Erinna woke up to the sound of the shower running. She sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, hoping that yesterday’s news was a dream. However, seeing her mom emerging from her walk-in closet with her black dress in her hand confirmed her fears.

Seeing that Erinna was awake, Heather laid the dress on the bed and walked to her daughter. She hugged her before kissing her forehead. “Good morning, sweetheart,” Heather greeted but not as cheerful as every other day. “Go take a shower; I laid a black dress for you on the bed and put on black tights as well, ok?”

Erinna nodded before leaving the bed. She was about to leave the room when Heather hugged her again. “I wish you didn’t have to wear that dress.” With a kiss to her temple, Heather released Erinna and walked to her room.

Erinna walked to her room, seeing the dress Heather laid out. It was a modest knee-length dress with long sleeves. Erinna let out a sad sigh before walking into her bathroom. After showering, Erinna walked out of the bathroom in her bathrobe just as Maria walked into the room wearing a similar black dress and black tights. She immediately walked to Erinna, taking her into a hug. “I went looking for you when I didn’t see you this morning; I was worried about you,” Maria admitted, her eyes tearing up.

Erinna bit her lip, feeling guilty. She had closed up yesterday, refusing to talk to anyone. Erinna stayed in George’s arms all day and then in her daddy’s arms when he came home. Maria, her cousins, and her aunts tried to talk to her, but Erinna didn’t feel like talking to anyone. Even Angelo failed to make her speak to him and went home crying. “Sorry, I woke up in mommy and daddy’s bed. I don’t remember how I got there yesterday.

“It’s ok. I was just worried,” Maria exclaimed.

Erinna picked up a bra, matching panties, and a pair of black tights. After putting them on, Erinna walked to put on the dress, and Maria helped her close the zipper in the back. They walked downstairs after Erinna transferred her belongings into a black purse.

They walked downstairs and into the kitchen, where everyone was eating breakfast. Erinna and Maria took their seat as their aunt Leslie placed a plate of fried eggs, bacon, and toast.

“Uncle Jeff,” Alex called, gaining Jeff’s attention. “Can I live with you here? I don’t have anywhere else to go.” Alex asked with concern. He couldn’t handle living anywhere else. His uncle’s house was now his house. Erinna and George were like siblings, not just cousins. He couldn’t even imagine living anywhere else.

“Alex, you are part of our family. As long as you don’t want to leave, no one will dare to take you from here, this is your house now, and if anyone tries to take any of you, they will have to get through me first,” Jeff explained, looking towards both Alex and his kids.

The family finished breakfast and attended the church for the funeral service. Jeff, Erinna’s uncles, and her grandfathers were the pallbearers who carried the casket into the church. Erinna cried as they went through the service, listening to many of Robert’s friends and colleagues give eulogies about what a great man Robert had been.

Howard Houston made his way to the front to give his speech. “I am here as a retired agent; however, I am also here a father—a father of a great man, a hero. My son Robert Alan Huston. We are a family with a long history as old as this country, from Sam Houston to Robert. Robert was not just a good agent who took pride in doing his job; he was also a father and uncle, brother and son. Some of you know me, and some of you have worked under me. Those who worked under me know that my family and your families were always my priority, but I would not stop my son’s heroic action if I could go back in time. While it pains us to lose Robert, we are proud to have known him.” Howard ended his speech, and the FBI director went to the front to give his eulogy.

Later, She stood beside Alex and her family in the graveyard. Erinna stood up, seeing her dad, uncles, grandfathers, and George carry the American flag-covered casket. They carefully placed it over the grave. As the ceremony commenced, Erinna felt a presence behind her. She looked back to see grandpa Howard and grandma Margret standing behind her, along with her dad, mom, and the rest of the family.

She felt her grandpa’s arm around her shoulder as he brought her closer to him. “You look beautiful, just like your mom,” he whispered before kissing Erinna’s forehead. He looked at his wife and nodded. This day was supposed to be different; he and his wife had bought many gifts for their only granddaughter; they were supposed to visit Jeff today with gifts for the kids. They were also very excited to meet Erinna after she became a girl. If those bastards hadn’t killed his son, they would have had a great visit. Once the funeral was over, Howard received the folded flag,

Erinna saw her friends approaching her. They were all feeling bad for Erinna, especially Oliver, who felt his heart torn for her. Something was weird, however. She could see Connor and Steven wearing the same black dresses and tights Shelby was wearing. Dakota was wearing a black shirt and slacks under her coat. Oliver was with them, wearing a black suit and a black necktie.

“Hi,” Oliver greeted Erinna and hugged her, not knowing what else to say.

“Hi,” Erinna said as she hugged him back, faking a smile that Oliver could see through immediately. Her usual smile was different, and her smile was enough to make his heart beat faster. This smile pained him as he looked at her.

They all stood in awkward silence until Nancy came looking for Erinna. “There you are,” Nancy said, walking up to Erinna. She hugged Erinna tightly, and Erinna hugged her back. “I am so sorry. I didn’t know what happened till this morning. I should have been with you yesterday,” Nancy squeezed Erinna into the hug even more.

George’s friends surrounded him, all of them offering their condolences. George was not paying attention when Oscar approached him. Jacob moved to block his way. He wouldn’t allow Oscar to reach George right now, as George was already suffering enough. “What do you want?” Jacob spat angrily.

“I, I am not looking for trouble. I, I only want to speak to George. I will leave after that,” Oscar said, trying to make his way, but the rest of the group blocked his path.

“Stop, all of you,” George said, pushing Jacob and Quintin aside. “Sorry, guys, but now is not the place or the time to cause a ruckus.” George looked apologetically at his friends. He then looked at Oscar, and he didn’t have the energy to be angry at anyone right now. “Sorry about that, Oscar. What did you want to talk about?”

“I just wanted to say that I am sorry for your loss. As I said, I am not here to cause trouble.” With that, Oscar walked away in silence. He no longer felt like making trouble anymore. He was the only son of his father now, and he vowed to make his dad proud of him.

Once the funeral was over, Erinna found herself in the Collins’ car, lying her head on Nancy’s lap. She was exhausted mentally and emotionally. Her friends and Maria would all go to the Collins’ house. Their house would be full of people who would come to offer their condolences. Oliver suggested that Alex go with them; he knew Alex’s pain very well and would like to know Alex more. And the kids were already mentally exhausted.

Once Alex got in the van, Erwin started the engine and hit the road going home. Not three minutes passed before Oliver and Alex were talking with each other. They found many things they had in common; both spoke about cars and sports, and they also liked many other things.

“So let me get this straight, you two are now girls, like me, and you’re a boy?” Erinna asked, looking at her three friends. Dakota, Steven, and Conner nodded. They were all now sitting in the Collins’ lounge. Erinna had asked Conner and Steven if they were now like her or only wanted to wear dresses. To her surprise, she discovered that Connor and Steven were now GCS girls, and Dakota was a GCS boy. “Really, what are the odds of it happening? Two GCS boys and three GCS girls in our group?” Erinna said, unsuccessfully calculating the odds, but decided to give up.

“There’s another GCS boy? Other than Dakota?” Shelby asked.

Looking at Oliver apologetically, Oliver shook his head and smiled at Erinna. Erinna’s eyes grew wide, realizing what she had just done. She had just revealed Oliver’s secret.

“That would be me. I used to be a girl until a year ago. My name used to be Samantha,” Oliver admitted, much to everyone’s shock.

“No way, you were a girl?” Alex asked, shocked, not believing what he had heard. He couldn’t believe that Oliver used to be a girl since they had just become buddies very fast. However, Alex realized Oliver was telling the truth after seeing Oliver nod.

“It must have sucked being a girl,” Alex said, immediately receiving a jab in his arm. “He looked at Maria, who was glaring at him, then saw the same glare from Erinna. “Sorry, girls,” Alex apologized, causing the girls to explode into giggles.

“So, what are your new names?” Erinna asked with curiosity towards her two friends. There was no point in asking Dakota, and she knew it.

“Mine is Stacy; Jessi picked it,” Stacy (Steven) admitted. Erinna could see Stacy fit naturally as a girl with her dark brown hair and honey-brown eyes. She was already a timid girl and didn’t like sports since her body was weak. Stacy had a delicate touch, and music was her most outstanding talent, as Stacy was already skilled in playing the French horn. Erinna could never figure out how she carried such an instrument with her petite body since even a mid-sized French horn looked gigantic compared to her body.

“Mine is Hazel, but I am not going to say who suggested that name,” Hazel (Connor) clarified, making everyone look at her curiously.

“It was Oscar, but I think it’s his parallel universe twin,” Shelby announced as everybody looked at her with surprise. No one expected Oscar to pick a name for his stepsister, which surprised them even more because he chose such a perfect name.

“What’s wrong with him? Isn’t Oscar your brother?” Maria asked. She understood from the conversation that Oscar was their older brother; she only knew of responsible older brothers like her brothers, who were ready to protect and spoil her all the time. She also saw George, her cousin, and how he treasured his little sister, she couldn’t imagine Oscar being any different.

“Oscar is not like George, Frank, or Joe; he’s an A-hole,” Erinna explained as Maria opened her mouth in understanding.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t know what’s going on with Oscar. It’s like aliens must have kidnapped and replaced him with someone who looks like him, but his personality is completely different. He’s now very polite and respectful towards Hazel and me. I don’t know what to make of it.” Shelby explained, making everyone laugh.

Well, everyone laughed except Hazel. The way Oscar treated her felt nice. He seemed protective towards her now that she was a girl. It reminded her of her older brother, though she barely remembered him, and her mom didn’t talk about her dad or older brother. When her parents divorced, she was only four, and her dad took her brother. She vaguely remembers him being nice to her, but that’s all.

“You didn’t ask me my new name,” Dakota said, wearing a smirk. Everything made sense to him, he always thought he was a transgender boy, but he wasn’t. Dakota was, in fact, a GCS boy. He was pleased about it, and his parents were no longer nagging him about wearing pants all the time or always being a tomboy. Also, the feelings he had for Erinna made sense now.

“Why? It’s the same as your old name.”Erinna smiled, shaking her head. She didn’t even need to ask Dakota. “Isn’t it obvious? Dakota will always be Dakota,” she joked, making everyone laugh except Alex and Maria, who didn’t understand what was happening between Dakota and Erinna.

“Well, the name can work for either girl or boy,” Dakota admitted, making Erinna explode laughing. “What’s so funny?” Dakota grimaced.

“I just remembered when we were still in kindergarten,” Erinna explained, earning a grin from Dakota. Both were old friends, and they got to know Hazel and Shelby in the first grade before their parents married. They were just four when Dakota insisted that his name was a boy’s name only and couldn’t be a girl’s name, even though she was a girl at that time.

Dakota couldn’t help but study Erinna, and she looked cute in whatever she wore. Even in her modest knee-length black dress, he couldn’t help but observe Erinna as she brought her small feminine hands up to her mouth while giggling at a joke Stacy had made. She was a wonderful girl, and Dakota had fallen hard for her. He would do anything to be with her.

However, Erinna’s cousin, Maria, looked almost identical to her. Dakota knew that Oliver and Erinna were very close, and he didn’t want to jeopardize his friendship with either of them. Perhaps he could become friends with this girl if he couldn’t have Erinna?

Nancy walked from the Houstons’ house to her home with a bag in one hand and a hyperactive puppy in the other. Neither Jeff nor Heather could pay attention to the puppy today, so they thought to leave Rex to Nancy. Nancy dropped the bag that held Erinna and Maria’s clothes, opened her front door, and walked in. “Oli, I am home,” Nancy shouted, closing the front door behind her.

Leaving his friends and walking to the front door, Oliver was surprised to see the puppy. “Where did you get that from?” Oliver inquired, almost running towards Nancy to see the puppy.

“That’s Rex, Erinna’s pet,” Nancy explained, letting the puppy down. She had just seen what she couldn’t even imagine she would ever witness, the always stolid George break down and cry at his uncle’s funeral. It didn’t last more than a few minutes, but he wept. The essential thing was that it happened in front of her. It didn’t tarnish George’s image. Instead, it made her love him even more.

“What? When did they get a pet?” Oliver asked, scooping the puppy up. The puppy’s reaction was to lick his face causing him to giggle.

“Call Erinna and Maria. I have a change of clothes for them,” Nancy instructed, and Oliver complied.

Oliver informed Erinna and Maria of what Nancy said. That’s when Erinna noticed Rex. “Rex!” Erinna squealed as she ran excitedly to the dog. Oliver just handed the puppy over to her, and she hugged Rex tightly.

A couple of minutes later, Erinna emerged from Nancy’s room as Maria stepped out of the bedroom opposite her. They were wearing a dark blue pinafore dress with a white sweater. Upon seeing each other, both girls giggled after discovering that they were wearing the same outfit. It was funny how Erinna and Maria ended up dressed alike. Whoever sees them will think that they are twins and just matching.

Linking their arms, both girls returned to where their friends sat waiting. Oliver and Dakota’s heads snapped toward them when they were visible, causing Nancy to smirk. She can see that poor Dakota had lost the war before it even began since she was sure Erinna had her eyes on Oliver. But Dakota seemed to be eyeing Maria now. Nancy thought that this could get interesting.

As noon became night and the last sun rays started to disappear on the horizon, Carol and Erwin came back home. Carol immediately went to start dinner while Erwin set up the table. The plan was that Erinna and Alex would stay with them for tonight.

Heather took it upon herself to call Alex’s school and tell them of the situation, and she explained that Alex would not be attending the rest of the week. They also wanted to keep Alex from the nosy press. Not knowing where Alex is, they can’t chase him or ask him all the questions they tried to ask him during the funeral. They would have faced Jeff and Henry if the police didn’t interfere in time.

“Kids, dinner will be ready soon,” Erwin announced before turning to Oliver. “Oli, can you lend Alex something to wear tonight? We forgot to ask about his clothes.” Erwin looked at Alex apologetically while Alex just smiled at him.

“Yes, uncle Erwin,” Oliver said before nodding to Alex to follow him. Alex stood and followed Oliver up to his room.

“This boy, just like his dad.” Erwin sighed and shook his head before walking back to help his daughter and wife make dinner.

Once in his room, Oliver went directly to his closet and started to look for something for Alex to wear. He found a pajama set that was a bit big for him, but he knew it would fit Alex since he was just a bit taller than him. “You can wear those,” Oliver smiled before handing the clothes to Alex.

“Thanks,” Alex took the clothes and watched Oliver walk to his bed, taking his tablet. “Can I ask you something?” Seeing Oliver look at him and nod, Alex smiled. “The Collins, they are not your parents?” Alex asked, remembering that Oliver called Erwin uncle and not dad. He just thought Oliver was his son since they looked very similar.

Oliver frowned but sighed, and there was no point in avoiding this topic. “No, uncle Erwin is my uncle, the only nice one of all my aunts and uncles. He’s the only one who took me in since I was an orphan. If he didn’t, I would have ended up in a foster house, maybe worse,” Oliver said as a tear escaped his eye.

It had been less than a year since Albert and Candy Collins died in a tragic car crash. A crash that only Oliver survived. Oliver always felt like a boy when she was Samantha but never talked about it. Samantha always accepted all the dresses, dolls, and girly things from her parents to show her gratitude. Samantha buried her feelings deep into her heart to not disappoint her parents.

Oliver surprised his parents; they thought their child liked being a girl. After asking him a few questions, they discovered that their child was always a boy and never a girl. Yes, he’s a shy, timid, and organized child, but he was always a boy. When Samantha’s parents explained that she now had to live as a boy because of GCS, he couldn’t help but explode with joy.

Afterward, Oliver never saw any of his feminine things again. Instead, he received nothing girly and a new BMX bike on his tenth birthday. It was Oliver’s happiest birthday. Unfortunately, the accident happened soon afterward.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that question,” Alex said, feeling guilty. He honestly felt like a jerk. Oliver knew more than anyone what it was like to become an orphan and suddenly lose his loving parents. Alex felt sad, realizing he should be the one that understands Oliver’s feelings the most. Oliver moved closer and hugged Alex tightly.

“It’s going to be ok. Look, Alex, it’s not like it was your fault. You should change now, or Mom will kill us if we’re late for dinner,” Oliver said with a smile, making Alex grin, and he left to change in the bathroom.