Stuck in a Rut.
By Rosalie Redd

Casey Church is a normal 13 year old girl, full of hopes and dreams and fears and anxieties. But in a world where there hasn’t been a girl born in over a century, what is normal?

Chapter 25.

Luna and Janie were sleeping still when I woke up. I glanced up at the clock, seeing the bright red digital numbers reading 6:00. I carefully extricated myself from my sleeping bag and walked off to the bathroom to change. When I got back, they were still asleep. I sighed and headed downstairs. DeShaun was sitting at the table by himself, eating some cheerios.

“Morning”, I said to him sleepily.

He nodded quietly and continued to eat. I sighed and went and got my own bowl.

Pouring from the box, I grabbed the milk and filled my bowl to the absolute limit of where the cereal would remain in the bowl. DeShaun chuckled quietly, as I poured sugar over my cereal. I was very picky about the sugar content of my cereal, it had to be ‘too much’, as my Mom put it.

As we sat eating in silence, I looked over, just in time to see him quickly glance away.

Sighing, I broke the silence. “DeShaun, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’ve been so mean to you. Intellectually, I understand. You didn’t know me. You didn’t know you would meet me, certainly not this soon. I also understand that she’s a manipulative monster, one that had her sights on you, and she tricked you. I realize this all intellectually. But please realize that my rational mind isn’t always in the driver’s seat right now. I have all these new hormones flooding my system, my brain is literally rewiring itself to be a girl. I get irrational and moody and sullen. I cried yesterday because of a stupid, sappy TV commercial. I apologize, and all I can do is ask your forgiveness and patience.”

DeShaun stood up and walked around, behind me and gave me a hug. “I’m sorry too. I know you are going through a lot. Your body is changing into something foreign to you. Your emotions are all messed up. I can understand and sympathize. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking too. I do love you, with all my heart. And I’m kind of fond of Jane too… but don’t tell her that. But this baby situation has me scared.”, He said honestly.

As he hugged me from behind, I gently stroked the back of his hands for a moment. He let go and walked back to his chair and sat down.

“Sorry, didn’t want my cereal to get too soggy”, he said with a laugh. I smiled at him, then I took a napkin and wadded it up and aimed it at his head.

He stuck his tongue out at me as I missed him. “You know, you throw like a girl.”, he said.

I giggled and said, “Thanks for the compliment.” As I was digging into the delicious milky sugar sludge that was left a the bottom of the bowl.

After a while Janie and Luna came down, both wearing shorts and tee shirts. Luna’s were in her trademark colors, whereas Janie had on a baby blue tee and some brown khaki shorts. They both dug into the cereal.

DeShaun looked over at Janie. “Jane, we talked, and things are okay now. You don’t have to worry about us fighting anymore.”, he said.

I knew that DeShaun called her Jane to annoy her, that it was sort of a game between them, but I saw her obvious relief at his statement.

“Still, things are going to be hectic. While you three were upstairs, I talked to my sister. She’s going to fly out when she can clear some time in her schedule. She didn’t take the baby news well, but She and I are going to talk it out. I… I also spoke to your Dad, Casey. He’s agreed to be my lawyer, should the baby prove to be mine.”

I looked at him, and nodded solemnly. Luna looked around at all three of us, and sat there quietly.

DeShaun had noticed and he looked over at her. “I want to thank you Luna, for all you’ve done for us. I’m sorry that I didn’t help you back then, back when you needed it.”

She made a motion with hr hand, brushing it off. “It’s okay, really. You didn’t know me. I was just that quiet kid in the back corner of the classes. You didn’t know me at all, or anything about the bullies.”

“Still”, said DeShaun, “I should have been more observant.” He smiled at her.

I watched as her pale cheeks blushed bright pink. That’s my man, the lady-killer. I sighed. Then again, who was I to talk? I would have to talk to him in private later about Luna. I mean She was a friend right now, and I wasn’t romantically or sexually desiring her, but if Janie and I were going to help her with her secret, we should tell him, at least.

Mom and Dad came down a little while later, and we all say around as they ate. We discussed what we should do today. We discussed going shopping, but Luna reminded us that at school tomorrow we had to act normally around her, so she could scope out the twins and see if they still presented any sort of threat.

It was Mom that idly suggested “What about Mall of America?”

We all looked at each other and grinned. Dad and DeShaun looked at each other and grinned too “Girl-free football!”, Dad exclaimed as a joke, and was quickly reminded of Mom’s past as a Quarterback, when a throw pillow from the couch connected with the back of his head.

Although I would have been happy with staying and watching the Vikings game, the opportunity to go out and spend Dad’s money (and Mom’s too, I guess) was too great. We giggled and laughed, Mom, Janie, and I. I realized something was amiss, and I looked at Luna.

She was sniffling, and crying a little.

“Something wrong, sweetie?” Mom asked in that caring, wonderful way she had.

“I... I can’t afford anything. Mom doesn’t work, and Dad barely can pay the bills with his security job.”, she sniffled. “I make all my own dresses and outfits to save money.” I was impressed. I didn’t know that. I figured she got them all from some sort of goth store, they were all so cute and well-put together.

Mom scooped her up in a hug. Literally. As She stood up, the small girl was lifted off the floor. “Don’t worry about it. You have done so much for us all. Think of it as a reward, it’s on me!” She said, hugging the girl tight.

Luna sobbed, and then responded with a “C… can’t breathe...” Mom sheepishly put her down and we all laughed together.

We piled in the car, making sure the men were well situated with snacks and the remote. Traffic was rather light for a Sunday, and we had no difficulty picking a parking spot near the entrance. We walked in, and Luna looked down the escalator pathway, where we could see various stingrays and exotic fish from the aquarium in the basement.

“I’ve never been here before, it’s so HUGE!”, she excitedly exclaimed. We took a while as Luna took in the scope of how big the mall was. She looked to our right, at the huge Barnes and Noble. Then she gazed up at the walkways above, and finally into the amusement park in the middle of the mall.

Janie and I laughed as she bopped around like a kid in a candy store. Of course, the first place she wanted to go to was Hot Topic, but we managed to calm down the Kitty, and convince her that we would get there in time.

We stopped at Victoria’s secret, and I looked with a sad face, as Janie, Mom, and Luna went in. I shook my head, as that pesky male ego popped up again, only to be yelled down by the growing female desire for cute clothing. I was making progress, but I still wasn’t ready, as I still had growing and shrinking both to do. Admittedly, I felt a lot more female, now that my Urethra has closed up in my penis, and was fully opened to it’s female location. With the remnants of my scrotum still there, peeing was still a messy situation, and I had to carry handi-wipes in my bag… I refused to call it a purse, though dying male ego knew damn well it was.

Janie, Mom, and Luna came out cheering several minutes later. I smiled and joined them as we headed for the next store. The power-shopping hit Gap, American Eagle, and too many other stores to count.
When we finished each floor, we took a brief rest. Store after store was blitzed, no victims spared, and when Luna hit Hot Topic, she was ecstatic. While Janie watched over her, we snuck off, Mom and I. A quick trip to the Best Buy followed. Hurrying back, we ran into Luna and Janie giggling outside. Luna was curious, of course, and tried to peek at the mysterious bags we held, but to no avail.

We headed out to the car to put our purchases away. While Janie distracted Luna, Mom slipped the laptop box into her packages. Returning to the Mall, We decided it was time for dinner. We took a vote on where we wanted to go. I picked Hooters, and got a smack in the back of the head from Janie. Mom suggested Rain Forest Cafe, Luna and Janie both said Bubba Gump Shrimp. So sure enough, we ended up at the movie-inspired chain.

After dinner, Mom wanted to go to the amusement park and go on the rides. Luna, Janie, and I thought better of it, and let her do that, as we all just sat and enjoyed talking. Eventually Mom was finished, and it was getting late. We all returned to the car and piled in. We drove Luna home, and Janie and I helped carry her packages up to her room.

We hugged out goodbyes, and Janie dug out a small package that she had found time sneak off and buy.
Luna opened it, and looked at the collar. It was an over-sized pet collar-styled choker, complete with a name tag that was shaped like a cat head. The words Luna-Kitty were engraved on it. She cried and hugged us both.

After our goodbyes were said, we dropped Janie off at home and Mom and I went into the house, carrying our spoils of war. Dad and DeShaun looked at us and shook their heads.

In my own head, I thought ‘hmph, boys’, and then realized what I had just thought. Somewhere in the back of my head, Male ego and my femininity were strapping up boxing gloves, and waiting for the bell to ring. Exhausted, I headed upstairs.

After I crashed onto the bed, my phone rang. It was Luna, in tears. Apparently she had found the state-of-the-art laptop, and the smartphone that Mom and I had gotten her.

“I can’t accept these, It’s too much.. it’s way too much. I can’t I cant.”, she said. “Your Mom spent too much on the clothes and other things as is. I can’t accept this.”, she said sniffling.

“Luna, you saved us. If not for you, that psycho twat could have come after us again and again, and she might have succeeded in killing one or both of us. That’s not even mentioning DeShaun and the baby. With her on the loose, that baby would have no chance. But now she’s in an institution where she can be monitored and the baby will be born safely. You deserve every cent we spent, and more.”

Luna and I talked for a couple hours, then I ordered the Kitty to get some sleep. Tomorrow would be another day, and who knows what it’d bring?

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