Nothing, we’re just picking up Kyle. Come on,” said Annie as she got out of the car.

    Savanna and Jill followed. They walked up the front door and were met by Kyle.

    “Come on in,” he said.

    Jill stepped in first, followed by Annie and Savanna.

    As soon as Savanna stepped inside there was a shout of surprise and many of her friends came out of hiding.

    “What’s this?” asked Savanna in a shocked tone as she greeted her friends.

    “Annie’s idea. She figured this would be a less stressful way of introducing you back to the world instead of doing it Monday at school,” explained Kyle.

    Savanna smiled at her sister. “Thanks, Annie.”

    “No problem,” she replied.

Chapter 88

    “It’s good to see you again,” said Rod. “I’m glad that you’re coming back to school.”

    “Thanks, Rod,” she replied. “To be honest, it feels good to be going back.”

    “Thanks,” replied Savanna.

    Jan came up and gave Savanna a hug.

    “I can’t believe you actually got shorter,” stated Jan. “I mean, while being this tall helps in playing hoops, it’s a real pain getting clothes that fit. I wish I had dropped a couple of inches.”
   
    “I wish I was a little taller,” countered Savanna.

    “Well, I have to admit that you look great,” complimented Jan. “I mean you even pull off having short hair.”

    Darcy came up next and hugged Savanna.

    “I see we have another member in the redhead club,” said Darcy.

    Savanna reached up and ran her fingers through her hair. “It’s strange. I mean, I’m two inches shorter, and a redhead now.”

    “Well, you look great and we’re so glad you made it. Damn you had us worried. The rumors were running wild at school after the ambulance came and got you. I mean we heard you had died,” said Darcy.

    “They even made an announcement to dispel that,” interjected Laura Williams.

    Savanna had known her for years and they had even dated a few times.

    “Hi Laura,” said Savanna.

    “I’m glad to see you’re back,” she said. “I also heard about your little run in with Debby and her new boyfriend at the mall.”

    Savanna shrugged.

    “Hey, the jerk had it coming. If some idiot grabbed me like that I would have kicked him in the family jewels several times,” continued Laura.

    “Hey, what happened?” asked Jan.

    “Yeah, tell us, Savanna,” added Darcy.

    Savanna told them about it.

    “Debby’s always been a major drama queen. I can’t understand what you ever saw in her,” said Laura.

    “I don’t hate her; we had some good times together. I’m just glad that it’s over,” said Savanna.

    “Well, come on, there are a lot of other people downstairs who want to say hi to you,” said Laura as she grabbed Savanna by the hand.

Chapter 89

    After the party broke-up, Savanna, Jill, and Annie stayed and helped Kyle cleanup.

    “Thanks a lot for the party. I really appreciated it,” said Savanna. “I feel much better about going back to school on Monday.”

    “No problem,” replied Kyle.

    “Actually it was Ms. Lake’s idea,” added Annie.

    Savanna nodded and made a mental note to thank her teacher when she got back to school.

    “Kyle, can you give Annie a ride a home?” asked Jill.

    “Sure,” he replied.

    “Come on, Savanna, let’s give them a little time alone,” said Jill.

    Savanna nodded.

Chapter 90

    By the time Savanna and Jill got home, everyone else was already asleep.

    Jill was staying in the guest bedroom which was located off the family room.

    “Come on in,” she said as she grabbed Savanna by the hand.

    Savanna sat down on the bed and Jill sat down next to her.

    “Look, I know you have a lot to get used to, but just so you know, when you’re ready I’d like to get closer to you,” said Jill as she took Savanna’s hands into her own.

    “You…you mean that?” asked Savanna.

    Jill nodded. “I like girls and I especially like you. I’ve always had a thing for redheads.”

    Savanna began to breathe heavier.

    Jill smiled back. “I want you to get used to your body and to being a woman before we start. The last thing I want to do is to force you into something. But I will be waiting.”

    “Thank you,” replied Savanna.

    “Oh, and I bought you a present,” said Jill.

    “What do you mean?”

    Jill reached into her bad that lying on the bed and pulled out a festively wrapped gift bag. She handed it to Savanna.

    Savanna smiled and carefully opened up the bag. “What is it?”

    “Open it and see, silly!”

    Savanna’s jaw dropped when she saw what was in the bag. It was a chrome coated vibrator.

    “This is the same type I have and I love it,” said Jill. “I even included batteries.”

    “How thoughtful,” replied Savanna as she began to giggle.

    “It has adjustable speed and that makes all the difference,” continued Jill.    

    “Thank you,” replied Savanna.

    Jill leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Savanna’s lips.

    “That’s just to give you something to think about,” said Jill.

    Savanna sighed. “Um, do we have to wait?”

    Jill nodded. “Trust me; you need to focus on yourself right now. But I’ll never be far away,” she stated. “I have one more thing for you.”

    She then placed a small silver ring on one of Savanna’s fingers.

    “This is for friendship,” said Jill. “Now you’d better go before I give in.”

    Savanna gave Jill a hug and got up to leave.

    “I’ll wait for you,” she said.

    “I know you will,” said Jill.

    “Good night,” said Savanna.

    “Sweet dreams,” replied Jill.

Chapter 91

    Once in her room, Savanna closed the door and turned on the vibrator. She jumped at first and was afraid that the noise would wake the house, but then she realized it was just her imagination. It wasn’t really that loud and if she used it under the covers it was unlikely that anyone would hear it.

    She still wasn’t quite ready to try it out and she put it in her nightstand, under some papers.

    Later as she lay in bed with the lights out she thought about Jill. An almost electric tingling swept through her body as she remembered the kiss that Jill had given her.

    It was strange, as she had never felt anything like that when she had been Scott.  She felt sensations in her nipples that were also new and quite pleasant. Maybe this was the difference between love and just sex, she thought.

    The more she thought about it, the more she realized how little her relationship with Debby meant to her now.  Yes, the sex had been very good; but there was something missing and now she knew what it was. Debby had never really loved Scott; she had loved the idea of being with a guy…any guy. Savanna suddenly felt sorry for Debby and she hoped that Debby would mature and look for real love.

Chapter 92

    “I wish these papers had arrived earlier this week,” said Savanna, as she looked at the paperwork that just arrived from the state. “The DMV is always jammed on a Saturday.”

    “I know, but it’s either go now or take off early from school and you’ve missed enough this month,” said Maggie.
   
    “Hey, the good thing is that all you have to do is have your photo taken again,” said Jill. “In Jersey they made me take the test over…like my driving skills changed when I got a vagina.”

    “Before I turned I would made a joke about that,” interjected Savanna.

    “I know you would have,” said Annie.

    “So, assuming we get out of there in a reasonable amount of time, I was thinking of heading over to King of Prussia Mall. We can have lunch and then see what’s on sale,” said Maggie.

    “That sounds cool,” said Annie.

    “Why not?” added Savanna.

    Thankfully the line at the DMV wasn’t too long. They were out of there in less than an hour.

    Savanna stared at her new driver’s license. The photo wasn’t too bad; but it was strange seeing her name as Savanna Lindsey Gordon, age eighteen, gender female. The middle name was the name of her great-grandmother.

    “Are you going to look at that all the way to King of Prussia?” asked Jill as she nudged Savanna playfully in the ribs.
   
    “Maybe,” replied Savanna. She then slipped it in her purse. “Don’t tell me that you didn’t stare at your new license.”

    Jill nodded. “Even with having to take the driving test again, the license was the easy part. Getting a new swimsuit was a bigger shock. They also gave me a new jacket with my new nametag on it. That took some getting used to. The first day back in the new one-piece was a pain. The male life guards kidded me a little; but I could still out-swim them so they shut up pretty quickly.”

     “I think it’s great that you’re going to keep being a lifeguard,” said Annie.

    “I enjoy it and for the most part it’s pretty easy,” she replied. “Savannah, why don’t you come down and spend some time at the shore this summer?”

    “I doubt I would make a good lifeguard,” she replied.

    “So? There are plenty of other jobs you get down there. My moms are always looking for good help in their gift shops.”

    “That might not be a bad idea,” said Maggie. “I know Gran would love to have the company, and she definitely has enough room.”

    Savanna nodded. It would be fun to spend the summer down at the shore; especially if she could be closer to Jill.

    “I’ll think about it,” said Savanna.

    “Cool,” replied Jill.

Chapter 93

    “How do I look?” asked Savanna as she checked herself in the mirror.

    “For the fourth time you look great,” said Annie.

    “I agree,” added Jill.

    “I’m just nervous about going back to school,” said Savanna.

    “You look fine,” said Jill. “Your hair and makeup is perfect and since it’s hovering around freezing and looks like snow so your outfit is acceptable.”

    Savanna was wearing a sweater, jeans and boots.

    “Okay,” she replied.

    “Come on, you need to eat something,” said Annie.

    “Yeah, that way I’ll have something to throw-up later,” mumbled Savanna.

    “Butterflies?” asked Jill.

    Savanna shook her head. “Not butterflies…something bigger.”

    Jill leaned over and kissed Savanna on the cheek. “Just relax; everything will be okay.”

    “Thanks for sticking around,” said Savanna.

    “No problem, I have a mid-morning class and I should have plenty of time to make it,” said Jill. “I just wanted to see you off.”

    “Thanks again,” said Savanna.

    Savanna nodded and followed Jill and Annie down to the kitchen.

   
Chapter 94

    Savanna rode to school with Kyle and Annie.

    “So the only change you have is female health instead of our gender class?” asked Kyle.

    Savanna nodded as she looked at her schedule. “I even have the same lunch period.”

    “Cool,” said Kyle.

    They arrived at North Penn and headed quickly inside as it started to snow lightly.

    “So much for an early spring,” said Kyle.

    Savanna stopped at her locker and after a momentary lapse of memory, she opened her combination. “Calm down,” she mumbled to herself.

    Her locker was just outside her homeroom class and she slipped inside almost hoping that she wouldn’t be noticed.

    Of course, it was no secret that she had turned and everyone greeted her as she walked in.

    “I really love your new name,” said a girl named Brittney. “Did you pick it yourself?”

    “It was my sister’s idea, but I got to make the final decision,” replied Savanna.

    “It suits you,” said Brittney. “Now, if you need anything, we’re all here for you.”

    “Thanks,” replied Savanna.

    “Sorry to hear what a jerk Debby turned out to be,” said another girl named Jane.

    She had been dating a guy named Peter for the past year. He had turned back in December and was now known as Petra. They were still dating.

    “It’s over,” said Savanna with a shrug. She then thought about Jill. “It’s probably for the best.”

    “Still it was pretty rude,” said Jane.

    “Excuse me, Savanna, this is for you,” said Ms. Morgan, the homeroom teacher as she handed Savanna a piece of paper. “By the way, we’re all glad you’re back.”

    “Thank you,” said Savanna as she read the paper. It was an appointment to see Mrs. Martin. Savanna knew this was routine for those who had just turned. After her session with Mrs. Martin she would get her new school ID. She looked at the clock and saw that she was expected in Mrs. Martin’s office in ten minutes. “See you all later.”

Chapter 95
   
    “Well, how does it feel to be back at school?” asked Mrs. Martin.

    “I’m not totally sure yet. Part of me feels as if I haven’t been gone and part of me feels like the new kid,” she replied.

    “That’s a pretty normal reaction. In a few days you should feel more comfortable. I’m very pleased with your appearance; it’s a very good sign of accepting what has happened and moving on.”

    “I’ve had a lot of help. Between my family and friends I’ve had a lot of support. I’m still getting used to this new body. I mean, besides the obvious things like gender…I’m now shorter and weaker. I was never all that muscular but look at how thin my arms are now!” she exclaimed as she held them out.
   
    “Loss of muscle mass is common; I recommend that you start working out. Many of the area gyms have specific programs for the recently turned.”

    “I suppose that would be a good idea,” said Savanna.

    “How do you feel about being a girl?”

    Savanna fidgeted for a moment before answering. “Part of me is angry; I mean I enjoyed who I was before this happened. I wonder who did I piss off? But when I don’t think about it, or I’m not reminded that I went through the turn, it seems….well normal. Does that make sense?”

    “Very much so; while the major physical changes have occurred your body chemistry is still changing.”

    Savanna nodded. “I remember learning about what to expect…but it’s a lot different when it actually happens.”

    “Now, I would like to meet with you regularly for the first couple of months. This is a very stressful time. You’ll be experiencing many new things.”

    “Like my period,” interjected Savanna. “Dr. Lansing said I should expect it around my fourth week.”

    “Exactly,” said Mrs. Martin.

    “How did you react…I mean the first time?”

    “I freaked,” she replied with a grin.

    Savanna laughed. “I have no idea how I’ll react…but freaking out is an option.”

    They talked for a few more minutes before Mrs. Martin led Savanna to the main office to get a new photo ID.

    “Don’t hesitate to see me if you have any issues at all,” said Mrs. Martin.

    “Thanks,” replied Savanna.

Chapter 96

    The rest of the morning was a bit of a blur as she tried to get back into the routine of being a student.

    Her friends were helpful…almost too helpful at times; but she knew they meant well.

    On her way to lunch she headed to the lavatories and without thinking she almost walked into the boy’s room. Thankfully she caught herself before she reached the door.

    It then hit her that this would be the first time that she had gone into a women’s room. She might have debated the significance of the moment a bit more if it wasn’t for the fact that she really had to go badly.

    Thankfully the lavatory wasn’t crowded and she immediately found an empty stall.

    When she was done, she washed up and checked her makeup. It hit her how instinctively all of this was becoming as she reapplied her lipstick. Yes, she still felt uneasy about her new gender, but that feeling was fading.

    She headed to the cafeteria to find Kyle and eat lunch.

Chapter 97

    “I wouldn’t worry about the bathroom mistake; it’s pretty common from what I’ve heard,” said Kyle.

    “I’m just glad I caught myself before someone saw me,” she said.

    “So…what’s it like? I mean I’ve always heard the girl’s room is much nicer,” joked Kyle.

    “Oh yes, it’s so luxurious.  Not only do we have a large plasma screen TV, but we have premium cable and a hot popcorn machine,” replied Savanna.

    “Yeah right,” he said.

    “Okay you got me…we just have basic cable and its bagged pre-popped popcorn,” she said.  “No, the main difference is that the place is actually clean.”

    “That’s probably true. You had the good luck to pass out in one of the few nondisgusting boy’s rooms on campus.”

    Savanna nodded. “What I can’t believe is that it’s been two and half weeks since I turned. I mean, I changed genders and I’m now back at school like it was just the flu. It’s really freaky when you think about it.”

    “Well, remember how they told us that they found that adjustment is faster when the turned get back to their lives and routines. Ms. Glass said that when she was in school some students took months off before returning to school.”

    “Oh don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to be back here…but this whole gender shift is mind-blowing. It isn’t just physical and that is what makes it even wilder. I know I’m changing with each passing moment.”

    “And…how does that feel?”

    “Strangely normal; I mean I felt like a goof when I almost went in the boy’s room, but then a few minutes later checking my makeup felt normal. I still have conflicts, but they’re not as bad. Mrs. Martin even gave me the number for a gym so I can get back into shape, but as I’ve thought about it all I want to do is build up enough muscle so I can start skiing again. Am I rambling?”

    “A little,” replied Kyle with a smile. “It’s normal. And yes, I’ve noticed the changes in you.”

    “Really?”

    Kyle nodded. “If I didn’t know you from before I might even be tempted to ask you out. Don’t worry I’m not, but what I’m saying is that you’re becoming a very nice girl and not a boy who has boobs.”

    “Um, I don’t know if I should thank you or punch you,” replied Savanna.

    He just grinned. “You’re doing fine, Savanna.”

    “Thanks, that actually means a lot to me,” she said.

Chapter 98

    As Savanna walked to her last class of the day, she saw Debby.

    Debby was standing with a couple of the other cheerleaders and didn’t see Savanna until she was only a few feet away.

    Savanna didn’t want a repeat of the incident at the mall and was prepared to walk by without saying a thing.

    “Um, Scott…I mean, Savanna,” said Debby.

    Savanna stopped and turned.

    “Hi Debby,” she replied.

    “Um, hi,” answered Debby. “Look, can we talk some time?”

    Savanna stared back and fought the urge to say something sarcastic. “Sure.”

    “Cool, I’ll give you a call,” said Debby.

    Savanna wanted to ask if Debby had forgotten the phone number, but didn’t. “Sure.”

    “Good, well… talk to you later,” she said as she headed off with the other two cheerleaders.

    Savanna didn’t know what to think as she really didn’t trust Debby, but she was willing to give her a chance.

Chapter 99

    “I don’t know, it sounds pretty fishy,” said Annie after Savanna told her of her meeting with Debby.

    “I know what you mean,” said Savanna was she sat down on the couch in the family room. “Anyway, it’s up to her now. She said that she would call me, so I’m leaving it to her.”

    “I’d be more worried about her new boyfriend. You humiliated him in front of a lot of people,” said Annie.

    “You don’t think that she’s setting me up?” asked Savanna.
   
    Annie shrugged her shoulders. “If she wants to meet you somewhere, I wouldn’t go alone. Yeah, I know you nailed him once, but he won’t be caught off guard a second time. Also, you’re not that big or strong anymore.”

    “Thanks for reminding me,” said Savanna.

    “Seriously, even though women now outnumber men, you need to be careful.”

    Savanna nodded. “You’re right…as always. You know, in many ways our roles have been reversed. It’s like you’re my older sister now.”

    “Well I do have more experience as a female than you,” said Annie. “Savanna, I just want to say that I’m so proud of the way you’ve handled this. I honestly don’t think I would be as strong.”
   
Savanna shook her head. “No, I suspect you’d do quite well. I feel very lucky that we’re sisters now.”

    Annie smiled back. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”

Chapter 100

    “So… she didn’t call?” asked Kyle.

    Savanna shook her head. “Nope.”

    “What are you going to do?”

    “Nothing,” replied Savanna. “Either she wants closure or she just put on an act to make herself look good with the other cheerleaders. Either way it’s up to her and I have no intention of calling her.”

    “Good for you,” said Kyle.

    “Did Annie tell you that she thinks that Debby’s new boyfriend might be behind this?”

    Kyle nodded. “I have some friends at Lansdale Catholic and they say that he’s been shooting off his mouth.”

    “Great,” she replied.

    “I’m sure it will pass,” said Kyle.

    “Still, it’s different now. I mean when I was Scott I could defend myself…more or less. And the worse thing that could happen is losing a fight,” she said.

    Kyle nodded.

    “So, you don’t disagree?”

    “No, guys like him can be a problem. As you know some guys feel girls like you are fair game and it isn’t the same as attacking a naturally born girl.”

    “So what do I do?”

    “Just be careful where you go,” said Kyle. “If he comes after you he’ll have to deal with me.”
   
    Savanna nodded.

    “What no wiseass comment?” he asked.

    “Nope. I actually appreciate the fact that I have you watching my back,” she said. “I mean, like Annie said, I doubt if I can catch him off guard a second time. Shit! Isn’t my life complicated enough?”

    “I guess someone felt you needed a challenge,” said Kyle with a grin.

    Savanna smiled back in spite of her worry. “Thanks.”

Chapter 101

    Kyle talked to some of his friends at school about the potential threat of Mike. They all agreed to keep an eye on Savanna. He also had his friends at Lansdale Catholic watch Mike.

    As for Savanna she was slowly getting back into the routine of being back in school.

    She found comfort in the daily routine of going to class and it made the days pass faster.

    Several days passed and Debby still hadn’t called. While Savanna was angry about this, she really wasn’t surprised and tried to put it out of her head.

    The next day she was feeling slightly off and mentioned this to Annie.

    “Well, your period is due soon. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what it is,” she replied.

    The next morning Savanna woke early with cramps. 

     She got up and went into the bathroom and confirmed that her period had started. Fighting off her initial panic, she remembered what Annie and her Mom had told her to do.

Chapter 102

    “Well, this is a good thing, Savanna,” said Maggie. “It means your body is functioning properly.”

    “I don’t know about that, “replied Savanna. “I don’t feel very good.”

    “Cramps?” asked Maggie.

    Savanna nodded. “Yes, but I also feel nauseous.”

“Have you taken the pills I gave you?” asked Maggie

“Yes, Mom. You know, I never thought we’d be talking about this.”

    “Unfortunately, I’ve had to prepare for this,” replied Maggie. “It’s all part of being a mother since The Bru started.”

    “I never thought of that,” said Savanna. “This thing really affects everyone.”

    Maggie nodded. “Honey, do you feel good enough to go to school. I mean, being this is your first time and all.”

    “I’m okay,” she replied.

    “If you feel too sick, go to the nurse, promise me, okay?”

    “I will, Mom,” she replied.

Chapter 103

    By mid-morning, Savanna was feeling worse. The cramps were increasing and the pills that Maggie had given her didn’t seem to be doing any good. She shuffled into her health class and flopped down weakly in her seat. The only thing on her mind was surviving to the end of school day so she could go home and crawl into bed.

    “Savanna, are you okay?” asked her health teacher, Ms. Davis. “You look really pale.”

    Savanna shook her head. “I don’t know…I don’t feel very good.”

    “Do you have a fever?”

    Savanna shook her head. “No…it’s that time…you know…”

    “Let’s take you to the nurse’s office okay?”

    Savanna nodded, but as she stood up, she nearly doubled over in severe pain and she cried out. She fell down to her knees, clutching her abdomen.

    Two of the other girls got up to help her, while Ms. Davis called the front office to notify them of a possible medical emergency.

    “Ms. Davis, Savanna has passed out!” shouted Kristy Wells, one of the two girls helping Savanna.

Chapter 104

    It took Savanna a moment to realize what was happening. She was on her back and looking up at two women dressed in uniforms. She could also hear a siren and through the haze caused by the pain she realized she was in an ambulance.

    She attempted to sit up, but found that she couldn’t.

    “Don’t try to move, Savanna,” said the first EMT.

    “What’s happening?” she asked. She immediately noticed that her voice sounded muffled. She then realized she had an oxygen mask over her face. There were also IVs in both of her arms.

    “We’re taking you to the ER,” said the EMT.

    “Why?” asked Savanna with panic in her voice.

    “Don’t try to talk, dear,” said the EMT.

    Savanna drifted back into darkness.

Chapter 105

    When Savanna opened her eyes again, she found herself in the ER. She was groggy and felt nauseous. The pain wasn’t as bad and she realized she was on pain medication.

    “Doctor, she’s coming to,” said the nurse who was standing next to Savanna’s bed.

    Dr. Lansing walked over and smiled at Savanna. “You gave us quite a start, Savanna.”

    “I don’t understand,” moaned Savanna. “It was just my period; why am I back here?”

    “You’re not here because of your period, dear,” explained Dr. Lansing. “There was a complication due to your turn. Your period just aggravated it.”

    “What’s wrong with me?” asked Savanna as she felt panic forming.

    “You have internal bleeding. It’s a rare complication of the turn and it will require surgery,” answered Dr. Lansing.  “Putting it in simple terms, sometimes after a turn, there are weak points in the body; places were the tissue is too thin. The stress of your period opened one up. We need to go in and operate to stop the bleeding.”

    Dr. Lansing’s words sunk in slowly. “Surgery?”

    Dr, Lansing nodded. “We’ll be moving you in there shortly, dear.”

    “I…I don’t understand, I thought everything was okay with my body,” she cried. “Am I going to die?”

    “Not if we can help it,” replied Dr. Lansing. “Look, Savanna, I’m not going to lie to you; this is a serious condition, but the surgeon who will operate on you is the best.”
   
    “Not you?”

    Dr. Lansing shook her head. “No, I’m not a surgeon. But Dr. Redding is superb. We’re just waiting for her to arrive from Philadelphia.”

    Savanna nodded. “Are my parents here?”

    “Yes, the nurse will go get them,” replied Dr. Lansing.

    Savanna nodded. “I’m really scared.”

    “I know, but we’re going to do everything possible. Look, you know how determined I am, right? Well, Dr. Redding is as bad as I am!”

    Savanna cracked a weak smile.

    “This is somewhat similar to what happened to you when you turned. Back then we didn’t need to operate because your body’s metabolism was so high it was able to correct the problem itself,” continued Dr. Lansing.

    “Okay,” she replied. “I trust you.”

Chapter 106

    Savanna’s parents had just a few moments with her before they moved her into surgery. Dr. Lansing then explained the situation to them.

    “So what are her chances, Dr. Lansing?” asked Maggie.

    Dr. Lansing hesitated as she appeared to be choosing her words.

    “It’s a serious condition, but correctable by surgery in most cases,” she replied. “In some cases following the turn weak areas are created; the stress of the menstrual cycle can cause them to tear which can lead to severe bleeding.”

    “Why wasn’t this detected during her physical?” asked Ron slightly annoyed.

    “It’s a very rare condition and undetectable through routine exams,” she replied. “I can understand why you’re upset, but there was no way of knowing this would happen.”

    “We’re not blaming you, Dr. Lansing,” interjected Maggie as she wrapped her arm around her husband’s waist.

    Dr. Lansing nodded. “I can’t promise anything, but the fact that Savanna was brought here quickly and the fact that we had a chance to stabilize her before surgery is very much in her favor.”

    “What sort of procedure will be used?” asked Maggie.

    “In the past it was standard sutures; however this often created additional tears. Savanna will be treated with the latest technique. Dr. Redding uses a medical laser to seal the tears. This has many advantages including less chance of infection and it also speeds up the recovery time.”

    “When will she be out of surgery?” asked Ron.

    “It all depends on how severe the tear is. A lot will depend upon the location too,” said Dr. Lansing. “Normally, the operation is three to four hours. Now, Dr. Redding is the top specialist in this procedure, so Savanna is excellent hands…probably the best in the country.”

    “Thank you, Doctor,” said Maggie.

Chapter 107

    “It’s been almost five hours,” said Annie as she looked at watch.

    “I know,” said Maggie as she crossed her arms. “I know they’re doing everything possible for her, but this waiting is awful.”

    Ron, Harry, and Kyle walked in carrying bags of food.

    “Any word?” asked Ron as he sat down next to Maggie.

    She shook her head.

    “Mom, please don’t worry,” said Annie.

    “Yeah, you know how strong Savanna is,” said Ron. “She’s always been a fighter and she’s always had a tendency to take her time.”

    “You’re telling me,” said Maggie. “She’s always been that way.”

    “What do you mean?” asked Harry as a confused look appeared on his face.

    “It means that Savanna kept Mom in labor for almost twelve hours,” said Annie. “So, you see she has a history of taking her time.”

    Maggie smiled slightly.

    The doors to the waiting area opened up and Dr. Lansing walked in.

    Savanna’s whole family immediately stood up, along with Kyle.

    “Savanna’s in the recovery room,” announced Dr. Lansing.

    “And…how is she?” asked Maggie.

    “She’s doing okay. The surgery lasted a bit longer than expected due to the location of the tear. Dr. Redding also found two more areas of concern and corrected them too. She expects Savanna to make full recovery. “

    “Can we see her?” asked Ron.

    “I can bring you in, but I doubt if Savanna will know you’re there. We have her on some pretty strong medication. Dr. Redding likes to keep her patients immobile for the first twenty-four hours following surgery,” explained Dr. Lansing.

Chapter 108

    Savanna slowly opened her eyes. It took her a moment to realize where she was. She looked around and found the button to page the nurse.

    A moment later the nurse walked in. “Well, it’s good to see you awake. How do you feel, dear?”

    “Exhausted,” said Savanna softly.

    “That’s to be expected. I’ll go get Dr. Lansing, but first do you need anything?”
   
    “Some water would be nice,” said Savanna.

    “I’ll bring you some,” said the nurse. “Oh, your family is out in the waiting area; in fact they’ve been here since they first brought you in.”

    “Um, how long ago was that?” asked Savanna.
   
    “A day and half ago,” said the nurse. “But don’t worry, that’s considered normal.”

Chapter 109

    Savanna was sitting up in her bed, sipping on her water when her parents came into her room.

    She had planned to keep it light, but when they came in, she immediately started to cry.

    “I’m so sorry,” she exclaimed as she wiped back tears.

    “Honey, you have no reason to be sorry. You did nothing wrong,” said Maggie as she gently brushed Savanna’s hair off her forehead.

    “How’re you feeling, Savanna?” asked Ron.

    “Tired…sore…otherwise I’m okay,” said Savanna. “Did you talk to Dr. Lansing?”

    Maggie nodded. “Yes, she briefed us on everything. Oh, we also talked to the woman who operated on you…Dr. Redding. She said that everything looks good.”

    “I never got to meet her,” said Savanna. “I guess she had to get back to Philly.”

    “She told us that you should make a full recovery, although she wants you to stay in bed for a couple of days,” said Maggie.

    “Does that mean here or can I go home?” asked Savanna.

    Dr. Lansing walked into the room. “What’s this, you already tired of us?”

    Savanna smiled weakly. “No, it’s just I’ve spent enough time here this year.”

    “The main concern is that we stop the bleeding. We’re also worried about infection,” said Dr. Lansing.

    “Um, Dr. Lansing, has everything been fixed. I mean, I won’t end up back here when I get my next period, or will I?”

    “I can’t make any promises, but in most cases it’s a one time occurrence,” said Dr. Lansing.

    “Would you recommend that Savanna see you before her next cycle?” asked Maggie.

    “If that would make you feel more at ease, please give me a call,” said Dr. Lansing. “Now, I know you want to see the rest of your family, but I also want you to get your rest, Savanna.”

Chapter 110

    Annie came in next along with Harry.
   
    “I called Jill and let her know how you’re doing,” said Annie. “She said that she would be here this afternoon.”

    “That’s nice,” said Savanna as she yawned.

    “I think we’d better get going Harry. Savanna looks like she’s about to drift off,” said Annie.

    Savanna shook her head. “Don’t go yet.”

    “You okay?” asked Harry.

    Savanna nodded. “It’s just that this really scared me. Dr. Lansing told me how serious it was. That’s what I like about her; she treats me like an adult.”

    “She’s a great doctor,” said Annie. “I know you’re scared, but from what she told us, the worst is over.”

    “I know,” said Savanna. “But this is twice in the past few weeks that I’ve almost died. It’s pretty scary.”
   
    “Look, this sort of thing could happen to anyone who turns. You just got unlucky and had two bad things,” said Annie.

    “Yeah, maybe this means that you’re getting this out of your system,” added Harry.

    Savanna grinned. “I wish I had your optimism.”

    “Hey, just think of all the background this is giving you before you attend medical school. I mean you’re going to have so much experience!” said Annie.

    “Thanks,” replied Savanna. “I knew that I could count on you two.”

    She yawned again and then drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 111

    A couple hours later, Savanna woke up and the first thing she saw was Jill sitting next to her.

    “Hey sleepyhead,” greeted Jill.

    “Hi,” replied Savanna. “What time is it?”

    “Nearly five,” said Jill. “They should be bringing you in your dinner soon.”

    “Oh boy! Did they tell you I’m on a clear liquid diet for the next week,” said Savanna.

    “So, you get to drink a lot of beef and chicken broth,” said Jill. “Tell you what, when you’re all better I’ll take you out to dinner, would you like that?”

    “Just you and me?” asked Savanna.

    Jill nodded.

    “Like a date?”

    Jill shook her head. “Not like a date…it will be a date.”

    Savanna sighed. “Now I have even more of an incentive to get better.”
   
    Jill leaned over and gave Savanna a kiss on the cheek.

    “Just so you know, you mean a lot to me,” said Jill.

    “I love you too,” admitted Savanna.

    They were then interrupted by the orderly who brought in Savanna’s dinner.

    “Hmm, clear chicken broth, jello, and apple juice,” said Savanna. “This is going to get old quickly.”

    “Hang in there, Savanna,” said Jill.

Chapter 112

    Savanna was discharged from the hospital the next day. It was a windy cool day, but she didn’t mind. As they drove home she saw several robins and this made her smile.

    “When did the robins arrive?”

    “This week,” said Maggie. “I think they timed it just for you.”

    Savanna laughed slightly.

    “How’re you feeling?”

    “Tired” she replied. “I won’t mind staying at home and sleeping a lot this time.”

    “Any pain?”

    Savanna shook her head. “Nope, none at all; the pain medication is doing its job. Also, Dr. Redding did a great job. I also like the fact that the incision is so tiny. Scars are cool as a guy, but I don’t want any now.”

    Maggie laughed. “Well, all you have to do is rest for the next week. We have a follow-up appointment next week. Now, I realize you’re not in pain right now, but you need to keep taking your pills, along with the antibiotics. We don’t want to have to bring you back to the hospital.”

    “No problem with that,” said Savanna.

    “Oh, Mrs. Martin called. She’ll be stopping by tomorrow with your class work. I also think she just wants to see how you’re doing.”

    “That’s fine,” said Savanna as she yawned. “It just feels good to be going home.”

Chapter 113

    Savanna stayed in her pjs the next day and took Dr. Lansing’s advice to rest in order to regain her strength following her surgery.

    It was strange she thought, the surgery had left her more tired than her turn a month earlier. The pain pills also contributed to her lethargy; but it was better than being in pain.

    Thanks to Dr. Lansing’s explanation she understood what had happened and that in all likelihood there wouldn’t be a repeat when she had her next period; but in the back of her mind there was the fear that she would get sick during her next period.

    She knew that this was silly, but until she had a normal period the fear would be with her. It also stuck her as a little odd that she actually wanted a normal period now where just a few weeks ago she wished she could avoid them altogether.

    When she wasn’t sleeping, she was checking her email. She wanted to answer every single one personally. She was shocked at the large number of messages she got from her classmates. The notable exception was Debby.

    Savanna tried not to be upset about this; but it bugged her. She wondered how someone could be so uncaring and she decided that she would never do anything like that.

    After a lunch of beef broth and some jello, Savanna heard the doorbell ring.

    She was pleased to see that it was Mrs. Martin.

    “Hi,” said Savanna as she opened the front door. “Please come in.”

    “Good afternoon, Savanna. How are you feeling?” said Mrs. Martin.

    “Better thank you,” she replied.

    They walked to the kitchen and sat down.

    “I brought your assignments. There’s no rush, but since you’ll be out of school for a while I didn’t want you to fall behind.”

    “I was just getting fully caught up from my last vacation,” said Savanna as she looked at the typed out paper that listed her schoolwork.

    “The good thing is that you have enough credits to graduate,” said Mrs. Martin.

    “That’s good. I want to graduate with my class,” said Savanna. “I can’t believe how difficult this has all been.”

    “Well, you’ve had the worst turn that I can remember,” said Mrs. Martin. “However the thing to remember is that none of it is your fault. You can’t blame yourself for what has happened.”
   
    Savanna nodded. “Is it that obvious?”

    “No, but it’s not that uncommon. Don’t forget I deal with many students who have turned. I admire the fact that you’ve tried to get your life back in order. I don’t want this little setback to sidetrack you.”

    “That’s an understatement,” said Savanna with a smirk.
   
    “Look, I’m not downplaying the seriousness of what you just experienced. But you can’t go through life worrying about what could happen. Now tell me the truth, are you worried about this happening again?”

    Savanna nodded. “I don’t think I will be free of worry until I have my next period. Wow, I never thought I would be happy to have a period!”

    Mrs. Martin chuckled. “Now, is there anything else I can do for you?”

    “What’s the status of my scholarship paperwork?” she asked.

    “We sent it out yesterday. I’ll bring you a copy tomorrow.”

    Savanna nodded.

    “Dr. Lansing wrote you a wonder letter of recommendation,” continued Mrs. Martin. “She thinks very highly of you.”

    “That makes me happy. I really respect and like her,” said Savanna.

    “I know what you mean. I’ve talked to her many times concerning students who have turned,” said Mrs. Martin. “Can I ask you a question, Savanna?”

    “Sure, what is it?”

    “Did you read the application for the scholarship completely?”

    “Pretty much, why? Is there a problem with my application?”

    Mrs. Martin shook her head. “No, it’s nothing like that. I just wanted to make sure that you pick the right field of study. I recommend that you pick a general field of study and not immediately jump into a pre-med program. It will give you more options. The scholarship doesn’t specifically say that you have to be a doctor. You can go into any health related field that is connected to The Bru.”

    “Like what?”

    “Therapist or medical researcher is two fields that you could go into with graduate studies. Looking at your records, you have a strong science background. Why not start off as a biology major and then you can shift later. Most of the first couple semesters of classes would be transferable into any medical program. Even as a therapist, having a science background wouldn’t be bad.”

    Savanna nodded. “That makes sense.”

    “The thing is, Savanna, I don’t want you to pick a path that might not be the best choice for you. I think you’re a very bright young woman and you have a very promising future ahead of you.”

    “Assuming I don’t keep getting sick,” interjected Savanna.

    “We’ll work on that too,” she replied.

    “You mean my irrational fears?”
   
    Mrs. Martin shook her head. “They aren’t all that irrational. If I was in the position you are I would also be concerned.”

    “Thank you, Mrs. Martin; you’ve made me feel a lot better.”

    “It’s my pleasure, Savanna.”

Chapter 114

    “Everything appears to be healing fine, Savanna,” said Dr. Lansing.

    “That’s a relief,” she replied.

    “And you have had no bleeding, right?”

    Savanna nodded. “Nope, not since I left the hospital. So how much longer do I have to be on the clear liquid diet?”

    “Another two to three days; just to play it safe.”

    “I can’t wait until I have pizza again,” she replied.

    Dr. Lansing smiled. “I’m sorry about that. It’s one of my favorite foods too.”

    “When can she go back to school?” asked Maggie.

    “Well, it’s been over a week since the surgery. I would say she could start again on Monday. However I want you to take it easy, Savanna.”
   
    “I will,” she replied.

    “Good. Now, I have some great news for you. I just called a friend and she has confirmed that you are one of the awardees of a full scholarship. You’ll get official notification in a few days; but I wanted to let you know now,” said Dr. Lansing. “Congratulations, Savanna!”

    “Wow,” replied Savanna. She was totally stunned. “I didn’t think I would find out so fast. I mean, I thought that a scholarship committee would take longer to decide.”

    Maggie hugged Savanna.

    “Well, we keep the selection process as streamlined as possible. This is due to the nature of the turn. Now, you told me that you were considering Swarthmore. Are you still interested in going there?”

    Savanna nodded and looked at her mom. “It’s my top choice.”

    “If you want to go there then you’re in. We have a special relationship with them and they hold spots for us.”

    “You…you mean that?” asked Savanna.
   
    “Yes. I talked to Marion Martin and she confirmed your GPA.”

    Savanna turned to Maggie. “What do you think, Mom?”

    “Honey, it’s your choice, but this is a wonderful opportunity,” said Maggie. “I can’t tell you want to do, but if I was in your shoes I would jump at the opportunity.”

    Savanna nodded. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
   
    Dr, Lansing smiled. “I had a feeling you would.”

Chapter 115

    “Swarthmore, huh?” said Jill

    Savanna adjusted the position of the phone as she cuddled up on the couch in the family room. “Yep and a full scholarship; let’s face it, there’s no way I could afford it otherwise.”

    “I’m so happy for you, Savanna,” said Jill. “This will give us another reason to celebrate when I take you out.”

    “I can’t wait,” said Savanna.

    “Um, do you still want to wait until after your next period?” asked Jill.

    “Just to play it safe…do you mind?”

    “No, not at all; but between you and me, I know that everything will be fine.”

    “I hope so. I’m so sick of being sick,” said Savanna.

    “Well, you get better as I want you to have a great time,” said Jill. “Just so you know…I love you.”

    Savanna felt a shiver of excitement sweep through her body. “Really?”

    “Yes,” replied Jill with a laugh. “By the way, the correct response isn’t ‘really.’ It’s I love you too or something like that.”

    “Sorry, I’m new at this. Yes I love you!”

    “That’s better. Okay, you get your rest and get better.”

    “I will,” replied Savanna. “I really do love you.”

    “I know…and I love you too.”

Chapter 116

    Savanna was glad to be going back to school. She was still a little tired; but had grown sick of hanging around the house all day. The good thing was that she back on solid food again.

Thanks to the liquid diet she had lost a few pounds. She couldn’t help but notice that she had a very feminine figure now.  Her breasts seemed to have finally stopped growing and on Saturday, Annie and Maggie decided to take her to a store to get properly sized.

“Trust me, you’ll appreciate a properly fitting bra,” said Annie.  “Um, you know that your hair has grown out quite a bit in the past few weeks. Do you want to see if Nikki can get you in?”

Savanna nodded. “Sure, why not?”

“I really love your hair, it’s so pretty,” said Annie.

“It’s strange, Annie, but I have a hard time remembering what my old hair color looked like. Also the idea of getting sized for a bra doesn’t freak me out like it would have a few weeks ago.”

“Well, I’ve been told that’s normal,” said Annie. “You’re getting used to being female.”

Savanna nodded. “I still have a ways to go.”

“True, but you’re getting there,” said Annie.

Chapter 117

“I can’t believe that I’m really a DD,” stated Savanna as she browsed the lingerie section of one of the large chain stores at the mall.

“Specifically 36-DD,” noted Annie. “Look, it’s not that unusual of a size these days; I mean I’m a 38-DD. Oooh, this is a nice one.”  She picked up a black lace under wire bra and held it up in front of Savanna. 

“It’s not bad,” she replied.

“This one is fifty percent off; that’s a great price,” noted Annie.

Savanna just nodded.

“You’ll need a couple of black bras as we need to pick you out a little black dress…especially when you go on your date with Jill,” continued Annie.

“Shhh, I haven’t told Mom about that,” said Savanna.

“Um, Savanna…I think Mom knows. I mean you’d have to be blind not to notice the way you and Jill have been looking at each other.”

“Really? Is it that obvious?”

Annie just shook her head as she looked into the basket that contained several bras. “I think we got enough for now. We can’t be late for your appointment with Nikki. After that we can grab lunch with Mom and then pick out the dress…oh and shoes too!”

“You’re having way too much fun,” stated Savanna.

“You have no idea…little sister!”

Chapter 118

“Very nice,” said Maggie as she admired Savanna’s new hair style.

“It was Nikki’s idea; she said that with the way my hair has become rather curly that it would be a good style for me.”

“Well, she was right,” said Annie as she looked at the menu.

They were eating at TGIF at the mall.

“So what do you need to shop for after lunch?” asked Maggie.

Savanna looked at Annie who nodded.

“I need something nice to wear out to dinner with Jill,” confessed Savanna.

“That makes sense,” said Maggie without hesitation. “Honey, I think it’s wonderful that you and Jill have become close. Now, what kind of dress are you looking for?”

Savanna glanced at Annie who gave her an “I told you so” look.

“I think she should get a little black dress,” said Annie.

“Yes, you do need one of those in your wardrobe; but let’s keep our eyes open. You’ll need shoes too; you can’t wear sneakers with a dress.”

Annie winked knowingly at her sister.

Chapter 119

Savanna ended up buying three dresses and six pairs of shoes, including two pairs of heels due to Annie’s urging.

“But I’ve never worn heels,” complained Savanna as they drove home.

“That just means you need to learn how. They aren’t that high away…just four inches,” replied Annie. “They’ll go perfectly with the dresses you bought.”

“Great, I can wear the dress as I’m brought into the ER with a broken leg.”

“When we get home I’ll show you how to walk in them. I promise you’ll do fine,” said Annie.

“Annie’s right,” interjected Maggie. “You’re a lovely young lady, Savanna and you should dress accordingly. I know Jill will appreciate it.”

“So you don’t mind that I’m still into girls?” asked Savanna cautiously.

“Honey, I just want you to be happy, besides I like Jill,” said Maggie. “And so does Dad.” 

“Thanks, Mom,” replied Savanna. A wave of relief swept through her body.

“Hey, Savanna, Kyle and I are going out to the movies tonight. We’re going to see the latest Eve Sandler comedy; you want to join us?” asked Annie.

Savanna shook her head. “No, it’s okay. One, three’s a crowd and two, I’ve always thought her movies were pretty stupid. They’re all the same…angry girl….stupid plots…crude jokes…”

“Really? I thought all guys liked them,” said Annie.

“Nope. Hey wait a minute…maybe that can be a test to see who is going to turn, if you think Eve Sandler movies are stupid then you might turn!” said Savanna as she started to laugh.

“Well that confirms Kyle will never turn; he loves her movies,” said Annie. “And by the way, I agree with you…her movies are pretty dumb, but I get to pick the next movie.”

“Look, I appreciate you wanting to bring me along, but you and Kyle need time alone,” said Savanna.

“Thanks, Savanna.”

Chapter 120

“Take your time. Now, remember heel first and let the sole follow quickly. Keep your toes pointing straight ahead as much as possible. Oh, and swing your arms to keep your balance,” said Annie.

“Also keep your legs straight and close. You’ll find you’ll need to shorten your stride,” added Maggie.

Savanna nodded as she tried to absorb everything her Mom and sister were telling her. She slowly walked forward, struggling to keep her balance, but she was able to cross the bedroom floor without falling over.

“Not a bad first attempt,” said Maggie. “Just keep practicing and you’ll be a pro in no time.”

“Either that or I’ll break my neck,” quipped Savanna as she slowly turned around. At one point she almost fell over.

“Just keep practicing, you’ll get the hang of it,” said Annie. “I mean the last thing you want to do is fall flat on your face when you’re out with Jill.”

“Gee thanks,” said Savanna.

Annie stuck out her tongue at her sister. She then looked at the watch. “Well, I gotta get ready for my date with Kyle.”

“See you later, Annie,” said Savanna as she slowly walked in her heels.

“Don’t be out too late, Annie,” said Maggie.

“Yes, Mom,” replied Annie.

Savanna walked back and forth, slowly gaining confidence in her new heels.

“The thing is practice often and by the time you have to wear them out of the house you’ll do fine,” said Maggie. “It’s like everything else you’ve adapted to, Savanna. You just have to get used to them; it’s just one more new experience.”

Savanna nodded as she sat down to take off the heels. “You’re right.”

“I also want to say how proud I’ve been of the way you’ve handled all these changes. I know it can’t be easy; especially with the all the side effects. Dad is also very proud of you.”

“Thanks, Mom,” said Savanna.

“Can I ask you something?” asked Maggie.

Savanna nodded.

“I know you like Jill a lot, but do you have any feelings for boys?”

Savanna shook her head. “None at all.”

Maggie nodded. “Well, if that changes; please let me know so we can get you protection.”

Savanna looked at her mother for a moment before it hit her what Maggie was talking about.

“Birth control?” asked Savanna.

Maggie nodded. “You don’t want an unplanned pregnancy. Just so you know, I had this same sort of talk with Annie a while back. I’m not about to tell you how to live your life, but I will help you be protected.”

“Thanks, Mom,” she replied. “This whole ‘I can now get pregnant thing’ will definitely take some getting used to…if you know what I mean.”

“Well, the good thing about being with another woman is that should you decide to raise a family it has to be planned,” said Maggie.

“What’s it like?” asked Savanna.

“What? Being pregnant?”

Savanna nodded.

“It’s wonderful…after you get over the initial shock that you’re going to have a baby,” replied Maggie with a smile.

Savanna laughed.

“There’s a very special feeling knowing you’re bringing another life into the world,” continued Maggie.

“I guess that’s pretty cool,” said Savanna.

“I always thought so,” replied Maggie. “Jon wasn’t exactly planned; your dad and I were just getting started in our careers and we weren’t planning on starting a family; but as soon as we had him we decided we wanted a large family. I know the idea of having a baby is very new to you; but it is an amazing experience.”

Savanna nodded. “Thanks for talking about this, Mom.”

“Honey, I’ll always be here for you,” said Maggie as she slipped her arm around Savanna’s shoulders. “I love you just as much now as I did when you were a boy; nothing has changed when it comes to that.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Chapter 121

It was a nice early spring day as Savanna returned to North Penn High School. She was glad to get back to the dull everyday routine of school.

Of course, she was the center of attention from her friends who were eager to welcome her back to school.

Being back also allowed her to get caught up on what had been happening. Six guys had turned in the time she had been out of school; however none of them were people that she knew very well. The good thing was that all of their turns had been uneventful.

“I guess you have the monopoly on difficult turns, Savanna,” said Darcy.

“Well, I wouldn’t wish what I’ve gone through on my worst enemy,” replied Savanna.

“Um, Savanna, I know this is your first day back, but we’re having a meeting of the post-turn support group this afternoon after school; are you interested in attending?”

“Maybe another time,” she replied. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m really not interested at this time. Does that make sense?”

Darcy nodded. “Yes. You know, after everything you’ve been through…in some ways it has helped you adapt faster than the rest of us. I mean, you’re by far more feminine than most of us who have turned.”

Savanna looked at her friend. “What do you mean?”

“I can’t put my finger on it; it’s not just looks, but when I’m around you I just think of you as a girl…and not a guy who turned. I mean I don’t even think of myself as a complete girl yet.”

“I’m just being myself,” replied Savanna.

“Maybe that’s it,” said Darcy. “Whatever the reason, you’re doing a great job.”

Chapter 122

Over lunch, Savanna told Kyle what Darcy had said.

He just nodded.

    “That’s it?” asked Savanna.

    “What do you want me to say? I mean, I agree with Darcy. Hell, Savanna, I’ve been your friend forever and when I’m around you now all I can see is a girl…a rather cute girl, but a girl nevertheless,” he replied.

    Savanna was stunned by his answer. “I’m still not comfortable in this body yet.”

    Kyle shrugged. “That may be, but you don’t show your conflict. I’m really proud of you.”

    She nodded and then stopped. “What did you say about me being cute?”

    Kyle grinned. “Just telling the truth; look if I wasn’t so much in love with your sister I would consider asking you out.”

    “You’re not my type,” replied Savanna as she grinned back.

    “I know that. Annie told me about you and Jill. I think that’s great; Jill’s a huge step up on…well you know who I mean.”

    Savanna nodded. “Yeah, I do. She never did call me…not that I expected her to.”

    “I don’t get her. I mean I always knew she was a little stuck up, but I never thought she could be so inconsiderate,” said Kyle. “She’s pissed a lot of people off for the way she has treated you. She’s pretty much a social outcast here now. She just hangs out with Mike Sullivan and his friends at Lansdale Catholic.”

    Savanna didn’t reply. While she was still hurt by Debby’s actions, she didn’t take any pleasure in knowing that others were being rude to her.

    “I guess she just needs to grow up and stop thinking the world revolves around her,” said Savanna.

    Kyle laughed. “Good luck on that happening.”

Chapter 123

Savanna thought about what her friends had said all day. She was aware that she had changed; but was really that extreme? It really didn’t bother her as she figured that since she was physically female now she might as well as act female; rather it was the fact that others had noticed the difference before she did.

That night she took out the unused vibrator and examined it as she sat in her bed. She turned it on and immediately turned it off as she was afraid that everyone in the house would hear it. Shaking her head in disgust at her apprehension she turned on the stereo and then made herself comfortable on her bed. She turned the vibrator back on and moved it down between her legs.

She realized that she really didn’t know what to do and this made her giggle nervously. For a moment she debated calling Jill and asking her what to do; but decided that this wasn’t rocket science and she began to explore her body.

* * * *

Holy crap…that was incredible, she thought as she basked in the afterglow of her first female orgasm. It had swept through her entire body in wave after wave of energy…she had no idea it would feel this fantastic.

She eventually got up and cleaned up before going to bed. In a few minutes after crawling back under the covers she was in a deep restful sleep.

Chapter 124

“Jill, why didn’t you tell me how…how…wonderful it would be?” asked Savanna as she talked to Jill the following evening.

“Would you have believed me?” replied Jill.

Savanna giggled. “No…but…wow… I had no idea.”

“I knew you’d like it,” continued Jill.

“It makes doing it as a guy…damn there is no comparison!”

Jill laughed. “I know exactly what you mean.”

They talked for a while before Jill asked Savanna a question.

“So when do you want to go out to dinner?”

“Um, I’d like to wait until after my next period…you know just to make sure everything is holding up,” replied Savanna.

“Okay, that’s understandable,” said Jill. “Let’s set it for the first weekend after your period, okay?”

“Sounds great; look I know that I’m being a little cautious, but that last time in the hospital scared the hell out of me.”

“Savanna, you don’t have to explain it to me; I understand…if I was in the same position I would be the same way,” said Jill.

“Thanks.”

“Now, I have another question. Can I take you to your senior prom?”

“Wow, I had forgotten all about that,” she replied.

“I knew you would. Look I imagine that two girls going to the prom together isn’t any more uncommon at your school that it was at mine; so what do you say?”

Savanna thought about it for a moment. “Yes, I’d like that.”

“Good, but you know what this means?”

“What?” asked Savanna.

“It means you have to get a really nice prom dress,” said Jill. “I want you to look stunning that night.”

Savanna giggled. “I never thought I’d be shopping for a prom dress.”

“I know what you mean, but it’ll be fun,” replied Jill.

“I have to agree,” said Savanna.

She then told Jill about her conversations with her friends.

“What do you think?”

There was a long pause. “I have to agree with them,” said Jill.

“But I don’t get it? I mean I’m not doing anything to try and act like a girl…whatever that means,” replied Savanna.

“Maybe that’s it; you’re just being yourself…you’re not fighting what has happened and you’re not over compensating for it either,” replied Jill. “I think it’s pretty cool.”

Savanna thought about what Jill had said. “Maybe you’re right.”

Chapter 125

The days passed slowly for Savanna as she waited for her next period. She knew the approximate date that it should start, but she also knew there was no guarantee.

Two days before the approximate time her period was due to start Maggie took her to see Dr. Lansing.

“Savanna, I know you’re nervous, but chances are excellent that everything will be normal,” explained Dr. Lansing.

Savanna nodded. “What will happen if I start bleeding again?”

“First, Dr. Redding is on call and can be out here in less than an hour,” explained Dr. Lansing. She then gave Savanna and Maggie business cards. “If you have a repeat of what happened last time call this number immediately. That way we can be ready for you here at the hospital.”

“I’m going to program it into my cell phone right now,” said Savanna.

“I’ve also talked to Mrs. Martin at North Penn; they’ll also have the number,” continued Dr. Lansing.

“Um, Dr. Lansing, I was reading about the condition I have on the internet and on most sites they said that chances for a repeat is very low…but when it does happen it is usually extremely severe and can leave the person with long term problems; is this true?” asked Savanna.

Dr. Lansing nodded. “Yes in very rare cases the condition can lead to severe problems. However it is usually in cases where the person didn’t receive proper treatment the first time. That’s part of the reason why Dr. Redding was so diligent in her surgery.”

    “Thank you, Dr, Lansing, I feel a little better now,” said Savanna.

Chapter 126

    The next morning Savanna woke feeling off; not sick but not exactly well. She told her mom about it.

    “Is it like last time?” asked Maggie.

    “No, it’s just uncomfortable…and a little gross,” replied Savanna.

    “Well, you know what to do if it’s more than just your period,” said Maggie.

    Savanna could see the worry in her mom’s eyes. “I have the number Dr. Lansing gave us in my cell phone.”

    “Do you feel like staying home?” asked Maggie.

    “No, I’d rather go to school if it’s okay with you. Besides, if it’s something abnormal I’ll be around other people,” replied Savanna.

    “Okay dear,” replied Maggie as she hugged her daughter.

    “Thanks, Mom,” replied Savanna.

Chapter 127

    As a precaution, Savanna told Mrs. Martin how she felt.

    “Thank you, Savanna. If you feel like last time, don’t hesitate to tell your teachers.”

    “I will,” replied Savanna. “I know I was pretty lucky the last time.”

    Mrs. Martin nodded.

    “Okay, well I better get going back to class,” said Savanna. “Thank you.”

    Mrs. Martin smiled. “For what, Savanna?”

    “Everything,” replied Savanna.

   
Chapter 128

    By mid-day Savanna’s period arrived and she was somewhat relieved.

    While she still wasn’t used to it, the good thing was there was no pain like the previous time.

    When she got home she told both Maggie and Annie what was happening.

    “And everything else is normal?” asked Maggie.

    Savanna nodded. “Yes…and I’m as relieved as you are.”

    “Still, if you feel any pain…well pain like last time, let us know immediately,” said Maggie.

    “Trust me, after last time I’m not going to try and tough this out,” said Savanna.

    “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll keep an eye on her,” added Annie.

Chapter 129

    “So, you haven’t had any excessive discomfort?” asked Dr. Lansing as she talked to Savanna over the phone.

    “No, just regular discomfort,” replied Savanna with a slight laugh. “Seriously, this is nothing like the last time. The pills Mom gave me are controlling the cramps.”

    “I’m glad to hear that Savanna,” said Dr. Lansing.

    “So, am I in the clear now?”

    “Well, there are no guarantees in medicine; however it looks good. Look, while it is prudent to be aware of what could happen and to be alert for symptoms, you need to live your life without worrying what could go wrong,” said Dr. Lansing.

    “That makes sense,” replied Savanna.

    “Most people who have a serious medical condition always have a fear in the back of their mind that it might return. However you can’t let this dread grow and take over. I realize this is easier said than done, but worrying about what might happen never did anyone any good.”

    “Thanks, Dr. Lansing,” replied Savanna. “Um, one last thing, can you give me Dr. Redding’s address? I want to write her and thank her.”

    “Sure, I have her address right here; do you have something to write with?”

Chapter 130

    Savanna called Jill the next day and told her the good news.

    “I imagine that’s a huge weight off your shoulders,” said Jill.

    “You have no idea,” replied Savanna. “I mean, it’s not that pleasant, but it sure beats ending up in the ER.”

    “Now, you know what this means?”

    “It means that we’re going out to dinner,” replied Savanna. “I can’t wait.”

    “Well, think about where you want to go and let me know. I’m thinking of next weekend if that’s good for you,” replied Jill. “And no pizza places!”

    Savanna laughed. “Next weekend is great.”

    “I love you, Savanna,” said Jill.

    “I love you too.”

Chapter 131

    The next week, when Savanna arrived home she found a message for her on the family’s answering machine.

    “Savanna, this is Dr. Lansing, I was hoping you could give me a call. There’s a favor I would like to ask you.” The message was followed by a phone number.

    Savanna dialed the number.

    “Thank you for calling back,” said Dr. Lansing.

    “What can I do for you?” asked Savanna.

    “We just had another patient come in who is experiencing a similar turn to what you went through,” she said.

    “Damn,” replied Savanna. “Um, how’s she doing?”

    “She’s not taking it very well. I was hoping that if you could talk to her she might realize that this isn’t the end of the world. We’re providing professional therapy, but sometimes talking with someone who has survived a similar experience can be very helpful.”

    “Um, sure, when do you want me to come in?”

    “Can you come in Saturday morning?”

    Savanna thought about it. Jill was arriving Friday evening and they were going out Saturday night. Still, she felt she owed Dr. Lansing. “Sure, I can be there in the morning, what time?”

    “Can you be here at nine?”

    “Sure,” replied Savanna.

    “Thank you so much,” replied Dr. Lansing.

Chapter 132

    “So you don’t mind?” asked Savanna as she talked to Jill on the phone.

    “No, in fact I’m very proud of you for doing this,” replied Jill.

    “My parents are pleased with me too,” replied Savanna. “Oh, I was able to reschedule our appointments at the salon. They moved us to one.”

    “Great,” replied Jill. “Tell you what, why don’t I go with you to the hospital and then we can grab lunch before the salon?”

    “Okay,” replied Savanna. “I appreciate that. Um do you mind if Annie joins us?”

    “Of course not! I really like her,” said Jill. “So, do you know the person who turned?”

    “No. It’s nobody at my school. No one has turned this week and I’m sure I would have heard about someone going through the same thing I did.”

    “That’s true. Well, I have some work to get done before I head out tomorrow. I can’t wait to see you again.”

    “I feel the same way,” replied Savanna.

Chapter 133

    On Saturday morning the three girls walked into North Penn Hospital and headed up to the third floor.

    “How do you feel?” asked Annie.

    “A little nervous; I mean this place is filled with memories,” replied Savanna. “In some ways I was reborn here.”

    They stopped at the nurse’s station and asked for Dr. Lansing.

    “I’ll have her paged,” replied the nurse.

    A few minutes later, Dr. Lansing walked out to greet them. She was dressed in blue scrubs and was carrying a clipboard.

    “I’m so glad you accepted my offer,” said Dr. Lansing.

    “It’s the least I can do for you. Um, do you remember my sister Annie and my friend Jill?”

    Dr. Lansing nodded as she shook their hands. “Yes, it’s a pleasure to see both of you again.”

    “So how’s the…um patient?” asked Savanna.

    “Bitter, depressed, and very unhappy,” replied Dr. Lansing. “She did seem slightly pleased that I told her that someone who had survived the same sort of turn was coming in to see her this morning.”

    “What’s her name?” asked Savanna.

    “She’s reluctantly responding to Michelle,” replied Dr. Lansing.

    “Dr. Lansing, where does she go to school?” asked Annie.

    “I think she goes to the local catholic high school,” she replied.

    “And is her last name Sullivan?” asked Annie.

    Dr. Lansing nodded. “Yes, why do you know her?”

    Savanna looked at Annie, who nodded. All the color went out of Savanna’s face and she began to tremble.

    “Are you okay, Savanna?” asked Jill as she helped Savanna into a chair.

    “He…I mean she’s the one who’s been dating Debby,” replied Savanna.

    “Debby?” asked Dr. Lansing.

    “Debby is the girl that Savanna was dating when she turned,” said Annie as she sat down on the other side of her sister.

    “It wasn’t a good break up,” explained Savanna. “I also had a run in with Mike after I turned…it wasn’t pleasant.”

    “I’m so sorry, I had no idea,” replied Dr. Lansing.

    “How could you? Um, Dr. Lansing, can I have a few minutes alone please?” asked Savanna.

    “Yes, why don’t you use my office,” said Dr. Lansing.

Chapter 134

    “No one would blame you if you left right now, Savanna,” said Jill.

    “I agree,” added Annie. “I mean, I doubt if Mike…I mean Michelle will be all that happy to see you either.”

    Savanna nodded and ran her fingers through her hair. Then she shook her head. “No. I’m not going to run away from this. If Michelle doesn’t want to see me then it’s her choice.”

    “Are you sure?” asked Annie.

    Savanna nodded. “Look, I need to do this. I mean I want to go into medicine, so I better learn if I can deal with difficult situations.”

    “Do you want us to go in with you?” asked Jill.

    Savanna shook her head. “No, that might be too much…but please don’t be too far away, okay?”

    Annie and Jill both nodded.

    “You sure you want to do this?” asked Annie.

    “I’m not sure, but I deep down I know this is the right thing to do,” replied Savanna.

Chapter 135

    Savanna walked into Michelle’s room with Dr. Lansing.

    While it was obvious that Michelle was female, she was far from petite. She was sitting up in bed and when she saw Savanna a scowl appeared on her face.

    “What are you doing here? Did you come to gloat?” asked Michelle bitterly.

    “No, I would never do that. Dr. Lansing asked me to come here because I just went through a similar turn,” replied Savanna. Outwardly she was trying to be calm, but she could feel her heart beating rapidly.

    “Oh…so you’re the one she told me about,” said Michelle. “She said your turn was even worse than mine.”

    Savanna nodded. “Can I sit down?”

    Michelle shrugged her shoulders.

    Well this is good sign, thought Savanna. At least she’s letting me stay here.

Dr. Lansing just stepped to the back and watched in silence.

    “When did it start?” asked Savanna.

    “Monday,” replied Michelle in a flat tone.

    “Were you at school?”

    Michelle shook her head. “I was at home and I felt sick. It came on so fast. The next thing I knew I was here.”

    “I was at school. I was in the boy’s room when I passed out,” said Savanna. “I was lucky that my best friend found me.”

    “And did you remember anything?”

    Savanna shook her head. “Nope. I woke up here and was in the ICU.”

    Michelle nodded. “Me too. I really freaked out when I came to.”

    “I was too much in shock to freak out,” admitted Savanna.

    “At least you look good…hell you’re beautiful…I look like a freak. I mean I’m a big ugly freak!”

    “Big maybe, but you’re not a freak. You’re body is still changing; your face will change and become softer,” said Savanna.

    “And if they don’t?”

    “Then you move on,” said Savanna. “Look, I’m not going to kid you and say this has been easy…but it’s not impossible.”

    “I can’t do this,” whimpered Michelle, her voice almost cracking.

    “Yes you can. It’s challenging, but you can do it,” said Savanna.

    Michelle turned her head and sniffed. Savanna wasn’t sure, but she thought that Michelle might be crying.

    “I’m so sorry for the way I treated you,” cried Michelle. “I had…I had no idea how traumatic this was. I never thought I would turn. I always thought it would happen to others. I guess that’s why I ragged on guys who turned….I’m so ashamed of how I acted.”

    “It’s okay,” said Savanna. “I’m not exactly proud of what I did to you either.”

    Michelle appeared to wipe away tears from her eyes. She then turned back and looked at Savanna.

    “To make it even worse…Debby hasn’t been here once,” complained Michelle.

    Savanna didn’t say anything.

    “I mean…we weren’t together that long…but at least she could stop in and see if I was alive!”

    “I know how you feel,” replied Savanna. “She did the same thing to me.”

    “And are you still angry at her?” asked Michelle.

    Savanna shook her head. “Angry…no…well maybe a little, but actually I pity her more. I mean she sees herself as the one who was hurt in all this. I’m sorry she has hurt you too…I guess we have a lot in common.”

    Michelle actually smiled slightly. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. You know, you’re not half bad.”

    Savanna smiled back. “I suppose that’s a compliment.”

    “Okay, that didn’t come out right. Thank you for coming in,” replied Michelle.

    “You’re welcome,” said Savanna.

    “Um…do you mind coming back? I have a lot of questions and well you’re sort of the resident expert in all this,” asked Michelle.

    “I’d like that, Michelle,” replied Savanna.

    Michelle yawned. “For the first time since this happened I sort of have hope...maybe things will work out after all.”

    “I’m glad to hear that. Michelle, you look exhausted, so why don’t you take a nap. Trust me; you need all the sleep you can get.  I promise I’ll be back tomorrow,” said Savanna.

    Michelle nodded.

    Savanna and Dr. Lansing stepped out of the room.

    “You were fantastic in there Savanna. I’m so proud of you,” complimented Dr. Lansing.

    “Thank you. That swept away a few of my own demons too,” said Savanna.

    Annie and Jill walked up and joined Savanna.

    “How was it?” asked Jill.

    “Not too bad,” replied Savanna. “I’ll tell you everything over lunch.”

Chapter 136

    “So Debby has done it again?” asked Annie.

    Savanna nodded as she looked at the menu. They were having lunch at a Chinese restaurant near the salon.

    “I can’t believe anyone could be that mean,” said Jill.

    “I don’t know if she’s mean or just selfish,” stated Savanna. “I think that she only cares about herself. I just think that it’s pretty rude.”

    “Other than Debby, how is Michelle coping?” asked Jill.

    “She’s pretty bitter. I think she thinks her life is over,” said Savanna. “I tried to help her, but she has a long way to go.”

    “Look, everyone handles this differently. I had my problems adjusting,” noted Jill.

    “I guess I’ve been lucky,” said Savanna.

    “Yeah, other than the nearly dying twice part,” interjected Jill.

    Savanna laughed. “You know what I mean. I’ve had a lot of friends and family to get me through the rough parts.”

    “So when are you going back to see Michelle?” asked Annie.

    “Tomorrow afternoon,” said Savanna as she closed the menu. “So is everyone ready to order?”

Chapter 137

    “Well?” asked Savanna as she let Annie into her bedroom. “Please tell me what you think?”

    Annie inspected her sister’s appearance and nodded approvingly. “I like the new hairstyle you picked out today.”

    “Well, the woman at the salon said that it would look good. I can’t believe how curly my hair has become,” she replied.

    “I’m more envious of the color of your hair. I love the color,” said Annie.

    Savanna looked in the mirror. Her hair had settled in to a rich dark red tone.

    “I like what you’re wearing too,” continued Annie. “It’s a perfect fit; it shows off your body while at the same time looking classy.”

    Savanna was dressed in a short black dress with her black pumps.

    “I’m still not used to it; but I figure tonight is as good a time to go out in one. I also feel safe enough to walk in the heels.”

    “Is this the first time you’ve worn a dress out of the house?” asked Annie.

    Savanna nodded. “Is it too much?”

    Annie shook her head. “Like I said, it’s perfect.”

    “We have reservations for a café in Doylestown. Jill heard about it from a friend at school,” continued Savanna. ‘It’s supposed to be a bit fancy.”

    “Well you look great. I’m very impressed with your makeup…you’ve gotten pretty good at it,” said Annie.

    “I’ve had a great teacher,” replied Savanna as she smiled at her sister.

    Maggie knocked on the doorframe. “Can I come in?”

    “Sure, Mom,” replied Savanna.

    “Honey, you look great,” said Maggie. “However, I thought you might like to wear these. They’ll go great with your dress.”

    She held out a string of pearls.

    “Wow, thanks, Mom,” replied Savanna as she looked at the necklace.

    “Turn around, I’ll help you with them,” said Maggie.

    Savanna looked at herself in the mirror and reached up and touched the pearls.

    “I promise to take care of them,” said Savanna.

    “That’s nice,” replied Maggie. “But just so you know they’re yours from now on. You need to have some nice things.”

    Savanna turned and hugged Maggie. “Thanks, Mom.”

    “You’re welcome, dear. Now, I have to admit that I didn’t think I would be giving you pearls, but I’m so pleased how you’ve handled this,” said Maggie.

    “I know what you mean,” replied Savanna. “Well, the important thing is that I’m comfortable with who I am now.”

    Harry came up and stared at Savanna. “Wow!”

    Savanna laughed. “I take it you think I look okay.”

    He nodded. “You look great Savanna. I just came up to tell you that Jill is waiting for you in the living room.”

    “Thanks, Harry,” she replied.

   
Chapter 138

    Savanna and Jill sat at their table in Horton’s in downtown Doylestown.

    Jill was dressed in a dark green dress. She had a new hairstyle too; it was now shorter and sportier.

    “How’re you doing?” asked Jill.

    “I’m fine,” replied Savanna. “Why?”

    “Well, you keep looking around the restaurant,” said Jill.

    “Oh, it’s just that this is the first nice place I’ve been to since I turned. I was just noticing the number of men to women.”

    Jill nodded. Looking around she estimated that women outnumbered men almost four to one.

    “I know what you mean. We grow up with the Bru; but it isn’t until after we turn that we really do notice the difference.”

    “I mean at school; the ratio is much more even…at least among students,” said Savanna.

    “Wait til you get to college. In some of my classes there are no men at all,” said Jill.

    Savanna nodded.

    “My grandmother was born in Amsterdam and lived though World War II before her family moved to the states. She said that it was like this during the war and even afterwards. There were no men around; other than the really young or the really old,” said Jill.

    “It is like a war to a degree. I mean we weren’t killed, but our lives have been changed dramatically by something we had no control over,” said Savanna.

    “Good choice of words,” said Jill.

    “It’s weird, but I was so afraid of this happening and now that it has it’s not so bad. I mean I’m more pissed off about being a shrimp,” she said.

    “Good thing I love shrimp,” said Jill.

    Savanna giggled.

    “Look, the important thing is that you’ve got your health,” said Jill. “When your mom called me and told me that you were back in the ER…I freaked out and started bawling. I was terrified that I would lose you before I could tell you how much I love you.”

    Savanna felt her face turning warm. “Crap…am I blushing?”

    “Yes, but it’s very cute,” said Jill. “My cute pink shrimp.”

    The waitress walked up to their table. “Good evening, I’m Brenda. Can I tell you about our specials tonight?”

Chapter 139

    After dinner, they walked out of the restaurant and window-shopped. They walked slowly down the sidewalks holding hands.

    “We really need to come here sometime when the stores are open; they have some really nice things,” said Jill. She pointed at a dress in the window of a boutique. “That would look great on you.”

    Savanna smiled back. “Thanks again for dinner. I’ll always remember our first date.”

    Jill leaned over and kissed her. “That was just to make the memories even better.”

    “Thanks…it did,” replied Savanna.

    They stopped at a coffee shop and ordered some cappuccinos. They also split an order of cheesecake.

    “This is great, but very fattening. One thing you’ll have to watch is after the first six months after your turn your metabolism will slow down,” explained Jill.

    “I know, Dr. Lansing told me about that,” said Savanna as she ate a small piece of the cheesecake. “It is good.”

    “I’m lucky that my swimming keeps me in shape,” said Jill. “You should start to think about some sort of exercise program to stay in shape.  I suggest you join a gym; they have specialists that will help you pick out a program to fit your body.”

    “Makes sense; I mean I know that in addition to being a shrimp I’m also not as strong. I had to ask Harry to move some boxes for me.”

    “I bet that was hard to do,” said Jill.

    “You have no idea. I’m just glad it was Harry and not Jon; he never would have let me live it down,” she replied with a laugh. “Actually, Harry is pretty cool.”

    “Your whole family is great,” said Jill. “Speaking of families, my moms want you to come down. We talked about you coming down for the summer and they’re very cool about it. My sisters also want to meet you.”

    “How many sisters do you have?” asked Savanna.

    “Four,” she replied. “All were my brothers before they turned.”

    “How’re they doing?”

    “You’d never know they were once guys. They give me grief over being a lifeguard,” said Jill with a smile. “They think it’s too butch of a job!”

    Jill listed her sisters and what they were doing. Three were living with other women and one had a husband and two kids.

    “Can I ask you a question; I’ve known you had two moms for years…do you know your father?”
   
    Jill shook her head. “Nope; my parents used a sperm bank. It doesn’t bother me by the way. I mean I had a great upbringing living down at the shore. Why do you want to know?”

    “Well…someday I’d like to have a family and being I’m not into guys…”

    “Oh, I get it,” said Jill. “I’ve wondered about that too.”

    “I’m not in a rush or anything…but….well you know.”

    Jill smiled back. “If we become a couple…. we can flip coins on who gets pregnant first, okay?”

    “Deal,” replied Savanna.

    They both broke out in laughter that ended when Jill kissed Savanna on the lips.

Chapter 140

    They drove back to Savanna’s house and pulled into the driveway.

    “Thank you so much for tonight…it really meant a lot,” said Savanna.

    “I know exactly what you mean,” said Jill. “Hey, and I’m totally cool about waiting a while before we get more serious.”

    “Thanks,” replied Savanna. “I just feel funny about doing it in the house when my parents are home.”

    “You don’t have to explain…besides it will be more fun down at the shore anyway,” she replied as she kissed Savanna again. “That’s just a little something to spark your imagination.”

    “It’s a good thing that you gave me that vibrator then,” said Savanna.

    Jill smiled back. “It’s so amazing that we would both turn and end up in love.”

    “I know,” replied Savanna before they kissed again.

    ‘Well, we better head inside…I’m sure that your parents heard us pull up,” said Jill.

    Savanna nodded. “Too bad.”

Chapter 141

    Jill had to head back to college the next morning.

    “Now remember, you need to get something stunning for the prom,” said Jill before she left.

    “That goes for you too,” added Savanna before they kissed goodbye.

    After watching Jill leave, Savanna drove over to the hospital to see Michelle. While she doubted that they would become friends; it felt good to be able to pass on what she had learned.

    She arrived at the hospital and headed up the third floor.

    “I’m here to see Michelle Sullivan,” she said to the nurse.

    “Oh,” replied the nurse as a concerned look appeared on her face. “Um, let me call Dr. Lansing.”

    Savanna immediately sensed something was wrong, but waited until Dr. Lansing appeared. From the look on Dr, Lansing’s face Savanna’s fears were confirmed.

    “What’s wrong?” asked Savanna.

    “Let’s go talk in my office,” said Dr. Lansing.

    “That bad?” asked Savanna.

    Dr. Lansing nodded.

    They stepped into Dr. Lansing’s office and she closed the door as Savanna sat down.

    “There’s no easy way to say this; Michelle tried to kill herself last night,” said Dr. Lansing.

    “What?” asked a shocked Savanna.

    “She’s going to make it; but we figure it’s best that she doesn’t have any visitors,” said Dr. Lansing.

    Savanna shook her head. “I don’t get it; she was so upbeat after we finished talking yesterday.”

    “It had nothing to do with you,” said Dr. Lansing. “We talked after you left and she said that for the first time since her turn she felt optimistic about the future.”

    “So what happened?” asked Savanna.

    “We’re not exactly sure. Her parents came to visit and left to get some food. Apparently they left Michelle with a cell phone. When they got back they found the phone smashed and Michelle was lying on the floor. She had tried to slash her wrists with a broken water glass.”

    “Do you know who she called?” asked Savanna.

    “No and she refuses to tell us. When she’s better physically she’s going to be transferred…not my idea.”

    “Her parents?”

    Dr, Lansing nodded. “We get a small percentage of those who turn who try suicide. We find that the best form of recovery is to try and treat it locally. We don’t downplay it; but we try to get the patient to look at the future and not the past.”

    Savanna nodded. “Can you give her my phone number? I’d like to help.”

    “I expected you to say that. I’ll make sure her parents get the number.”

    “Thank you,” replied Savanna.

Chapter 142

    As Savanna drove home a rage began to build inside her. She had a pretty good idea who Michelle called…it had to have been Debby.

    Savanna was almost home when she changed her mind and headed over to Debby’s house. She knew it wasn’t the smartest thing to do; but she didn’t care.

    She immediately noticed that only Debby’s car was in the driveway as she pulled in.

    Savanna stood at the front door and rang the doorbell. She heard Debby’s voice and began to wonder if it might be best if she turned and left.

    The door opened and Debby gasped.

    “Yes, it’s me,” said Savanna.

    “What do you want?” Debby demanded.

    “I just want to know one thing…did you talk to Michelle last night?”

    “Michelle…who’s that?” she replied sarcastically.

    “You know damn well who I’m talking about. It’s Mike’s new name since she turned,” snapped Savanna.

    “Yes… he…I mean SHE called me.”

    “What did you say to her?”

    “Why do you care?” demanded Debby. “I mean you hated him.”

    “I was helping her adapt to the turn. She had a similar one to mine, my doctor asked me to do it as a favor and I never hated him.”

    “What-ever,” replied Debby.

    “So what did you say to her?”

    “I just told…her… that I was angry about what he had done to me and to never call me again,” she replied in a matter of fact way.

    “What she did to you? Christ you’re a piece of work. I have no idea what I ever saw in you,” replied Savanna angrily.

    “I know what you saw in me,” replied Debby with a grin.

    Savanna rolled her eyes. “To quote you ‘what-ever!’ I just can’t believe that you think that you’re the victim in all this.”

    “I am the victim. You get to move on and are treated like a fucking celebrity. I break up with you and I become a fuckin’ outcast! I’m the one who did something wrong! I’m the bad person! You have no idea what you’ve put me through!”

    “We could have broken up on good terms…it happens all the time. You turned yourself into a victim… so don’t try throwing guilt my way!” replied Savanna. “I almost died during my turn…and I almost died later due to complications.”

    “Look… you got over it. Did you expect me to turn into a dyke just because you changed?” she said bitterly.

    “No. Wow you really don’t get it. I’m not angry that we broke up…I’m angry the way you did it. All you had to do was tell me to my face and we both could have moved on,” said Savanna. “We might even have stayed friends.”

    “Why is this my fault? You should have called me and apologized,” countered Debby. “I mean it’s not like you were doing much while you were lounging around in the hospital.”

    “I wasn’t longing around. In fact I was unconscious the first few days and after that I couldn’t speak,” replied Savanna.

    “Always an excuse,” said Debby. “I was crushed when you changed. I was so depressed…I mean do you have any idea what I went through? Everyone was asking how you were and if you were okay…no one asked me how I was dealing with it.”

    “Wow…you’re so selfish,” stated Savanna. “Now, what else did you say to Michelle?”

    “Why do you care?” asked Debby.

    “Just tell me damnit!” demanded Savanna.

    “I told him…excuse me…HER…that I can’t image what sort of woman she would be…some kind of huge ugly cow and that I wouldn’t want to go through life looking like that…I might have said a few other things but I don’t remember. Look you got lucky… I mean at least you’re cute and actually look feminine.”

    “You actually said that?” snapped Savanna furiously. “You have no idea what you did…Michelle tried to kill herself last night; probably right after she called you. She was on the edge and needed to talk to someone who she thought cared about her and instead you pushed her over the edge. Thankfully her parents found her before she died.”

    Debby didn’t reply and her hands reached up and covered her mouth.

    “Don’t worry I didn’t tell anyone that it was you that caused Michelle to almost kill herself. I just hope you take a good look at yourself. The next time you piss someone off they might not hurt themselves.”

    Debby just stared back.

    “Good-bye,” said Savanna and she turned and walked back to her car. As she pulled out of the driveway she saw Debby still standing in the doorway.

   
Chapter 143

    “Wow, Savanna… you know what… you still have balls,” said Kyle.

    Annie nudged him in the ribs.

    They were in the Gordon’s family room.

    “It’s okay, Annie…I know what he means,” replied Savanna.

    “There are just better ways of saying it,” said Annie as she rolled her eyes.

    Kyle grinned and kissed Annie on the cheek. “Anyway, I guess that exorcised a few demons.”

    Savanna nodded. “Yes, it did. I’m sorry it took something so awful to push me into confronting her, but I have no regrets about what I said.”

    “What do you think Debby will do?” asked Annie.
   
    “Nothing,” said Savanna. “This will probably just re-enforce her ‘I’m the victim’ attitude in this thing.”

    “I still think you should tell your counselor,” said Annie, “Just in case she does something psycho.”

    “I agree,” added Kyle.

    “You’re right,” said Savanna as she nodded. “I’ll tell Mrs. Martin tomorrow.”

Chapter 144

    Monday morning, Savanna sat across from Mrs. Martin and told her what had happened regarding Debby.

    “While I don’t agree with what you did, I can understand it,” said Mrs. Martin.

    “I know that it all wasn’t because of Michelle…I guess I was still carrying around a lot of anger over the way she treated me,” admitted Savanna. “I should have told you about this before, but I didn’t think she would be so rotten. I also thought I was over how she dumped me. I mean, I don’t blame her for breaking up…it was just the way she did it.”

    “We do see some negative reactions from girlfriends after a turn; but this is one of the more extreme ones.”

    “Extreme…I guess it’s fitting…everything about my turn has been to the extreme.”

    “You have set some sort of record for issues,” said Mrs. Martin. “Still, you’ve handled most of it pretty well. Just do me a favor and stay away from Debby.”

    “No problem there,” said Savanna. “So what happens now?”

    “I’ll have to talk to Debby,” said Mrs. Martin.  “You haven’t been the only one who has had problems with her.”

Chapter 145

    “How’d it go with Mrs. Martin?” asked Kyle as they ate lunch.

    “Pretty good,” replied Savanna. “I could tell she wasn’t exactly pleased with what I did.”

    “I talked to some friends at Lansdale Catholic and they say that Michelle’s parents have transferred her to a Bru-recovery facility up in the Poconos.”

    “I’ve heard about those places,” replied Savanna. “They’re supposed designed to help the turned accept what has happened to them. Thankfully I didn’t need anything like that…due entirely to my friends and family.”

    Kyle nodded as he took a bite of his sandwich. “Oh, I’ve decided to go to Temple. I got my letter of acceptance last week. It’s close and they have the major I want.”

    “That’s great,” said Savanna.

    “And what about you?” asked Kyle.

    “I’ve been accepted at Swarthmore; but I’m waiting to hear back from Rutgers before I make a decision,” she said.

    “Isn’t that where Jill is going?”

    Savanna nodded. “Yes. I figure that I’m on a full scholarship so cost isn’t an issue.”

    “What have your parents said about this idea?”

    “I haven’t told them yet. I’m waiting to see if they accept me first. Dr. Lansing said that she would try and help get my application expedited. Rutgers is one of the colleges that has an opening for my scholarship. If I go to Swarthmore, I can always transfer later; but I don’t want to be away from Jill.”

    “Are you that much in love with her?”

    Savanna nodded. “I know it’s not the logical thing to do, but considering what I’ve been through this year I’m sort of looking at life a little differently. I know how quickly things can change and I don’t want to wait.”

    Kyle nodded. “Makes sense.”

    “I doubt if my parents will mind even though they know how I feel about Jill.”

    “So, are you going to the prom with her?”

    Savanna nodded.

    “Cool.”

    “Are you taking Annie?” asked Savanna.

    “Yes,” he replied. “Well, I mean I plan on asking her this week.”

    “Why don’t we double-date?” asked Savanna.
   
    “You don’t mind?” asked Kyle.

    Savanna rolled her eyes. “If I did I wouldn’t suggest it in the first place!”

    “I’d like that,” he replied. “I’m really glad we’ve stayed friends.”

    “I know what you mean,” said Savanna. “I also like the fact that you’re dating my sister.”

    “She’s something else,” said Kyle. “I mean, she’s so different from anyone else I’ve dated. She’s funny and smart.”

    Savanna nodded.

    “And just in case you’re wondering…we haven’t done anything…other than kissing.”

    “That’s better for you and her,” said Savanna. “I know you won’t do anything to hurt her.”

    Kyle nodded. “You can count on me Savanna.”

Chapter 146

    Annie sat on Savanna’s bed as they talked.

    “I can’t believe that we’ll be going to the prom together. I mean, I’m a junior and well…”

    “And the fact that I’m now a girl and am dating another girl?” said Savanna with a wink.

    Annie nodded. “It’s not how I expected this year would go.”

    “You and me both,” replied Savanna. “Still, it’s turning out okay. I’m getting a full scholarship to college and I have a great girlfriend.”

    “Jill is pretty cool,” said Annie. “So, we need to go shopping for prom dresses.”

    “The prom isn’t until the end of May,” said Savanna.

    Annie shook her head. “You have so much to learn, little sister. We need to start looking now…before all the good ones are taken.”

    “Hey enough with the little sister crap…I’m sensitive about my height.”

    “Don’t you mean…your lack of height?” replied Annie as she fought back laughter.

    Savanna reached for a pillow and threw it at Annie; who ducked too late and it hit her in the face.

    “Oh, this means war!” she replied as she picked up the pillow and threw it back.

Chapter 147

    The next week, Savanna came home from school to find a letter from Rutgers addressed to her in the mailbox.

    She didn’t wait until she got in the house and opened it immediately. As she read it a huge smile broke out on her face. She immediately pulled her cell phone out of her purse and called her mom.

    “Mom…I’ve been accepted at Rutgers!”

    “Honey, that’s great news,” replied Maggie. “But I thought you wanted to go to Swarthmore?”

    “I did, but this means I can go to the same school as Jill,” she replied. “Besides, they also have a great science department and I am on full scholarship.”

    “Honey, it’s okay, you don’t have to talk me into agreeing…it’s your decision. Just do me a favor and wait until we can talk about this together with your father, okay?”

    “Sure, Mom,” she replied.

Chapter 148

    After dinner, Savanna sat down and talked about going to Rutgers with her parents.

    “Look, I know that I’m letting my heart help me make up my mind, but after everything I’ve been through I realize that life is precious. I mean I’ve almost died twice this year; I want to enjoy life and not put things off. I’ll still be studying science and I am still planning on going into a medical program. Besides Rutgers is not that far away. I also like the idea of knowing someone at college before I get there,” explained Savanna.

    “Is that all?” asked Maggie with a sly grin.

    Savanna nodded. “I guess I blurted it all out at once.”

    “Does Jill mean that much to you?” asked Ron.

    Savanna nodded.

    “And what will happen if you fall out of love?” he asked.

    “It won’t happen,” she replied.

    “Honey,” said Maggie as she gave her daughter a motherly stare.

    “Okay, if it happens… then it happens. I survived a gender change and breaking up with Debby and I’m still going strong. Look, I have a feeling about Jill…I know it’s true love.”

    “Savanna, we both want you to be happy. We also have nothing against you dating Jill; she’s a lovely young woman. But we want you to make a smart decision based on everything not just what your heart is telling you.”

    “I know, Dad,” she replied.

    “When do you have to make up your mind?” asked Ron.

    Savanna looked at the acceptance letters. “A week from Monday.”

    “Okay, I want you to think about it until then. This is a huge decision and it shouldn’t be made without thinking about it. However, the decision is yours and we will support you completely,” said Ron.

    Savanna broke out in a huge smile, got out of her chair and hugged her parents.

    “Thank you, both,” she exclaimed.

Chapter 149

    Savanna called Jill and told her about her conversation with her parents.

    “They’re pretty smart,” said Jill.

    “I know,” replied Savanna.

    “They’re also right…you need to look at everything before you make your decision. Look, I love you Savanna and that won’t change if you go to school here or to Swarthmore. As much as I love you, I also want you to succeed. So basically what I’m saying is that you are on your own concerning your choice. I can’t and won’t try to sway your decision; you mean that much to me.”

    “Thanks,” replied Savanna.

    “Look at both schools and their programs and pick the one that is best for your future. If you pick Swarthmore I’m not going to let a few miles stop us from being together.”

    “Wow…I love you so much,” said Savanna.

    “I love you too, Savanna.”

Chapter 150

    Savanna knocked on Mrs. Martin’s door.

    “Please come in,” said Mrs. Martin.

    “I was told you wanted to see me,” said Savanna. She was wondering if she was in trouble.

    “Yes, Savanna, please sit down,” said Mrs. Martin. “I got an email from Dr. Lansing. She wants me to pass on Michelle’s address to you. Apparently Michelle wants to hear from you.”

    “Really? That’s cool,” said Savanna.

    Mrs. Martin handed Savanna a piece of paper with the address on it.

    “I also had a talk with Debby,” said Mrs. Martin.

    Savanna was folding up the paper to place in her purse and she looked up at Mrs. Martin. “Okay.”

    “I explained to her the consequences of her behavior towards those who have turned,” said Mrs. Martin. “As I told you, we’ve have other turned students complain about things she has said about them.”

    “So what could happen to her?”

    “If we get any further complaints she could be placed on probation or even suspended. I also told her that most colleges have very strict rules regarding harassment.”

    “Probation?” asked Savanna.

    “Yes, that means she could be banned from school events such as the senior prom and possibly graduation.”

    “And do you think it that’ll be enough to keep her in check?” asked Savanna.

    “To be honest I’m not sure,” replied Mrs. Martin. “I can only hope that she changes her attitude. She needs to understand that the world doesn’t revolve around her. She felt that in every case of harassment she was the one wronged.”

    “Well, I have no intention of provoking her. I’ve had my say,” said Savanna.

    “I know that, Savanna. However, if she does anything to you I need to know about it. I also talked to the other students who have had issues with her.”

    “Okay,” replied Savanna. “Um, I’m sorry that this happened.”

    “I know that, Savanna.”

    “I really shouldn’t have gone to her house…but I was so angry. I know now that I could have handled it better,” continued Savanna.

    “I’m glad to hear that, Savanna.”

Chapter 151

    Savanna sat at her computer and looked at the lists she had complied. They were her arguments for and against attending Rutgers. She knew that she probably wouldn’t have even given Rutgers a look if it wasn’t for the fact that Jill was going there.

    However, she was pleased with their programs and it was one of the colleges that accepted the scholarship that she had been awarded.

    Another thing in Rutgers favor was that at least two other students from North Penn were going there, including Darcy. As far as she knew, she would be the only one from North Penn to attend Swarthmore. Yes, she knew she would make new friends, but it was comforting to know a few people before school started.

    She looked at the pros and cons of both schools before she made up her mind as she hit print on her computer.

Chapter 152

    She sat down across from her parents and laid out her lists.

    “I did what you asked and I’ve given it a lot of thought,” said Savanna.

    “We can’t ask for more than that,” said Ron.

    “What did you decide, Honey?” asked Maggie.

    “I’m going to Rutgers,” announced Savanna. “Yes, the fact that Jill goes there is important…but there are other reasons.”  She then showed her parents the lists.

    “You definitely took a lot of things into consideration,” said Ron as he looked at the lists. “I’ve very proud of you.”

    Savanna smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”

    He nodded. “You’re welcome, dear.”

    “I guess this means you’d better send out your acceptance letter,” said Maggie.

    Savanna held out an envelope. “It’s ready to go, Mom.”

Chapter 153

    “Well, I have to admit that I’m really happy to hear that you’re coming here,” said Jill.

    “I can’t wait,” said Savanna.

    “Why don’t you plan on coming out here? I can give you a tour.”

    “I’d like that,” said Savanna.

    “Changing the subject slightly...have you picked out your prom dress yet?” asked Jill.

    “Not yet, Annie and I are going shopping this week. I was too busy making my big college decision.”

    “That’s fine, but you don’t want to wait too long; I expect you to look stunning.”

    Savanna giggled. “I never thought I’d be excited about buying a prom dress.”

    “Hey, it’ll be a new experience for me too. I mean I turned after I graduated.”

    “Well, it’ll be a special night for both of us,” said Savanna.

Chapter 154

    Savanna joined Annie to watch the baseball team play after school. Kyle was the starting centerfielder and top hitter on the team.  In addition to centerfield, he could also play both third and first base.

    “So, after the game you want to swing by the mall and look for prom dresses?” asked Annie as they watched the game.

    “I guess so,” replied Savanna. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward to going to the prom and all that…but it really doesn’t make sense to spend so much money on a dress that I’ll only wear once.”

    “That’s the whole point,” replied Annie “Look, you’d better get used to it; being a girl means you get to buy many outfits that you’ll only wear once; you know like bridesmaids’ gowns, wedding gowns…”

    Savanna rolled her eyes. “It just seems rather wasteful if you ask me…oh, Kyle is coming up!”

    The sisters stood up and cheered him. He looked up at them and nodded.

    “Look, you don’t have to spend an arm and leg for your dress…but you definitely want to get something that looks great. You have such a nice figure and you need to find a dress that shows it off.”

    “You make it sound like a competition,” said Savanna.

    “Who says it isn’t!” replied Annie

    Before Savanna could reply, Kyle hit a line-shot down the third base line. He was able to easily stretch it into a standup triple.

    “Way to go, Kyle!” screamed Annie as she stood up and cheered.

    Savanna also cheered, but she was distracted by an older man who was sitting a few rows away from them. The man, who she had never seen before, was taking notes. She suspected he was a scout and for Kyle’s sake she hoped she was right.

Chapter 155

“What do you think?’ asked Savanna was she modeled an emerald green satin gown with spaghetti straps.

Annie nodded. “It’s nice. Do you know what color dress Jill is going to wear?”

Savanna shook her head. “We’re keeping it a secret from each other.”

“Well it doesn’t really matter as you two have very different body styles. I doubt she will pick out the same as you,” said Annie.

“Oh…I hadn’t thought of that,” said Savanna. “What do you suggest?”

Annie rubbed her chin. “I think I know a way. I’ll act as go between and you two can tell me what you’re going to wear. I can then stop you from looking like twins.”

“Thanks. I never realized how difficult this all was going to be. I mean guys have it so easy…all they have to do is pick out a tux.”

“That’s true. We on the other hand have to pick out a dress, shoes, and all the accessories,” said Annie.

“So, do you really like this?” asked Savanna.

“It’s nice, but let’s keep looking,” said Annie.

“What about you?”

“I’m leaning towards that one,” said Annie as she pointed to a magenta colored taffeta gown with a strapless neckline.

“Wow,” exclaimed Savanna. “That’s so cool.”

“Yeah, but it’s a little wild for me,” said Annie.

“So what? Try it on!”

Annie looked at her sister. “You think I should?”

Savanna broke out in laughter. “Yes!”

“What’s so funny?”

“The fact that you’re asking my opinion about which prom dress you should get!”

Chapter 156

Annie tried on the dress and stood in front of the mirrors.

“You have to get it,” said Savanna.

“It is nice,” said Annie.

“No…it’s perfect,” replied Savanna as she stood behind her sister. “If you don’t get it you’ll regret it.”

Annie looked at herself again in the mirror. “You’re right. But what about you?”

“We still have time,” said Savanna. “By the way…this is on me. I owe you that much for everything you’ve done for me since I turned.”

Annie shook her head. “That’s not necessary, Savanna.”

“Please, I want to do this. Besides, it’s coming out of turn pool money.”

“As soon as I get out of this gown I’m going to give you a big hug!”

Chapter 157

Savanna and Annie saw several other gowns, but nothing really stood out.

“What do you want to do?” asked Annie.

“Let’s grab something to eat and then check out a few more stores,” said Savanna. “I’m still leaning towards that green one.”

“It is a nice color for you,” said Annie. “So where do you want to eat?”

“Let’s skip the food court and go to that Italian place,” said Savanna.

“That’s sounds good,” said Annie.

They were on the second level of the mall and headed down towards the restaurant. Savanna glanced down to the first level and saw Debby. She nudged Annie who nodded.

“You want to leave?” asked Annie.

Savanna shook her head. “Nope. I have just as much right to be here as she does.”

“Good for you,” replied Annie. “I can’t help but notice that she’s alone.”

Savanna nodded. “I could say something…but why? Come on, let’s go eat.”

Chapter 158

“Well, well, it looks like you girls had a successful trip to the mall,” said Maggie as she greeted them as they walked into the house.

“We still need shoes and a few other things, but we got the hardest part out of the way,” said Annie.

“We can pick our gowns up next week. They had to have some alterations,” said Savanna. “But we have pictures.”

Maggie looked at the photos of the gowns her daughters had bought. “Very nice, they look lovely.”

“I’m going to talk to Jill so they don’t get the same dress,” said Annie.

Maggie smiled. “I doubt that will happen. Did you two eat?”

The girls nodded.

“Good, let’s sit down and talk,” said Maggie. “Dad and Harry are in the den watching the Phillies.”

They sat down at the kitchen table.

“I just wanted to see if everything is going okay? I mean this is big deal,” said Maggie.

“I’m okay, Mom,” said Savanna. “Granted, I never thought I would be buying a prom dress…but it also wasn’t as strange of an experience that I thought I would it be.”

“You’re so lucky that times have changed,” said Maggie.

“What was it like when you went through school?” asked Annie.

“Before I start that story, does anyone want some coffee or tea?” asked Maggie as she stood up.

Chapter 159

Over tea, Maggie began to tell her daughters what it was like during her prom.

“Now you two know that I was raised near Allentown,” said Maggie as she poured some honey into her tea. “Well, my high school had some resistance to accepting those who had turned.”

“Why?” asked Annie.

“The reasons are complicated. Some of it was religious and some just ignorance…there was also resistance to change,” said Maggie. “Some people shunned those who turned and there was even a movement to ban them from the prom. In fact several other high schools did ban the turned from their proms. One high school even refused to acknowledge the gender change and announced the person at graduation by their old male name!”

“You’re kidding?” asked Savanna.

Maggie shook her head. “No, you can’t make this up. Anyway back to our prom; it was never taken seriously by most of the students and was mostly pushed by a small group of parents. Our class president was one of my best friends and she announced at lunch that if there was a segregated prom then she would boycott it.”

“Wow,” said Annie.

“Of course I immediately took her side. Kevin, my boyfriend at the time had two in his family who turned and he fully agreed with me not to attend if they banned turned students. We talked about having an unofficial dance the same night.”

“So what happened?” asked Savanna as she sipped her tea.

“Well, the school supported us after seeing how many students were on our side.”

“How did the school know how who supported your side?” asked Annie.

Maggie smiled. “It was my idea. It was decided that any senior who wanted the turned students to be allowed to attend the prom would walk out of class at the start of first period.”

“Really?” asked Savanna excitedly.

Maggie nodded back. “We had nearly ninety-five percent of the senior class standing out in front of the school. Kevin’s mother worked at the local paper and they ‘just happened’ to show up. We ended up on the front page of the paper.”

    “So the school backed down?” asked Annie.

    “Completely! Although they did want to suspend those who organized the walk-out. Thankfully no one said a thing…not even those students who stayed in class. I have to admit it, but I still get goose bumps when I think about it. I was determined that I would fight discrimination from then on. One of the reasons your father and I decided to move here in the first place was because of the attitude of the school and community. I didn’t want to raise my children among small-minded people.”

    “Did you have a feeling that you might have someone like me?” asked Savanna.

    “No not at all. Even if I had had all girls I wouldn’t want to live among bigots. Your father and I raised you all so that you respect all people.”

    Savanna nodded and sipped her tea. “But when you had three boys it had to be on your mind, right?”

    “Yes, that’s true, but we decided that it wouldn’t make a difference. If any of our children turned then we would accept it and move on. I’m not saying that your father and I are perfect, but we…”

    “You’re close,” interrupted Savanna.

    “Thank you, dear,” said Maggie.

    “So what happened to Kevin?” asked Annie.

    “He moved to California and is a high school principal near San Francisco,” replied Maggie.

    “What about your friend?”

    “She got married and moved to Denver,” said Maggie.

    “By the way, what was her name?” asked Savanna.

    Maggie stood up and put one of her index fingers up in the air. “I’ll be right back.”

    A few minutes later, Maggie returned with her high school yearbook. She flipped open to a picture of two girls standing arm and arm.

    “We were on the softball team together,” said Maggie.

    Annie and Savanna looked at the photo. Annie’s eyes opened wide as she saw the name of her mom’s best friend.

    Maggie nodded. “That’s right, dear, you were named after her.”

    “I always knew I was named after a friend of yours…but I had no idea she was a radical like you!” exclaimed Annie, who then broke out in laughter.

    Maggie and Savanna joined her.

Chapter 160

    On the way to school the next day, Savanna asked Annie if she got a reply from Jill.

    “Yep, and you have nothing to worry about,” said Annie.

    “Worry about what?” asked Kyle.

    Savanna explained to Kyle about the prom dresses. He shrugged his shoulders.

    “The nice thing about renting a tux is that it doesn’t really matter,” he replied.

    “Speaking of which, have you rented yours yet?” asked Annie.

    “Yep,” he replied. “You’ll love it, it’s bright blue with sequins on the lapels,” he said with a straight face.

    “I doubt they even make something that ugly,” countered Annie.

    “Actually they do,” he said. “But don’t worry; I reserved the standard black dinner tux.”

    “That’s good to hear,” said Savanna.

    She then told him that they saw Debby at the mall.

    “I give you credit for not telling everyone what she did to Michelle…I doubt I could be that nice,” said Kyle.

    “What difference would it make if I did? Would it make her a better person? She’s already isolated herself from most of her old friends…I don’t know, but I sort of pity her,” said Savanna. “I mean, I don’t condone what she did, but she’s not evil.”

    “That’s true…but she’s not someone you can trust,” said Kyle. “She’s proven that with you and with Michelle.”

    “I know,” replied Savanna. “I just like to think that there is some good in her.”

Chapter 161

    Savanna knocked on her sister’s bedroom door later that evening.
   
    Annie opened the door. 

    “Did I wake you?” asked Savanna.

    Annie nodded. “It’s no big deal; what’s up?”

    “I just need to talk about something with you,” said Savanna.

    Annie motioned her sister in. Savanna sat down on the bed.

    “So what’s on your mind?” asked Annie.

    Savanna stared back. “It’s this whole prom thing.”

    Annie nodded. “Let me guess, you’re worried about how much you’re into it.”

    Savanna nodded. “I know it’s silly, but I really enjoyed shopping for dresses with you the other night.”

    “So?”

    “Have I really changed that much…you know… since the turn?”

    “I’d say you’ve adapted to your new situation rather than changed. I mean you’re still the same person that was my brother…but now you’re my sister. Look, don’t forget that your change wasn’t just physical…your body is now producing female hormones. From what I’ve read your body is no different now than if you had been born female.”

    “That makes sense. I’m just worried about becoming a totally different person.”

    “Look, there’s nothing wrong with having fun shopping. It’s not a chick thing…it’s just that most guys are raised to think it is,” explained Annie.

    Savanna nodded. “I suppose that makes sense. Sorry to bug you…but there are times when I feel you’re the only person I can talk to.”

    “Duh…we’re sisters!” quipped Annie.

    Savanna laughed. “Okay…okay.”

    “Hey, it’s only natural to worry after everything you’ve been through. I’m amazed how well you’ve adapted…I doubt I would do as well if the roles were reversed.”

    “I think you’d do pretty well,” said Savanna.

    “So anything else I can help you with?” asked Annie.

    “Well, I guess I’ll need your help picking out some shoes to go with my prom dress.”

    “No problem, I know just where to go!” exclaimed Annie. “But that’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

    “Okay, okay, I get it,” said Savanna. “Thanks again for letting me vent.”

    “Like I said before…that’s what sisters are for.”

Chapter 162

    Saturday morning Savanna was sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper when her father came in.

    “I have some errands to run this morning and was wondering if you’d like to ride along?” he asked. “I mean, it’s been a while since we’ve done something together…just the two of us.”

    Savanna looked up and smiled back. “I’d like that a lot, Dad.”

    “Great, can you be ready in thirty minutes?”

    “Sure,” she replied.

***
    “So what’s on the list?’ asked Savanna as she clicked her seatbelt closed.

    “I have to pick up some things at the hardware store, and then it’s a stop at the garden shop,” said Ron.

    “Sounds good,” she replied.

    He backed out the driveway and headed to the hardware store.

Chapter 163

    On the way home, Savanna looked over at her father.

    “This was a lot of fun,” said Savanna. “I’ve missed doing things with you,”

    “So have I, honey,” he replied. “I just want you to know that I’m so proud of the way you’ve handled all this.”

    “Thanks,” she replied.

    “I fully expect you to excel in college,” he continued. “I mean after what you’ve gone through this year, midterms and papers are nothing.”

    Savanna laughed. “I’ll try to remember that.”

    “Seriously, you’ve had a rough time and have come up on top, always try to keep the important things in perspective.”

    “I know…I never would have made it without my family and friends.”

    Ron nodded. “We’ll always be there for you, Savanna.”

    She nodded.

    “I’m also pleased that you have someone in your life right now. Jill is a lovely young woman,” he continued.

    “I know that it’s not that common for two turned girls to date…but it feels right,” she said.

    “That’s all you could ask for,” he replied.

    “So you’re not angry about me going to Rutgers?”

    He glanced over and smiled. “No.”

    “I sorta let my emotions influence my decision,” she confessed.

    “Really? I had no idea!”

    She laughed. “So you guys saw right through me.”

    He nodded. “However, the lists you came up with were good.”

    “Thanks,” she replied.

     “Look, college will be a big transition and it will be good to have a friend there. And besides, you’re young and entitled to make decisions with your heart every now and then.”

    “Thanks,” she replied.

    He glanced at his watch. “Hmm, it’s later than I thought. You feel like splitting a hoagie with me?”

    “I’d love that, Dad.”

Chapter 164

    “So did you and Dad have a good day out together?” asked Annie as she led Savanna into a shoe store.

    “Yeah, it was great. I guess we both needed that,” said Savanna.

    “I’m glad for both of you. Oh, while you were gone, Jon called. He’s coming home next weekend and he’s bringing his finance, Gina.”

    “So we finally get to meet her! I mean we’ve heard so much about her I knew she had to be real,” said Savanna.

    “I know. Mom is so excited,” said Annie.

    “I bet. Um, look, I haven’t been paying a lot of attention, but have they set a date for the wedding in the past few months? I’m sure I would have remembered if they did but… I mean…well, I have had a lot of other things on my mind.”

    “I think that’s why they’re coming here,” said Annie. She then looked at Savanna and grinned. “So you know what this might mean?”

    Savanna turned and stared blankly back at her sister.

    Annie shook her head. “Jeez, you can be so dense sometimes. Gina doesn’t have any sisters…Jon now has two….that means we’re inline to be part of the wedding party! Isn’t that great?”

    “Bridesmaids?” asked a shocked Savanna.

    Annie grinned back. “Yes, that’s the usual title. I’m sure Jon will want us in the wedding party.”

    “He wouldn’t dare!”

    “Oh, I think he will. I mean you would have been in the wedding party if you hadn’t turned.”

    “Crap.”

    “Oh come on, it won’t be that bad,” said Annie.

    “No…it will be worse!” countered Savanna.

    “Always the optimist, Savanna,” said Annie. “Now, let’s pick out some shoes to go with our prom gowns.”

Chapter 165

    “So have you two got everything for the prom?” asked Maggie.

    “Yes, all we have left is the trip to the salon,” said Annie as she prepared the salad for dinner.

    “Mom, Dad says the barbecue is ready for the chicken,” shouted Harry as he stepped in from the deck.

    “I’ll take it out, Mom,” said Savanna.

    “Thank you, Savanna,” said Maggie.

    Savanna picked up the bowl with the chicken and walked towards the deck. “Harry, can you get the door for me?”

    “Sure,” he replied.

    Maggie smiled as she watched Savanna head out to the barbeque.

    “So, did everything go well today?” asked Maggie.

    Annie nodded. “She’s doing fine, Mom.”

    Maggie nodded. “I know I shouldn’t worry.”

    “No, it’s only natural,” replied Annie. “But I think that since she had such a harsh first month that everything since has been uphill to her.”

    “I’m so happy she has you for a sister…that has helped her a lot too,” said Maggie.

    “I sometimes think I’m the lucky one…she’s a pretty cool sister.”

    “Oh, changing the subject, I thought Kyle was coming over for dinner. Is there something wrong…he never misses a meal.”

    Annie shook her head. “He said that he would be over as soon as he could.”

Chapter 166

    Kyle arrived just as the chicken was coming off the grill.

    “What took you so long?” asked Savanna.

    “You won’t believe this but I just spent an hour talking to a scout from the Phillies,” announced Kyle.

    “Really?” asked Annie.

    “You’re going to be a Phillie?” asked Harry excitedly.
 
     “They can’t do anything official because of the draft, but they say that if I’m available they want me,” answered Kyle.

    “What about college?” asked Maggie.

    “You sound like my moms! If I’m drafted high enough then I’ll get a large signing bonus. Even if I don’t make the majors I’ll be set financially and I can always attend class in the off-season.”

    “How big of a bonus?” asked Ron.

    “Depends on which round I get selected, but from what the scout said I could be either first or second round which means five hundred at a minimum.”

    “Five hundred dollars? That doesn’t sound like much,” said Maggie.

    “I think he means five hundred thousand, dear,” said Ron with a smile.

    “For playing baseball?” asked Maggie.

    Kyle nodded. “I know what you mean, but if I go in the first round it could be a million. I can put it away and have a secure future.” He then looked at Annie and smiled.

    “Well, this is a big deal. Kyle, why don’t you call your family over here so we can have a real party,” said Ron.

    Maggie nodded. “Absolutely, we have more than enough food…even with Harry here.”

Chapter 167

    After dinner, Kyle, Annie, and Savanna headed over to Ron’s house for a party.  And Harry went over to a friend’s house to play videogames.

    “You must be so proud of Kyle,” said Ron to Nancy and Abby, Kyle’s mothers.

    “We are. He’s worked so hard for this opportunity,” replied Nancy, a tall athletic brunette.

    “However we still want him to go onto college. A baseball career will only last just so long,” added Abby. She was slightly shorter than Nancy and had a more buxom appearance.  “If he does sign and get a bonus we will have to invest most of it.”

    “That’s smart,” said Maggie.

    Nancy took a sip of her wine. “Annie and Kyle make a nice couple. She’s had a real stabilizing influence on him.”

    Maggie and Ron nodded. “He’s also been very good for Annie as he helped her loosen up a bit.”

    “She’s a very intelligent young woman. We’ve had some very long conversations about science and mathematics,” said Abby.

    “Annie’s always had high goals and we’ve supported her,” said Ron. “She’s already had several scholarship offers.”

    “I was rather pleased to hear that Savanna wants to go into medicine,” said Nancy.

    “To be honest we were caught off guard by her interest ourselves,” said Maggie. “We knew she had an interest in science, but we never heard her talk about medicine.”
 
    “I think we can thank Dr. Lansing for lighting the fire,” said Ron.

    Nancy nodded. “That’s not surprising. Emily has that effect on people. She’s not an easy person to get close to, but it’s worth it.”

    “We owe her so much,” said Maggie. “I mean she saved Savanna’s life twice.”

    “So, how is Savanna doing? It’s been almost four months since she turned, right?” asked Nancy.

    “Yes, she turned in early February,” said Maggie.

    “Has she shown any signs of depression?” said Nancy. “It’s not that uncommon, we experienced it with some of our children.”

 “She’s doing fine…she has some moments of regret, but that’s normal according to everything we’ve read,” said Maggie.

    “Yes, that’s normal. We had some issues with Kyle’s sisters, but all of them worked through it okay,” said Abby. “It’s so bizarre that we now treat something like The Bru as if was a normal part of growing up. I mean, I don’t know how so many of the turned come out so normal. It’s such a traumatic change, even with all the preparation that the schools give them.”

    “Well part of that is biological,” said Nancy. “If their chemistry didn’t change as rapidly as their bodies we would see a higher rate of adjustment issues. Actually we’ve seen girls like Savanna adjust faster. There’s a theory that the severity of the transformation actually aids the acceptance.”

“Why is that?” asked Maggie.

Nancy shrugged her shoulders. “No one is sure, but during the type of turn that Savanna went through we know that hormone levels are very elevated when compared to regular turns. There’s a new study in the Netherlands that recommends giving estrogen injections as soon as the turn starts to speed up the adjustment.”

    “Does it work?” asked Maggie.

    “They’ve seen a reduced number of Bois…but the study still has a long way to go.”

    “Are they any closer to determining the cause?” asked Ron as he got up to open another bottle of wine.

    Nancy shook her head. “However, it’s not my field of study. Dr. Lansing would be the one you should ask.”

    Abby refilled her wineglass. “Changing the subject, Kyle told us that Jon is coming down next week with his fiancé.”

    Maggie nodded. “Yes, we finally get to meet her in person.”

    “Do you think they’re ready to announce the wedding date?” asked Nancy.

    “Yes…at least that’s what we hope,” said Maggie.

Chapter 168

    On Sunday, Savanna was pleased to see that she had gotten an email from Michelle.

    The message was short, but it sounded like Michelle was starting to accept that she was now female, although she still had lots of issues to resolve.

    Savanna typed out a response. She didn’t see any reason to mention the run-in with Debby and instead tried to focus on the future.

    When she finished the email she thought about her own transformation and even though there were physical speed-bumps along the way, she had dodged many of the mental issues. Savanna was aware than many of her friends had ups and downs in their new lives, but so far she had gotten through mostly unscathed.

    She thought about all the help she had received along the way and knew that she wanted a career that would allow her to help others. Yes, she picked Rutgers so she could be close to Jill, but they also had an excellent medical program.

Chapter 169

    When Savanna and Annie arrived home from school on Friday they immediately noticed that Jon’s car was parked in the driveway.

    “They’re here!” squealed Annie. “Aren’t you excited?”

    Savanna nodded. “Not as much as you, but yes, I can’t wait to meet her.”

    The sisters walked in the house and were immediately greeted by Jon.

    “Annie, Savanna!” he exclaimed. He then hugged each of them.

    “Hi Jon,” said Annie.

    “Welcome home,” said Savanna.

    “You’re both looking good,” he said. “I like what you’ve done with your hair, Savanna.”

    She smiled back. “Thanks.”

    “Where’s Gina?” asked Annie as she looked around. 
   
    “She’s upstairs,” he replied. “We just got in ten minutes ago; let’s go out to the kitchen.”

Chapter 170

    A short time later, a tall woman with Mediterranean features joined them in the kitchen. Jon got up and gave her a hug.

    “Gina, these are my sisters, Annie and Savanna,” said Jon.

    Gina smiled. “I’ve heard so much about both of you from Jon. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
 
    “We’ve been looking forward to meeting you for a long time,” said Annie.

    Jon had started dating her eighteen months earlier. They had first met during a study group and then they started dating a few months later.

    Gina grew up in Pittsburgh and was fourth generation Italian-American. Like, Jon, she was also a business major at Penn State. They were both due to graduate the following year.

    After just a few minutes of conversation, Savanna could see why Jon was so much in love with Gina. Savanna was pleased to see what a nice person her potential sister-in-law was.

    They talked for a few minutes before Maggie and Ron arrived home. Savanna and Annie figured that they would have to wait until later in order to talk to Gina.

Chapter 171
   
    It was late that evening and Savanna and Annie were heading up to their rooms when Gina stopped them.

    “I was hoping that we could talk,” said Gina.

    “Sure, you want to come into my room?” asked Savanna.

    Gina nodded and followed the sisters into Savanna’s bedroom.

    “I just wanted to have some time to chat alone,” said Gina as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

    Savanna sat down next to her. Annie pulled up the computer chair and sat down.

    “Do you think your mom likes me?” asked Gina.

    Savanna looked at Annie.

    “I’d say so,” said Annie.

    Savanna nodded.

    “That’s good to know,” said Gina. “I’m just nervous about meeting your family.”

    “I think you did fine,” said Savanna.

    “I’m also nervous about getting to know you too,” continued Gina.

    “Jon said that you only have brothers,” said Annie.

    Gina nodded. “Four of them and all older.”

    “None turned?” asked Annie.

    Gina shook her head.

    “That’s amazing,” said Savanna.

    “I know,” replied Gina. “How are you doing with it Savanna? When Jon told me that when you turned it was quite a shock.”

    “That’s putting it mildly,” replied Savanna breaking out in a grin.

    “Ooops, that’s not the way I wanted to say that. That must have sounded real insensitive,” apologized Gina.

    “It’s okay, Gina. I wasn’t offended. I mean, I accept who I am now,” said Savanna.

    “Thank you,” said Gina. “When I look at you I would have never guessed you turned.”

    Savanna nodded.

    “Jon really thinks the world of you,” continued Gina. “He told me that you’re going to Rutgers and that you’re on a full scholarship.”

    Savanna nodded and then she told Gina about how she got the scholarship.

    “That’s pretty cool. One of my brothers is going to med school.”

    “I haven’t decided exactly what I want to do yet, but I think I want to specialize in helping those who turn,” said Savanna.

    “That’s great,” said Gina. “Annie, Jon says that you want to be an engineer, is that right?”

    Annie nodded.

    “Wow, you two are something else,” said Gina. “Look, you’ve probably guessed why we’re here.”

    “Has he proposed yet?” asked Annie.

    Gina nodded. “We plan on telling your parents tomorrow.”

    “That’s wonderful, congratulations, Gina!” said Savanna.

    Annie got up and gave her a hug, followed by Savanna.

    “Thanks. What I was wondering, since I don’t have any sisters…I was hoping that we could become close.”

    “Sure,” replied Annie.

    “What about you, Savanna?” asked Gina.

    “That would be great. I mean, I’ve gotten used to being Annie’s sister, why not have another?”

    “Cool,” replied Gina.

    “How is it that you had four brothers and none turned?” asked Annie.

    Gina shook her head. “I have no idea. I mean, I’ve had cousins that have turned so it’s not like my family is immune or anything. I know this sounds warped, but I was hoping that at least one would turn so I could have a sister.”

    “Annie felt the same way,” said Savanna.

    “No, I never wished for you to turn…but I was glad to get a sister,” admitted Annie.  “Even a short one like you.”

    Without a word Savanna picked up a pillow and threw it at Annie, who caught it with both hands.

    Gina laughed. “I’m glad to see that you two get along so well.”

    They spent the next hour talking before going to bed.

Chapter 172

    Savanna was up early and surprised to see that Gina was also up.

    “You’re an early riser too?” asked Gina.

    “Not all the time,” admitted Savanna.

    Gina was dressed in her running gear. “Do you run?”

    “A little,” said Savanna. I’ve been slowly getting back in shape after my turn.”

    “You want to join me?” asked Gina.

    Savanna shrugged. “I doubt I’ll be able to keep up. Jon told us that you’re quite the runner.”

    “Don’t worry about it, I mainly want to see the neighborhood,” said Gina.

    “Okay, I’ll go change,” said Savanna.

Chapter 173

    “Jon said that you lost a few inches in height when you turned,” said Gina as they jogged together.

    “Yep. In some says I’m more upset about that than the whole gender thing. I’m now the shortest one in the family. Even Harry is taller than me,” said Savanna.

    “I wouldn’t worry too much about it, you have a lovely body,” said Gina.

    “Thanks,” said Savanna.

    “Did you play sports before your turn?”

    “Nothing organized, I did like to ski,” she replied.

    “Cool, so do I,” said Gina.

    “I have to get all new stuff. Harry ended up with all my gear…along with all my old clothes,” said Savanna. “Let’s head over this way, it’s more scenic.”

    They headed down the road together.

    “You’re in better shape that you think,” noted Gina.

    “I still have a way to go. I lost a lot of muscle when I turned,” said Savanna.

    “Do you go to a gym?”

    Savanna shook her head.

    “I think you should look into it,” said Gina.

    Savanna nodded again.

    “Do you mind if we turn around soon?” asked Savanna.

    “No, not at all,” replied Gina.

    They reached the end of the road and turned around and headed back towards the house.

    “So when do you plan on getting married?”

    “Not until we graduate and find jobs, so the earliest the wedding would be is next summer,” said Gina.

    “That makes sense,” said Savanna.

    “Jon says you’re dating another girl,” said Gina.

    “Yes, her name is Jill and she’s a freshman at Rutgers,” said Savanna. She then told Gina about Jill.

    “That’s cool. It’s nice that you have someone in your life,” said Gina. “And is Annie seeing anyone?”

    “She’s dating my best friend,” said Savanna. She told her about Kyle.

    “And you don’t mind?”

    Savanna shook her head. “Kyle and I were like brothers…before the turn. I can’t think of anyone else I would trust more with Annie that him.”

    They ran a few more blocks.

    “Savanna, I would like you and Annie to be part of my wedding party. I know that Annie will probably agree, but I wanted to ask you privately. I know with the turn and all that…well if you say no I fully understand.”

    “I’d like to be part of it, Gina,” said Savanna as they came to a stop in front of the house.

    “Really?” asked Gina.

    Savanna nodded as they walked to cool down.

    “I was initially hoping you wouldn’t ask, but I’m glad you did. I’m really happy for both you and Jon,” admitted Savanna.

    Gina smiled back. “That’s great, Savanna. I was hoping you’d say yes.”

    “I think we’re going to become good friends.”

    “I know we will,” said Gina.

Chapter 174

    The official announcement came over dinner that evening. As expected, Maggie and Ron were ecstatic over the news.

    “Have you told your family yet, Gina?” asked Ron.

    “No, we’re going out there next weekend,” she replied.

    “Well we’re going to have to meet them,” stated Maggie.

    “I know they’d love to meet all of you,” replied Gina.

    “Welcome to the family, Gina,” said Ron.

    “Thank you,” she replied. “I really excited about finally having some sisters.”

“We feel the same way, Gina,” said Savanna.

Chapter 175

“She’s really nice,” said Savanna as she talked to Jill.

“I’m glad for all of you. Although, I can’t wait to see you in a bridesmaid’s gown,” replied Jill.

“It won’t be that bad,” said Savanna. “I was worried about it at first, but it’s not such a big deal the more I think about it.”

“That’s good to hear. Oh, I picked up my gown for your prom today.”

“Cool,” replied Savanna. “I can’t wait until next Saturday.”

“It should be a lot of fun,” added Jill. “Personally I can’t wait until after the prom and I can have you all to myself.”

“I can’t wait for that too.”

Jill had reserved a room at the hotel where the prom was being held.

“What did your parents say when you told them about the room?”

“They were fine with it,” replied Savanna. “I guess I’m pretty lucky to have such cool parents.”

“I’d say you’re lucky for a variety of reasons.”

“I know I’m lucky to have you in my life,” said Savanna.

“Actually, I’m the lucky one. Well, I gotta run. See you Saturday. I love you, my little scampi.”

Savanna laughed. “Scampi?’

“Or would you prefer shrimp?” asked Jill.

“I love you …in spite of that stupid nickname.”

“I love you too…Scampi.”

Chapter 176

    On Saturday morning, Jill, Annie, and Savanna drove towards the salon.

    “I’m glad you both hit it off so well with Gina,” said Jill.

    “She’s really nice,” said Annie.

    “I agree with Annie,” said Savanna.

    “Well, I’m glad you’re going to have a nice sister-in-law,” said Jill.

    “I can’t believe that the prom is finally here,” said Savanna. “And in a few more weeks graduation.”

    “How bad has your class been hit by The Bru?” asked Jill.

    “We were doing pretty well until the last month and we’ve had fifteen more turn. I guess it’s close to forty-five percent of the class.”

    “My class had its first turn last week,” said Annie.
   
    “I guess there’s no sign of it letting up,” said Jill.

    “Did you go to your prom, Jill?” asked Annie.

    “Yes,” she replied. “God… that seems like years ago now. It was much smaller affair than this one, I mean my high school down at the shore only had a couple of hundred in my graduating class. We held it at one the clubs on the bayside of the island.”

    “You don’t have to talk about it, Jill,” said Savanna.

    Jill nodded. “Thanks. To be honest I haven’t given it much thought. I graduated two weeks after the prom and turned a few weeks after that. In many ways I was reborn.”

    “That’s true,” said Savanna.

    “I still would have asked you to the prom,” she continued.

    “Really?” asked Savanna.

    “Yep. The question is would you have accepted a date from Jake?”

    Savanna shrugged her shoulders. “Depends on how you asked me.”

Chapter 177

    The girls got their hair and nails done early that morning.

    The salon was packed and Savanna saw many of her friends from school.

    Savanna found that she had come to enjoy the pampering she received at the salon and just accepted it as part of life.

    Afterwards they headed back to the house.

    “What time do we have dinner reservations?” asked Jill.

    “Six,” replied Savanna. “The prom starts at eight. Don’t worry the restaurant is just a mile away from the resort.”

    “Annie, are you and Kyle spending the night at the resort?”

    “Yes, but we got separate rooms. Kyle wants to wait until he’s clear of the Bru and I don’t mind…he’s worth waiting for.”

    “That’s nice,” said Jill. “Kyle is a sweet guy.”

    “I know he’s not going to turn, but he still wants to wait it out,” said Annie.

    “What do you mean by that?” asked Jill.

    “I know when someone’s going to turn,” said Annie.

    “You’re kidding,” said Jill.

    Annie shook her head.

    “I believe her, Jill. She’s been right every time,” said Savanna.

    “Wow,” said Jill.

    “It’s not something that I like to talk about,” said Annie.

    “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” said Jill. “One thing…did you know about me?”

    Annie nodded. “The question is would you have believed me?”

    Jill laughed. “No.”

    “So what good is it to know? If I tell someone there’s nothing they can do about it anyway,” said Annie.

    “Still, it must be nice to know that your boyfriend won’t turn.”

    Annie smiled. “That’s true.”

Chapter 178

    “Wow,” exclaimed Jill as she saw Savanna in her prom gown. “You’re so beautiful.”

    Savanna blushed slightly. “Thank you…you look lovely too.”

    Jill was dressed in a sapphire blue strapless gown that looked like it was painted over her slender athletic body.

    “We both picked colors of the ocean…that makes us a couple of mermaids,” said Jill.

    “I like the sound of that…it sounds better than Scampi,” said Savanna.

    Kyle arrived a few minutes later in his evening tux. His cummerbund was a similar color to Annie’s dress.

    “You all look wonderful,” exclaimed Maggie. “Now before you go, we need to take some pictures.”

Chapter 179

    Savanna looked around the restaurant and noticed at least a third of the people there were from her class. She also noticed a large number of same-sex couples.

    “Oh, I got a call from the Phillies; they plan on taking me in the first round if I’m still available,” said Kyle.

    “That’s wonderful, Kyle,” exclaimed Savanna. “When do they pick?”

    “They’re twenty-three on the list,” he said.

    “That’s so cool,” added Jill.

    “If they do what they say then I’ll probably be heading to Clearwater, Florida as soon as I graduate to start rookie ball.”

    “It’s a great opportunity as they’re an up and coming team,” said Savanna. “I know they can use your bat.”

    “It would be pretty cool to play for the hometown team,” said Kyle. “I will make one request if they sign me and ask for some tickets to a game in Philly before I report…I’d like to take all of you down there.”

    “That would be great,” said Jill.

    “Maybe they’ll even give you a luxury box,” said Savanna.

    “My moms would love that,” he said.

Chapter 180

    Savanna said that it felt like a dream as she walked into the prom holding Jill’s hand.  While she tried to maintain her composure, she couldn’t help from breaking out in a huge smile. 

    Still there was no one at the prom that could hold it against her for being so happy, considering how she had almost died twice that year.

    “Just so you know, I’m not a very good dancer,” she whispered in Jill’s ear.

    “That’s okay, neither am I,” replied Jill. “Let’s not worry about it and just have a great time, okay?”

    “Deal,” replied Savanna.

    The whole night passed by too fast for Savanna. In addition to dancing with Jill, she also accepted dances from Ron, Kyle, and many other of her classmates.

    Mrs. Martin and Ms. Lake were there, acting as chaperones.

    “Savanna, you look lovely tonight,” commented Mrs. Martin.

    “I agree,” added Ms. Lake. “That dress is the perfect color for you.”

    “Thank you,” replied Savanna. She then introduced Jill to them.

    It was later that Savanna looked around and saw Debby.

    Debby had a date, although Savanna didn’t recognize him. He looked older than most of the boys. The closest she got to Debby was maybe thirty yards away. Savanna nodded at Debby, who ignored her.

    “Oh, well, you can’t say that I didn’t try,” said Savanna to Jill.

Chapter 181

    Savanna was heading towards the restroom with Darcy when a guy stumbled into them and staggered towards the bathroom.

    His name was Brandon and while Savanna didn’t know him well, she did recognize him from some of her classes.

    “Gee, I guess some people can’t hold their booze,” commented Darcy.

    Savanna was about to nod in agreement when she saw the guy bump into the wall. He turned around and looked pale and sweaty.

    Without hesitating, she walked over to him. He was clutching his stomach as he leaned against the wall outside the restrooms.

    “Brandon, are you okay?” she asked.

    He shook his head and started to slip down to the floor. Savanna immediately crouched down and caught his head to prevent it from hitting the ground.

    “What’s wrong?” asked Darcy.

    “Darcy, go get help… I think he’s turning,” she ordered in a calm tone as she cradled his head in her lap.

    “Shit,” replied Darcy who hurried back to the ballroom. “I’ll be right back.”

    “I feel so sick,” he moaned.

    “Hang in there, help is coming,” comforted Savanna.

    “Please don’t leave me,” he begged.

    “I’m not going anywhere, Brandon,” she replied as she brushed his hair out of his face.

    Brandon looked up at her with fear in his eyes. “Why tonight?”

    “There’s no good time,” she replied. “Just stay calm. Darcy went to get help.”

    “I’m so scared… please don’t leave me,” he moaned before he passed out.

Chapter 182

    “Has that ever happened before at the prom?” asked Savanna as she watched the ambulance pull away.

    Mrs. Martin shook her head. “We had one turn at graduation a couple of years ago, but this is the first one to do so at the prom.”

    “Will Brandon be okay?” asked Savanna.

    “We called the hospital and they’re standing by. From what I can tell it looks like a normal turn. Thank you for being there, Savanna,” said Ms. Lake.

    Savanna shrugged her shoulders. “I just did what anyone else would have.”

    “Savanna, you’re a heroine!” said Darcy. “You were so clam and in control. It was all I could do to keep from freaking out.”

    Jill slipped her arm around Savanna’s waist and gave her a kiss on the lips. “You did well, Savanna.”

    “Well, I think you’d all better get back to the party,” said Mrs. Martin. “I know it’s rather traumatic, but there’s nothing more you can do.”

    “She’s right, Savanna, let’s head back inside,” said Kyle, who was holding onto Annie.

    Annie smiled at Savanna. “I’m so proud that you’re my sister.” She then gave Savanna a hug.

     “Please, stop, you’ll make me cry and mess up my makeup!” replied Savanna.

    “Go back in, Savanna. I’ll head over the hospital and I’ll call you if there are any problems,” said Mrs. Martin.

    They headed back into the main ballroom, and Savanna hoped that everything had calmed down. She was mistaken.

    As soon as she walked back in with Jill, everyone stopped dancing and began to applaud.

    Savanna looked at Jill, who smiled back.

    “Just soak it in… you deserve it,” whispered Jill.

    Savanna looked at her classmates and nodded. She couldn’t speak and she felt her eyes welling up with tears.

    “Here,” said Kyle as he handed her a handkerchief.

    “Thanks,” she replied as she carefully wiped her eyes.

Chapter 183

    Savanna and Jill headed up to their room arm in arm.

    “I must look a mess,” said Savanna.

    “You’re a very cute mess,” said Savanna.

    “I didn’t do anything all that special,” she said.

    “Nonsense,” countered Jill. “You could have run off and gotten help or just stood there and panicked; instead you took control of the situation and comforted Brandon. That’s a big deal. I’m very proud of you.”
   
    “I hope she’s okay,” said Savanna.

    “We survived and I’m sure she’ll do fine,” said Jill.

    Savanna nodded.

    Jill opened the door and escorted Savanna inside.

    Once inside, Jill closed the door and kissed Savanna slowly and tenderly on the lips.
   
    “Now, this isn’t a race or anything like that,” whispered Jill. “We take our time…even if it takes all night, okay?”

    “Okay,” replied Savanna.

    Jill led Savanna into the bedroom.

    “I want this to be very special…for both of us,” said Jill.

Chapter 184

    “I had…no idea it could that good,” sighed Savanna as she snuggled up next to Jill.

    “So, you liked it?”

    Savanna giggled. “What do you think?”

    Jill just kissed her on the lips.

    “I’m so happy tonight, Jill.”

    “This is just the beginning,” said Jill.

    “I can’t wait,” replied Savanna.

    “Ready for round two?”

    Savanna nodded as she kissed Jill.

Chapter 185

    Jill and Savanna met up with Kyle and Annie for brunch before heading home.

    “I wish I could stay longer, but I have finals coming up,” said Jill. “My first one is a week from Monday.”

    “That’s fine, I mean we’re going to spend a few weeks together down at the shore,” said Savanna.

    “That’s reminds me…you need to pick out a bathing suit,” said Annie. “What do you want? One or two piece?”

    Savanna looked at Jill who held up two fingers. Savanna’s eyes opened wide.

    “Hey, if you’re going to ask expect an honest answer,” said Jill.

    “I’m going to regret this,” said Savanna. “Okay, I’ll try a two-piece.”

    “Good for you,” said Annie.

    “Maybe you can come down to Clearwater this summer,” said Kyle.

    “Anything is possible,” said Savanna.

Chapter 186

    On Tuesday, Savanna headed over to the hospital after school. She arrived on the third floor and sat down in the waiting room.

    She had just sat down when a girl walked in and sat down across from her; it was Brandon’s girlfriend.

    “Hi, Allison,” she said.

    Allison was around the same size as Savanna, but she was a brunette.

    “Hi Savanna, are you here to see Brandon?”

    Savanna nodded. “How’s she doing?”

    “Okay,” replied Allison. “By the way, thanks for everything you did at the prom. We all appreciate it.”

    Savanna just nodded. “So, have you seen her yet?”

    “Yes, I saw her yesterday. She’s doing pretty good…all things considered. She still hasn’t picked out a new name yet.”

    “There’s no rush,” replied Savanna.

    Allison nodded. “True. I mean, she’s got her whole life ahead of her. Savanna do you think that she’ll still want to be with me?”

    “I don’t know…I know that even though it worked out that way…it wasn’t my idea to breakup with Debby.”

    Allison nodded. “I really love Brandon and I don’t care about gender.”

    “Just let her know that,” said Savanna. “By the way…I think that’s pretty cool.”

    Allison smiled back. “Debby blew it with you. I saw you at the prom and you looked like you were with a really pretty girl.”

    “Her name is Jill Dennison,” said Savanna. “We’ve been friends for a while.”

    The nurse walked in and motioned to Allison.

    “That’s cool. Look, Savanna, why don’t you come in with me. I know that Brandon will be glad to see you.”

    “I’d like that,” said Savanna.

Chapter 187

    “I’m glad you had a nice visit with Brandon,” said Maggie as she served dinner.

    It was just Maggie, Ron, and Savanna. Harry was at baseball practice and Annie was having dinner over at Kyle’s.

    “She’s doing pretty well,” said Savanna. “I’m glad that Allison is staying by her side.”

    “We’re pretty proud of what you did,” said Ron.

    Savanna smiled back at her parents. “Thanks. It just felt like the right thing to do.”

    “As you know, not everyone does the right thing,” said Ron.

    “I’m leaning more and more towards becoming a clinical counselor. I think I can help others who turn,” said Savanna. “I mean, it fits the criteria for the scholarship and I think it fits my personality better than being a medical doctor.”

    “Well, you have plenty of time to make up your mind. Stick to more general classes at first,” said Maggie.

    “That’s what Mrs. Martin suggested,” said Savanna.

    “Oh, Savanna do you have any plans for this Saturday?” asked Ron.

    Savanna shook her head. “Why?”

    He glanced at Maggie. “Since you’re going off to college, we figured that you’d need some transportation, so we were wondering if you’d like to go car shopping.”

    Savanna’s eyes opened wide. “You mean that?”

    “Yes, since you took care of your own college costs we figured we could take care of the car,” said Maggie.

    Savanna broke out in a big smile and got up and hugged both her parents.

   
Chapter 188

    Like most seniors, Savanna was just going through the motions during her last weeks of school. She had enough credits to graduate and she had already been accepted at Rutgers.

    She did find time to meet Brandon, now Brenda, a few times. The good thing was that Brenda’s turn lacked any complications.

    True to her word, Allison stayed close to Brenda. It made Savanna wonder how different her own life might have been if Debby hadn’t abandoned her.

    However, Savanna didn’t give it too much thought as she was deeply in love with Jill.

    They made plans for the summer. Jill was due to start her job as a lifeguard as soon as her classes let out. Savanna would head down to the shore as soon as she graduated.

    “My mom is excited about having you work for her,” said Jill.

    “It will give me something to do while you’re working. However, I do want to spend sometime on the beach.”

    “That won’t be a problem,” said Jill. “After all, I want to spend some time with you too!”

    “I can’t wait,” sighed Savanna.

    “Have you picked out your bikini yet?”

    Savanna laughed. “No, Annie is going to help me this weekend. She really enjoys helping me with my wardrobe.”

    “So do I,” said Jill. “I know just the place I want to take you when you get down here. They have the sexist suits.”

    “I hope I have the guts to actually head out of the house in one,” said Savanna.

    “I don’t think that will be a problem. You’re doing better with the turn than I did.”

    “Come on. Don’t forget when I first met you as Jill you were working as a lifeguard,” said Savanna.

    “That job was the only thing that kept my sanity at first,” said Jill. “You have no idea how lonely I was. I owe you so much.”

    “I’m the one who owes you,” said Savanna. “You helped me adjust to being a girl.”

    “That may be, but you gave me a reason to live. I know this sounds corny, but I can’t imagine my life without you in it, Savanna.”

    “Wow…I thought I was the one who was totally in love,” said Savanna.

    “No, this is very much a mutual love affair,” said Jill.

    “I can live with that,” said Savanna. “So will you be able to come up for my graduation?”

    “I wouldn’t miss it for all the shrimp in the world!”

    Savanna began to laugh and was joined by Jill.

   
Chapter 189

    “What do you think?” asked Ron.

    Savanna looked at the small silver sedan. “It’s really nice.”

    “Why don’t you take it for a test ride?” he suggested.

    “Really?” she asked. “It’s a little more expensive that what we talked about.”

    “Don’t worry about that,” said Ron. “The important thing is that it’s a good deal and a very nice car.”

    “Okay,” she said.

    Ron waved to the saleswoman who nodded and walked over with the keys.

Chapter 190

    “What do you think?” asked Savanna as she showed off her new car to Kyle.

    “Really nice,” he said as he inspected the car.

    “I’m going to need something to get around college,” she said. “I will miss riding around with you.”

    Kyle looked over and smiled. “I’m going to miss you too. Look, the draft is tomorrow and, well, you’re going off to college…but I want to stay friends.”

    “So do I,” replied Savanna immediately. “Look, you’ve always been like a brother to me and I can’t imagine us not being close.”

    Kyle nodded. “You mean a lot to me too. I’m so glad that we stayed close after your turn. I mean you know how it is.”

    “I know what you mean,” said Savanna. “So what about Annie?”

    He shrugged. “It won’t be easy, but I love her so much. I mean, she’s not exactly like most girls.”

    “She’s pretty special.”

    “I can see us getting married,” said Kyle. “How do you feel about that?”

    “She could do worse,” replied Savanna with a grin. “Seriously, I think it would be great for both of you.”

    Kyle nodded. “This has been a strange year. I mean I always thought it would be me who turned and that you and Debby would the ones talking about a wedding.”

    “It happened the way it was supposed to happen,” said Savanna.

Chapter 191

    The celebration party was held at Kyle’s house the next day. As he had hoped, he was the first choice of the Phillies. He was signed to a minor league contract and he received a signing bonus that was just over a million dollars.

    “The Phillies are treating us to a suite for their next home game,” said Kyle, who was wearing a Phillies cap. “I get to meet the team and to take batting practice too.”

    “That’s great,” said Savanna. “So when do you have to report to Clearwater?”

    “I have to be there a week after graduation,” he replied. “I wish I had more time.”

    “No you don’t,” said Annie. “And if I was in your shoes I couldn’t wait to get started either.”

    “Thanks, Annie,” he replied.

    “Besides, I have a big sister who has a car. I bet if I ask her nicely she’ll take me down there,” said Annie.

    “I’d like that,” said Savanna.

    “Hopefully, I won’t be there that long. There’s a good chance I might get moved up to AA ball this year and that’s in Reading,” said Kyle.

    Annie moaned. “Florida is nicer and besides I’ve been to Reading!”

    “Well, I want to move up as fast as possible,” said Kyle. “So back to the game down in Philly; your whole family is invited. I mean it’s the least I can do to pay back your family for as much time as I’ve spent in your house.”

    “I know that Harry will be excited to hear that,” said Savanna.

    Kyle hugged Annie. “Can you believe this is happening?”

    She kissed him on the lips. “I never had a doubt.”

   
Chapter 192

    The game was that Friday and the Phillies were playing the Pirates.

    “This is the first time that I’ve ever been in a suite,” said Savanna as she looked out towards the field.

    “What do you think?” asked Ron.

    She shrugged. “The view of the field isn’t as good as I thought it would be…but the food is pretty good.”

    “Look, there’s Kyle!” said Harry excited.

    Kyle’s mothers were busy taking photos as they saw their son down on the field.

    Kyle’s high school baseball manager, Jim Cash, sat down and smiled. “I finally got one drafted,” he stated softly.

    “The next step will be to see how well he plays,” said Ron.

    “That won’t be an issue,” said Jim. “Kyle is the best kid that I’ve ever managed. He’ll do fine.”

    “Has he talked about what position they want him to play?” asked Savanna.

    “No, but I suspect that they’ll try and make him into a third baseman. It’s their weak area and Kyle has a strong arm,” said Jim. “They’ll also love his bat.”

    “That’s good to hear,” said Savanna. “I know he’ll succeed.”

Chapter 193

    Savanna slipped on her graduation gown. It was light blue in color and thankfully wasn’t that uncomfortable. The weather was cooperating and it was a beautiful clear and pleasant evening.

    “Are you ready?” asked Allison.

    Savanna nodded.

    “Come on, we don’t want to be late,” said Darcy.

    Savanna looked at Brenda. “You okay?”

    Brenda nodded. “I sort of expected to be wearing a dark blue graduation gown tonight…but this will do.”

    The boys traditionally wore dark blue gowns and the girls wore light blue.

    “That’s the spirit,” said Allison as she gave Brenda a hug.

    “I just wish that if I had to turn why did it have to wait until just before graduation. I hate wearing this stupid wig, it’s so uncomfortable,” complained Brenda.

    “Hey, you don’t want people to think you’re a Boi do you?” asked Darcy.

    “Let’s go girls,” said Ms. Lake. “You need to get lined up.”

***
   
    “Can you see her?” asked Annie as she watched the seniors walk into the football stadium.

    “I think she’s the one in light blue,” joked Jill.

    “There she is!” shouted Harry. “She’s right there!”

    “I see her,” said Maggie.

    “I can’t imagine going to a school this big,” said Jill. “Savanna’s class is bigger than my whole school.”

    “There’s Kyle,” said Annie excitedly.

    “I see him,” said Ron.

Chapter 194

    The graduation ceremony was a blur to Savanna. She paid little attention to the speech by the superintendent and kept looking up towards the stands in a vain hope of seeing her family and Jill.

    She was also thinking about how drastically her life had changed in the past few months. She remembered the fear she had felt when she woke up in the hospital and realized that she had turned. Then came the anger over how Debby had treated her and how she had survived that minor crisis.

    Savanna then thought about how fortunate she had been to have such a loving family and such wonderful friends. She knew that she never could have made it without their support and love.

    Her mind then turned to Jill and how madly she was in love with her. Shivers ran up her spine as she thought about how good it was to be kissed by Jill.    

    Thankfully the size of the graduating class was so large that they had to limit all of the speeches to get to the handing out of the diplomas.

    Savanna vaguely remembered joining the procession and heading up for her diploma. She even thought she heard her family cheer when she received it.

    The only thing she did remember was when they tossed their caps up into the air. She quickly recovered her cap and headed off to find her family.

Chapter 195

    “Did you see me?” asked Savanna.

    “Even your slip on the steps as you walked up on the stage,” said Jill with a grin.

    “I didn’t slip!”

    “We know, dear,” said Maggie. “Jill is just kidding.”

    “I almost slipped,” confess Savanna. “The guy behind me stepped on my gown.”

    “I did see that,” said Jill with a wink.
   
    “Well, before you head off to the parties, we need to get a few more photos,” said Ron.

    “I don’t mind,” replied Savanna. “I’m just excited that this is over.”

Chapter 196

    Savanna had changed into a skirt, top and sandals before heading out to the graduation parties. Her resistance towards wearing most women’s clothing was a thing of the past, although she wasn’t quite sure about the bikini that she had recently purchased.

    Annie had told her that down at the shore no one would know her past and therefore she had no reason to worry.  Savanna wasn’t totally sure as she felt virtually naked when she wore the bikini. Of course Annie told her that it was perfectly normal for any woman to feel nervous the first time in a bikini.

    As Savanna and Jill left the house, Maggie reminded her to be careful.

    “Look, I know what a big night this is and if you do drink call us for a ride. You have your whole lives ahead of you and you don’t want to throw them away.”

    “I appreciate the offer,” said Savanna.

    “Don’t worry, Mrs. Gordon,” said Jill. “I don’t drink at all any more.”

    Maggie smiled and hugged them both.

    “I didn’t know you stopped drinking completely,” said Savanna as they got into her car.

    “It seemed like the thing to do,” said Jill. “Waking up on the beach, half covered in sand is enough to scare anyone sane sober.”

    “Do you mind if I drink?” asked Savanna.

    Jill shook her head. “But if you even have one sip then I’m taking your keys. Your mom is right about being careful. Besides, if the cops here are like those down at the shore they’ll be out in force tonight.”

    Savanna nodded. “I’m not much of a drinker anyway, but it would be nice to celebrate graduation too.”

    Jill nodded. “Okay, I suppose you kids need to cut loose. I remember what it was like when I graduated…”

    “Jill, it was just last year!”

    Jill laughed and leaned over and kissed Savanna.

Chapter 197

    Savanna and Jill met up with Kyle and Annie at Rod’s party.

    She was pleased to see so many of her friends there.

    As they walked around, Savanna saw that Rod had a keg set up in the backyard. She looked at Jill and handed her the car keys.

    “I’m not going to get drunk, but I figure after this year I deserve a couple of beers,” she said.

    “Okay,” said Jill. “But don’t drink too much. I mean with your small size it won’t take much to get you drunk.”

    Savanna nodded. “That’s true. Feel free to cut me off.”

    “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that,” said Jill with a wink.

Chapter 198

    The party turned out to be the place to be and Savanna and her friends decided to stay there.

    While everyone was in a great mood, there was an underlying feeling that a major part of their lives was coming to an end. Savanna realized that even though she had known many of the people at the party for years that this night might be the last time she ever hung out with them and so she took her time and made sure that she spent time with as many people as she could.

    It was later in the evening and she found herself out on the deck with Kyle.

    “So when do you head down to Florida?” she asked.

    “I’m reporting this weekend,” he replied. “My mom is flying down with me.”

    “No car?”

    Kyle shook his head. “I don’t want any distractions. I mean I’m going to be labeled the bonus baby and all eyes will be on me. I plan on going there with just one thing on my mind and that’s to play ball.”

    “I know you’ll succeed,” said Savanna.

    “Thanks,” he replied. He then smiled at her. “I really want us to stay friends, Savanna.”

    “So do I,” she replied.

    “Um, there’s something I need to do,” he said.

    “What’s that?” she asked.

    He leaned down and kissed her. “I wanted to do that to let you know what a great woman you’ve become and how proud I am that you’re my friend.”

    Savanna stared back and grinned. “If any other guy had done that to me I would have slapped them!”

    Kyle grinned back. “Was that the first kiss you got from a guy?”

    She nodded. “I still only like girls, but I will remember that one all my life.”

    Kyle nodded as he took a sip of his beer. “Well, this is a night of firsts and lasts. This is the last beer I’m going to have for a while.”  With that he emptied his cup and tossed it into a trashcan.

    Savanna smiled back. “You’re going to do great.”

    “So are you,” he replied. “Now, let’s go find Annie and Jill.”

Chapter 199

    It was later in the week and Savanna and Jill were setting in down at the shore.

    “Come on out, Savanna,” said Jill. “It doesn’t take that long to change into a bikini!”

    Savanna slowly opened the bathroom door and stepped out slowly. Her arms were crossed over her chest.

    Jill was sitting on the bed and motioned for Savanna to uncross her arms.

    “I want to see how you look in the suit,” said Jill.

    Savanna did as Jill asked.

    “It’s perfect for you,” stated Jill with a smile on her face.

    The bikini was a tropical print.

    “Now we just have to get you to work on your tan,” continued Jill.

    “Luckily I tan pretty quickly,” said Savanna. “So it’s okay?”

    Jill nodded. “It’s perfect. You definitely have the body for a bikini.”

    “Okay, let’s head out to the beach before I change my mind,” said Savanna as she slipped on her flip-flops.

    “Cool,” said Jill.

    They walked the two blocks to the beach and Savanna set her things out a short distance from Jill’s assigned tower.

    “The water’s still pretty chilly so it won’t be too busy,” said Jill.

    “I’m just here to work on my tan,” said Savanna.

    “Don’t get burned. I don’t want a sun-broiled lobster for a girlfriend.”

    Savanna laughed. “No problem there.”

   
Chapter 200

    Savanna slowly got into the routine of life at the shore. She only worked four days a week in Jill’s family’s gift shop. It was pretty easy work and she liked Jill’s mothers.

    She also got to spend time with her grandmother, which was an added treat.

    Of course the best part was the time she got to spend with Jill. With each passing day they became deeper in love.

    Jill worked five days a week and they tried to time their days off together.

    One afternoon, Jill drove Savanna to small tattoo shop.

    “What are we doing here?” asked Savanna.

    “I have something I want to show you,” said Jill. “Now it will be your decision, but if you say yes then I’m paying for it, okay?”

    Savanna’s curiosity was aroused and she followed Jill inside.

    “Hi, Kelly,” said Jill as they walked inside.

    A dark hair girl looked up from a magazine and smiled back. “How are you doing Jill?”

    “I’m doing good, thanks. Anyway, this is my girlfriend, Savanna,” said Jill. “Savanna, I’ve known Kelly since I was a kid.”

    Kelly waved. “Nice to finally meet you in person, Savanna. I’ve heard so much about you, I almost feel as if I know you!”

    “Nice to meet you, Kelly,” replied Savanna.

    “Did you finish it?” asked Jill.

    Kelly nodded. “I think you’ll like it.”

    Kelly got out of her seat and retrieved a drawing. She showed it proudly to Savanna and Jill.

    Savanna looked at the drawing and couldn’t help but laugh. “You can’t be serious.”

    Jill nodded. “It will look so cute on you.”

    “Where?” asked Savanna as she looked at the drawing.

    “I was thinking either on your butt or your ankle.”

    “What’s the point of getting one on your butt?” asked Savanna.

    “Well, then only I will see it,” replied Jill with a grin.

    Savanna shook her head. “If I get this it’s too good to be hidden most of the time.”

    “That’s the spirit,” said Kelly.

    “What about you, Jill?”

    “I’ll get one if you get this,” said Jill.

    Savanna looked at the picture again. “What will you get?”

    “I have something that will look good on her,” said Kelly. She pulled out another drawing. “I drew this one with you in mind, Jill.”

    Jill and Savanna looked at it and they both laughed.

    “It’s perfect for you,” said Savanna.

    “So does that mean you’ll get this?” asked Jill.

    Savanna nodded.

    “Great, when do you want me to start?” asked Kelly.

    Savanna looked at Jill. “Do we have time now?”

    Jill nodded.

    “Okay, let’s do it,” said Savanna.

***

    They walked out later that afternoon with small tattoos above their right ankles. Jill’s was a small sexy mermaid perched on a lifeguard stand. Savanna agreed with Kelly that it was the perfect symbol for Jill.

    Jill was also very pleased with the tattoo on Savanna’s ankle. It was a pink cartoon shrimp that was winking. It was obviously a female shrimp thanks to the long eyelashes and red lips.

    “I never thought I would get a tattoo, but this one is pretty cool,” said Savanna.

    “Just remember that you’ll always be my little shrimp,” said Jill.

    “And you’ll always be my mermaid,” replied Savanna.

    They kissed and then got into the car.

Chapter 201

    As the days passed, Savanna discovered that one of the benefits of spending her summer at the shore was that she was just seen as young woman. Yes, it was true that her grandmother, Jill, and Jill’s family knew that she had turned; but they were in the minority.

    As much as she loved her family and friends back in Pennsylvania, she would always be seen by many as a turned female. 

    Thanks to her job working in the gift shop she came into contact with hundreds of people. She was just the pleasant red-headed girl who rang up their purchases of saltwater taffy and postcards.

    When she had time off and spent it working on her tan, she was just another girl on the beach.

    Even when she was with Jill, most people just saw them as a couple.

    Savanna talked to Jill about this with Jill one night as they cuddled in bed.

    “This summer has done so much to normalize my life,” commented Savanna.

    “I know exactly what you’re talking about. For me, it was going to college and being accepted as Jill Dennison, marine science major from down at the shore. It allowed me to establish myself as a woman.”

    “Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of who I am, but it’s nice to be looking to the future,” said Savanna.

    “I’m glad to hear,” said Jill.

    Savanna smiled back. “I’m also really excited about starting college.”

    “Just college?” asked Jill as her hand slipped down and began to gently stroke one of Savanna’s nipples.”

    Savanna giggled. “You know what I mean. But just so you know, I’m so happy that we’re going to be living together.”

    “Shhh, enough talking for tonight…my little Scampi,” said Jill as she leaned closer to kiss Savanna.

   
Conclusion

    The summer passed quickly and Savanna and Jill were soon off to college. They rented a small apartment located just off campus.

Annie came out with Maggie to help them get settled in.

“Annie, I’m sorry you didn’t get to go to Florida,” said Jill.

“It’s okay,” replied Annie. “I don’t think even Kyle expected to be sent up to AA ball so quickly. Granted Reading doesn’t have beaches, but I’m so happy for Kyle.”

    “He’s certainly had a great start,” said Savanna. “It also helps that the Phillies have a real shortage of decent third basemen. I looked up his stats online and he’s really knocking the cover off the ball.”

    Annie nodded. “I know, it’s so exciting.”

    Annie also shared a secret with Savanna and Jill. Kyle told Annie that as soon as she graduated high school he would propose to her. He had just turned nineteen and so he was no longer worried about turning.

    “I never thought that I could so in love,” said Annie.

    “I know the feeling,” said Savanna as she smiled at Jill.

    Annie nodded. “Oh, you’ll never guess what I heard.”

    “What?” asked Savanna.

    “Debby got married,” said Annie.

    “Really?”

    “She married a local cop and the rumor is that she’s already pregnant.”

    “Well, I hope she finally got what she wanted…I know I did,” said Savanna as she kissed Jill. “I also hope that she only has girls. I mean, I would hate to see her have a son who turned.”

    “I agree, I doubt she’ll ever be able to deal with someone turning,” said Annie.

    “Well, enough with her. I’m just glad that things are working out for us,” said Savanna.

    “Yes, things seemed to work out the way they were supposed to,” said Jill, who then gave Savanna a kiss.

    “I know what you mean,” said Annie. “It looks like we’re going to have a lot of weddings to plan.”

   
***

    Back in Lansdale, Dr, Lansing studied a lab report that she had recently received. It contained the blood work and DNA tests from the students at North Penn for the past year.

    Dr. Lansing was particularly interested in seeing the results from Savanna’s turn. They had been fortunate to get samples less than twenty-four hours before Savanna started to turn.

    A colleague of Dr, Lansing had sent her the confidential report and as Dr. Lansing studied it she immediately came to the same conclusion.

    She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. The evidence confirmed what she had suspected for years. Brubaker Syndrome was not natural. This was the smoking gun that scientists had been searching for ever since the first cases. Savanna’s turn showed evidence of a modified gene. It contained the key to the start of the turn.

    For Dr. Lansing this was just the start of many new mysteries. Had The Bru been deliberately created and released or had it been an accident?  There had been a lot of rouge genetic research occurring during and after the war. Had this been a weapon or just a mistake? And if it had been a deliberate act then who did it and why?

    She knew that until these answers could be found that there was no way that the information in the report could be made public. The discovery of the gene was an important first step in unlocking some of the riddles of The Bru. The gene was not present in the previous samples so it only was present just before the turn.

    She realized that it would take much more time and research to uncover the many riddles of The Bru, but at least this was a start.

   
The End

    Note: If any authors wish to write in this universe and create their own stories of those affected by The Bru please contact me concerning your plot and characters. As The Bru is a worldwide affliction there are more stories that I could ever begin to write. I also would find it interesting to see stories staged in different parts of the country and also different countries. I do reserve the right to dictate the rules regarding this universe and The Bru as I have other ideas for future stories in this universe.

    If you do write a story in this universe, please don’t elaborate on the origination of The Bru. Please leave that up to me for a future story. Just use what I’ve covered as the history of The Bru in the first part of this story as a guideline. Again, please contact me and send along a brief outline of your plot and characters.

julielt59 (AT) cox.net