Seventeen-year-old Brian Anderson sulked down the hall of his new high school. He was counting the days until graduation, as it was the only thing that kept him going. It was currently thirty days away. To say he hated his school wasn't an accurate description of his feelings, loathing might be more correct.

While he was a senior, he barely knew anyone at his school, due to the fact that he had just transferred to Grantville High School three weeks before. Up to then, he had spent his whole life in the same school district in Southern California. He had a life back there, but that had all ended when his mom met Dave Olsen.

Brian's mom had been widowed when he was two. His father was a California Highway Patrolman and had been killed by a drunk driver. His mom returned to her original job as a pharmacist, raised Brian as a single mom, and together they had a pretty good life.

Kristin Anderson had been a cheerleader in school and a surfer. In fact, she still looked like she could win a beauty contest. She was 5-8 with curly blonde hair. Her body was shapely, as she still took great pride in her looks. She had actually turned down several acting offers while she was in college.

In spite of losing his father at such an early age, Brian had a pretty normal upbringing. He was heavily into art, surfing, and skateboarding. He designed patterns for his friends' boards, was working part-time for a local manufacturer, and hoped to work for him fulltime after graduation. He loved living in California and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. It had everything he could ever want.

All that changed when his mom attended a pharmacy convention and met Dave.

Dave had his own drugstore in the Midwest in some little hick farming town, and Brian couldn't understand what his mom saw in him. She was a native Californian, and she had fallen head over heels for a guy who could have been an extra in the movie Fargo.

That may have been too harsh, but Brian was angry at Dave for making him move to Green Acres. Dave was a genuinely nice guy. He was friendly and never seemed to get angry.

Dave was forty-four and was a native of Grantville. He had gone into the Air Force immediately out of high school and had served for ten years. Upon graduation, he attended college and returned to Grantville to run his father's drugstore.

He was still in great shape and looked like he was still in the military. He even wore his brown hair in a crew cut.

At first, Brian thought it was funny that they traded e-mails and later phone calls in the months after the convention. But then they began to see each other. At first, it was at trade shows, but then his mom actually flew out to see him. When she returned, she was wearing a wedding ring.

Brian was stunned when she said that they had gotten married during a weekend in Vegas. It had been just the two of them for so many years, and now she had a new husband. Brian wasn't about to consider him his dad.

"You mean he's coming to live out here?" asked Brian.

Kristin shook her head. "No, we're moving there."

"What do you mean WE?"

"Brian, it's so nice out there, Grantville is so peaceful," she explained. "Besides, he owns a house and a business out there. I'm just the head pharmacist of a chain drug store."

"Peaceful? You mean boring?" stated Brian. He had searched the net and barely found a thing about Grantville. It was a small farming town in the Midwest. There was a small main street and not much else. He printed out what he found and handed it to his mom. "See! There's no there, there!"

"It's not that bad," countered Kristin.

"So, when are you planning on moving?" he asked.

"We're moving out there next month," she replied. "I'm sorry that you're upset about this, but I really love Dave."

"Mom, I'm not moving out there. I have a life here. I don't want to leave!"

"I wish there was another way, but you're too young to live here by yourself," she replied.

"Mom, I graduate high school in three months, I don't want to change schools," he stated.

"Dave has already contacted Grantville High; all your credits will transfer, and you can graduate from there."

"Mom, my friends are here!"

"I'm sorry, honey, but we're moving there. There's no other alternative."

Brian cringed as he remembered the fight that occurred after that. He loved his mom and wanted her to be happy, but that didn't stop him from losing his temper and screaming all kinds of horrible things at her. In the end, he apologized, and she promised that he could move back to California after he turned eighteen.

He also remembered her words telling him that he just might like Grantville and decide to stay out there.

She couldn't have been more wrong. From the moment they arrived to live in Dave's house, Brian couldn't find a thing to like about the town.

Chapter 2

The town of Grantville had been founded by Scandinavian farmers in the 1887. Norwegian and Swedish peasants had immigrated to the Great Plains in the 1870's, lured by cheap land for farming. It was named for Ulysses S. Grant. The railroad had sought them to fill in the land to supply grain to the big cities; it was one of a line of small farming communities that sprung up along the railroad. At its peak in 1915, it was a growing community, but then a variety of events began to work against it.

First there was the Great War, followed by the depression. Grantville's population began to slowly drop. World War II drained more young people away. The railroad wasn't as important, and the new interstate highway system bypassed the town. The excitement and change of the sixties seemed to be the death knell, and it was a dying town.

The town leaders did everything they could think of to preserve their community. They had seen several similar towns fade away and were determined to prevent this from happening to their community.

They provided incentives for their young people to stay and actively recruited people and businesses to move there. At the same time, they tried to maintain the standards of living and decorum that they loved.

Surprisingly, they began to turn it around, and the population began to steady and then increase. Their example was copied by several other communities in the area, but none achieved the success of Grantville.

Brian took one look and couldn't understand why anyone would want to stay there. The main occupation was still agriculture, and large fields of grain surrounded the town. There was a large hardware store, a grocery store, a diner, a drugstore, and several other businesses. There were no fast food restaurants, no coffeehouses, no movie theaters, and no mall.

There were several social clubs and an old gym.

"Let me guess, they have square dancing there on Saturday nights," stated Brian sarcastically to Dave, who was showing them around town.

"No, that's held on Friday nights. On Saturday nights they have teen dances," replied Dave without skipping a beat. "Wednesday night is Bingo night."

Brian shook his head in disgust. It was just the beginning.

When they arrived at Grantville High, Brian was horrified to see that the students were wearing uniforms. The boys were wearing blue pants, not jeans, and white collared shirts. The girls had it even worse, as they were wearing knee-length blue skirts with white blouses.

"Why uniforms?" he asked Dave.

"It's easier that way, and it treats everyone equally," he replied. "A lot of big city schools do it."

Brian didn't say a word. There were schools around his old district that had uniform policies, but they were done for discipline reasons and to prevent kids from wearing gang clothes on campus. He couldn't imagine that they had that sort of problem out here.

"You know, maybe you should get a haircut before we go see the principal," suggested Dave.

Brian looked at the boys, many of whom had short hair. He ran his fingers through his shoulder length blond hair and shook his head. "I'm keeping my hair as it is."

Brain figured he would get some comments from the other boys, but he wasn't worried. He was five-ten and in great shape. While he had never taken any formal classes, he had learned some martial arts fighting skills from his friends. He wouldn't go looking for a fight, but he wouldn't run from one either.

"You sure? It'll make it harder for you to blend in," continued Dave.

"No offense, Dave, but the last thing I want to do around here is blend in. I'll wear the school costume, but I'm not going to start going to 4-H meetings," replied Brian.

Instead of taking the bait and getting angry, Dave just laughed. "Okay, it's a free country."

Brian sighed. No matter what he said, he could never get Dave to lose his temper. He accepted the fact that Dave had married his mom, but he wasn't about to consider him his father.

"I'm also keeping my earrings," added Brian. He had a gold stud in each ear.

"Suit yourself," stated Dave with a chuckle.

A short time later, they were seated across from the principal, Mr. Fred Evans. A lifelong resident of Grantville, he could trace his family tree back to the founding of the town. He was currently finishing his twenty-fifth year working in the Grantville school district. He had started as a teacher and worked his way up to high school principal ten years ago, replacing his uncle who retired.

Behind his desk there were many framed awards from the community for his long service. There were also framed graduation photos of the past nine years.

Brian could feel Mr. Evans's eyes run up and down his body, as if he was making mental notes of him. In a way, it made Brian feel rather nervous.

"I understand this is different from what you're used to, Brian, but I think you'll find that it's not as bad as you think," stated Mr. Evans. "As for your long hair and... jewelry, we sort of frown on that sort of thing around here, but as you won't be here that long, I see no reason to make it an issue."

Brian nodded. "Thank you."

"I do expect you to wear the school uniform and to abide by all other school rules and traditions," continued Mr. Evans. He then handed Brian a notebook. "Please read this before you start class on Monday. I don't think you'll find anything out of the ordinary, but ignorance of the rules is no excuse."

Brian looked at the book and nodded. "I will." He had no real intention of rocking the boat. All he wanted to do was graduate and head back to the west coast.

Mr. Evans smiled. "Good. Now, we've tried to match you up with a class schedule that matches what you had back in California."

Brian looked at the schedule. Nothing looked too hard, and he was pleasantly surprised to see that he was enrolled in an art class.

"Okay, well, we'll see you here bright and early Monday, Brian," stated Mr. Evans.

On the way back home, Dave turned to Brian. "See that wasn't so bad."

"I still have to wear uniforms," countered Brian.

"Oh, thanks for reminding me; we need to stop off and get those!" replied Dave with a smile.

Point, Dave, thought Brian. He kept score in his head for his verbal skirmishes with Dave, and so far the score was close. Brian begrudgingly admired Dave's ability to counter his verbal strikes.

Chapter 3

Brian was introduced to his new classmates that Monday. There were one hundred and eighty people in the senior class, and for the most part, they accepted Brian as if he had always been there.

He was surprised that no one gave him grief over his hair or earrings. They were all so friendly - almost too friendly, he thought. A new kid back in his old school wouldn't have been accepted nearly as fast.

The town was like something in a Twilight Zone episode, he thought. First off, everyone seemed so happy and sociable. Then there was the lack of diversity, almost everyone was white. He asked about this in class one day and was met by blank stares from his classmates.

"What do you mean?' asked Tom Harris, a large boy wearing a school jacket.

"Well, it's just that everyone is white," noted Brian.

"It's not as if we don't want minorities here, Brian; it's just really hard to attract them to this part of the country," explained his history teacher, Mr. Peterson. "There was a colored family here five years ago, but they moved to Chicago."

Brian explained that in his old school there were kids from all over the world and of many ethnicities.

"You mean there were Orientals in your school too?" asked Cathy Wilson, a cute blonde.

"Orientals?" replied Brian, and then he began to laugh. "I had friends who were Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Chinese, and Thai. I never thought of them as Oriental."

"Wow, that sounds so exotic," stated Mike Carter, a tall black haired boy.

"That's just the start," said Brian. "We had kids from Mexico, El Salvador, India, Somalia, and many other places. I just assumed that's the way it was everywhere."

"That's so cool," said Annie McCormick. She was wearing a cheerleading sweater that seemed to barely stretch over her large breasts.

She was one of the few things that Brian liked about school, as she was one of the best looking girls in school. He never missed an opportunity to flirt with her.

Another thing that caught Brian off guard was that most of the kids came from large families. He was the only kid in his class who was an only child. He then noticed that almost every woman in town had children. Their neighbors, the Snyders, had four kids, and Mrs. Snyder looked very pregnant.

He mentioned this to his mom and Dave over dinner one night.

"We are going through a population boom in some ways. Every year, the senior class is bigger," explained Dave. "There are already plans to expand the elementary school."

Brian skipped the obvious point that there wasn't much else to do around here. He didn't want to make a comment that would hurt his mom. His own birth had been complicated, and she was unable to have additional children.

As if she could read his mind, Kristin smiled. "Dave and I are thinking of adopting."

Brian's eyebrows both rose. "Really?"

Kristin nodded. "How do you feel about that?"

"I don't mind, just as long as you're happy," he replied honestly.

"Well, you'll be leaving soon, and it would be nice to have some someone else to take care of," stated Kristin.

"Are you going to stop working?" asked Brian.

"I might," replied Kristin.

"I thought you loved your job," stated Brian.

"I do, but maybe it's time for a change," she replied.

"One of the nice things about living out here is the cost of living is so affordable, that one income is usually sufficient," noted Dave.

"That's because there's nothing to spend money on," countered Brian. He still couldn't believe that his mom was thinking of becoming a stay at home housewife.

Dave laughed. "Well, we like it this way. Believe it or not, Brian, people like the lifestyle out here. It's a safe place to raise a family. Many, if not most, of our families are one income families."

"But, it must be hard to keep people here," interrupted Brian.

"It is; in fact, we still have some difficultly keeping our young people here. We know that there is no way that everyone will want to stay here. However, the city leaders have developed a system, and strive for modest growth every year. We offer incentives to keep some of our young people here. One of the things we do is to offer to pay their college tuition if they agree to move back here. That's how we get many of our new teachers. We also provide other incentives to make sure we don't fade away."

"Still, I find it hard to believe that women want to stay here and just be stay at home moms," said Brian.

"There are more than you might think. The high school offers an entire curriculum for girls who wish to be housewives and mothers," replied Dave.

Brian stared at his mom. "You approve of this?"

"It wouldn't work in California, but they seem to like it out here. No one is forced to stay."

"So, if a girl wants to go to college, she can?" asked Brian.

Dave nodded. "Of course, this isn't a gulag or anything like that. Still many girls just want to get married and raise a family."

Brian just shook his head. "I guess it's okay if you were raised here and have no idea of what's out there. I just know that I can't wait until I can go back to California. I just got an e-mail from Rick, and he's going to hire me to design boards for him."

"What about college?" asked Kristin.

"I'll enroll in art school in the winter semester. Rick said that he'll pay for part of my tuition as long as I work for him. I can go to school part time and work on the side. Mom, don't worry about me. Rick's boards are being used by competitors in the X-Games, and he says that my designs are getting great raves. This is a real job."

Dave looked confused. "X-Games? What are the X-Games?"

Brian laughed and tried to explain it to Dave, who shook his head in disbelief.

"You mean they pay people to ride bikes off ramps?" he asked incredulously. "We did that for free when I was a kid."

"Big money, same for skateboards," replied Brian. "It's on TV and everything."

"That's amazing," he replied with a grin. "I guess I should watch more than the local news."

Chapter 4

While Brian couldn't wait to get out of Grantville, he wasn't antisocial with his fellow students. He felt that he could open their eyes up to a whole new world and was always willing to talk to them about how great things were elsewhere.

He reluctantly went to the square dance on Friday night, as there was nothing else to do. However, he skipped the actual dance and hung out with some of the other teens outside the gym.

"I can't believe how boring it is out here," he commented to the group he was hanging out with.

To his surprise, he found that there were many teens who shared his opinion about the town. They were sitting outside of the gym, drinking sodas; the sound of the band was blaring in the background. The town was dry, so getting beer was out of the question.

"I know what you mean; I can't wait to leave," commented Tim King. He was a tall thin boy with black curly hair. He was the seventh child in a family of eight kids. "My brothers are already working the farm, but I'm going to college to become an engineer. I want to live in Chicago, or Denver, or anywhere where you don't smell manure in the morning."

"I feel the same way," added Kurt Jenkins, a short brown haired boy. He was one of the few boys in the school with long hair. He played guitar and several other instruments and was planning on attending college on a musical scholarship. He played trumpet in the school band. "My parents aren't happy that I want to leave, but I've tried to explain to them that this place offers me nothing. I hate farming and don't want to work in my uncle's feed store."

"Trust me; I want out more than you. My mom and sisters can't understand why," stated Jane Wilson. Like all the other girls, she was wearing a skirt.

"What? Don't you want to stay here and raise babies?" asked Brian with a laugh.

"Please!" replied Jane as she shook her head, causing her long brown hair to swing back and forth. She was a pleasant looking girl with a great personality. She was also in the band and played the flute. "I'm going to college. The last thing I want to do is be pregnant before I'm twenty."

"You're kidding, right?" asked Brian.

Jane shook her head. "Brian, all three of my older sisters are married, and all three had their first kids when they were nineteen!"

"On purpose?" he asked with grin.

"Yes! That's what's even stranger!" she replied with a laugh. "They love being moms, and what's even more strange is that they seem to love being pregnant. My sister Kristy told me that she feels so whole when she's pregnant. Brian, she's only twenty-two and is pregnant for the third time. She got married just three months after she graduated high school."

"I know what you mean, my sister got married just two months after she graduated last year, and she's due with her first baby next month," stated Kurt.

They talked for a while about how boring Grantville was and how great life would be away from it. They questioned Brian on what life was like in a real city.

"Oh, Brian, you know, you should get your hair cut short in the next few days; unless you want to end up in the beauty contest," stated Kurt.

"What beauty contest?" asked Brian.

"Oooh, that's right, you're new around here. Every year they have a senior class beauty contest. In addition to the girls, they pick some of the boys and dress them up as girls," stated Jane.

"You've got to be kidding!" replied Brian.

The teens shook their head.

"No, it's a tradition here. Different groups in school pick a boy and enter him in the contest. The cheerleaders do it, the school band, home economics, and several others. The group that gets the highest rated guy wins bragging rights for the year. It's sort of an honor to be picked," continued Jane.

"Why is that?" asked Brian.

"You usually get a hot date for the prom out of it," interjected Kurt. "It shows that you're a good sport." He then smiled at Jane.

"I've already heard that you're on the top of the list for several of the groups," said Jane, ignoring Kurt's flirting.

Brian stared at her. "This is the truth, right? You're not goofing on me?"

They shook their heads in unison.

"So how does it happen, do they come up and ask me?" asked Brian.

"Not exactly," replied Jane. "The contest is in two weeks. They sort of kidnap you in school and change you there. They can grab you anytime starting Monday."

Brian stared back in disbelief. "This is a joke right?"

"No, she's telling the truth. They grab you at school, dress you up there. Until the contest, you're considered to be a female student. It's all harmless fun. The teachers make sure that it doesn't get out of hand," explained Jane.

"You stay dressed as a girl until the contest. It's a school tradition, and the guys who go through it are looked upon as being good natured," added Kurt. "My brother did it two years ago, and no one would consider him anything but a real man."

"Yeah, if you refuse to do it, you're pretty much seen as a jerk. No girl would ever consider dating you," said Tim. "I've already been told that I'm marked by several of the groups."

"Are you in one of these groups, Jane?" asked Brian.

"Yes, Brian, and your name is top on our list. Don't worry; the contest doesn't start until Monday," replied Jane. "So, you're safe for now."

"And there's an actual beauty contest?" he asked. "This isn't some joke played on the new kid?"

"Yes. You'll be competing against real girls. There are three costume changes, usually something like the school uniform, square dance dress, and prom dress; they change it yearly. The real girls always win, but the guys get some cool prizes," continued Jane. "Actually, the boys are just in the contest to make it more fun. There is a competition between the boys."

"I suppose it's against the spirit of the event to get the flu for the next few weeks," remarked Brian.

The others laughed. "Brian, you're living with two pharmacists; no one will believe that you're sick!" stated Jane.

Chapter 5

"Why didn't you tell me about the beauty contest, Dave?" asked Brian the next morning at breakfast.

"It slipped my mind, Brian. It's been part of this community for so long that I just forgot about it," answered Dave. "Besides, there's no guarantee that you'll be picked."

"I've heard it from a reliable source that I'm on the top of the list for many of the groups," replied Brian as he ate his scrambled eggs.

"You could always cut your hair short," stated Dave.

Brian stared at him and laughed. "You must be kidding. I can deal with wearing a dress before I'd get a haircut."

"So, you'll actually go along with it?" asked Kristen.

Brian shrugged his shoulders. "Why not? I mean, no one back in California is ever going to find out."

Brian talked to several people that day, and they all confirmed the existence of the beauty contest. He wasn't sure and checked the archives of the local paper in the library, and, sure enough, there were photos of the feminized boys with the girls. It seemed so out of place for a town that appeared to be so conservative.

He had dressed as a girl once for Halloween when he was in sophomore year of high school. It had been the idea of his girlfriend at the time. He dressed in her cheerleader outfit, and she dressed in his baseball uniform. Brain remembered the night for another reason; that was the night she gave him his first blowjob. He smiled at that memory.

He hadn't really counted on going to the prom, but as he looked around his school, he noticed that there were a lot of attractive girls. Annie was pretty cute too, and while the prom didn't mean anything to him, it would be stupid of him to give up the chance for a date. He was surprised that she wasn't dating anyone.

Kurt had told him the way that it usually worked; the boy was grabbed at school and taken to a classroom and quickly changed into a girl. Just enough was done at school to make the boy passable as a girl. After school, the boy was further transformed and made more feminine. Nothing was permanent, and it was seen as a great way to end the school year.

To Brian, something didn't seem quite right. He looked at the articles and saw how the contest was a major event in the town. It almost seemed as if the boys were a bigger part of the show than the girls, even though there were only a few entered each year. Brian scanned the past few years of the paper and found that there were usually only three or four boys entered. He thought that there would be more entries for an event that seemed so important to the school. He also looked at the girl groups that sponsored the male entries into the contest. Over the past three years, he counted ten different groups. He wondered why they didn't enter someone every year.

Chapter 6

Brian arrived at school Monday with much trepidation. He felt as if he had a spotlight on him from the moment he arrived at school.

His English teacher, Mr. Wilson, seemed pleasantly surprised that Brian had shown up for school.

"I was half expecting you to be absent today," said Mr. Wilson.

"It crossed my mind, but I figured, what's the worst that can happen?" replied Brian.

The look that Mr. Wilson gave him momentarily sent a chill up his spine, and Brian wondered if the teacher knew something he didn't.

The morning passed without incident for Brian. Kurt told him that three boys had already been grabbed and changed, including Tim.

"If it makes you feel any better, Jane told me that I'm a marked man too," said Kurt with a smile.

Brian laughed. "To be honest, it does make me feel better."

It was during his fifth period history class lab that the phone rang. Mr. Peterson answered the phone and motioned for Brian.

"They need you up at the main office. Miss Glover needs to see you," stated Mr. Peterson.

Miss Glover was Brian's guidance councilor. He had talked to her the previous week about college applications for the following year.

Mr. Peterson wrote out the pass, and Brian headed out to the front office. He should have suspected something, but he didn't think that Miss Glover would be a part of it. She was a pretty brunette who had just moved back to Grantville. She had graduated from Grantville High and had attended Iowa on a full scholarship.

Halfway to her office, he was grabbed and pulled into an empty classroom by four members of the cheerleading squad.

"We've got you!" squealed Kim Jones, the captain of the squad.

Brian might have been able to pull away, but he was too surprised to do so. Miss Glover was sitting on the desk at the front of the room.

"I'm sorry, Brian, but I'm the advisor for the cheerleaders, and they wanted you badly. They begged me to help them get you," she said with a smile. "Now, do you agree to be our representative for the beauty contest?"

Brian looked at the four girls who were presently surrounding him. Even though they were wearing the drab school uniforms, they were all pretty hot looking. They were all smiling at him. He also saw Annie was with them.

"Okay... I'll do it," replied.

The girls all began to squeal with delight.

Kim had a huge smile on her face. "Oh, Brianna, we're going to make you so gorgeous."

"Now, girls, you just need to make Brianna presentable for now; you'll have more time this afternoon after school to go wild with her," said Miss Glover.

"Okay, Brianna, here's you're clothes; you can go in the closet and change. We'll then do your hair and makeup," said Kim, as she handed Brian a gym bag of clothes. "If you have any questions, we'll be right out here."

Brian, now Brianna, took the bag and entered the storage closet; it was just large enough for him to change. He undressed and took out the clothes from the bag. There was a pair of white cotton panties, a bra, pantyhose, navy blue knee socks, a blue skirt, a white short sleeve blouse, and a pair of black shoes. There was also a pair of silicone breast pads. Brian was a little surprised at how big they were, and he examined the bra; it was a 36-D.

He sighed and began to get dressed. He had some trouble with the pantyhose and the bra, but he was able to manage. It all seemed surreal as he stepped out of the storage closet.

"Oh, Brianna, you look better than we had expected," exclaimed Tammy Schultz, a brunette with curly hair.

"I agree, you look great," stated Annie, the redhead with large breasts who Brian stared at in his history class.

"Okay, Brianna, have a seat here," ordered Kim. "We're just going to use a curling iron on you right now; later this afternoon, we'll give you a perm."

"A perm?" he asked.

"Yes, it'll be a lot easier for you than using an iron every morning," interjected Sally Lewis, who was holding the curling iron. "Now sit still, this won't take long. Damn, this is so unfair, you have such nice hair!"

Brianna felt suddenly passive as Sally went to work on his hair. She applied some liquid to his hair as she rolled it into curls. As she did this, Kim and Annie filed and applied pink nail polish to his fingernails. Brianna was beginning to wonder if he had gotten in over his head.

"Okay, Tammy, you're next," stated Sally.

"Can't I see what I look like?" asked Brianna.

"Nope, not until we're done," stated Kim.

Tammy began to apply makeup to Brianna's face. "I'm so glad you have so little facial hair," she stated. "Although, I will want to thin out your eyebrows this afternoon."

Brianna noticed that all the girls had thin arched eyebrows. He was about to protest, when Tammy told him to sit still.

"There. That's enough for now. All we need is now is her jewelry and purse, and she's ready to go back to class."

Kim changed Brianna's earrings from studs to gold hoops. She gave Brianna several bracelets and a girl's watch.

"Well, stand up and look in the mirror, Brianna," ordered Miss Glover. "You look fabulous."

Brianna stood up and looked at himself in the mirror. His blonde hair was now styled in large curls that flowed around his now feminized face. He looked like a girl, and not a bad looking one, he realized. To his confusion, he felt slightly excited.

"I think she likes the way she looks, Miss G," stated Kim.

"You'll look even better when we finish with you this afternoon; you know, she might even finish ahead of some of the real girls," said Tammy.

"Okay, Brianna, you need to get back to class. The girls will meet you after school to finish the job," stated Miss Glover. "Oh, you need to wear this; it's a sign that you're in the contest."

She then slipped a gold chain around Brianna's neck. It had a small indigo blue crystal at the end.

"You need to wear it all the time; it may sound silly, but it's part of the tradition," continued Miss. Glover. "All the other girls in the contest wear them, Mr. Evans insists on it."

Brianna was too stunned to speak and could only nod. He reached down and looked at the crystal. This was getting weirder and weirder, he thought.

As he walked back to class, he could feel the silicone breasts bounce gently up and down. The feel of wearing a skirt would also take some getting used to.

He arrived outside Mr. Peterson's class and hesitated. He was worried about how he would be received when he walked in. He looked down at his hand with pink nails and let out a long sigh. There was no turning back now, he thought.

Brianna walked in and handed the pass to Mr. Peterson.

"Thank you, Miss Anderson, please take your seat," said Mr. Peterson.

Brianna turned and walked to her desk. He was slightly surprised by the looks of his classmates. Most were supportive, and a few of the guys seemed to be looking at him as if he was a real girl. He carefully sat down; making sure his skirt was covering his legs.

Kurt leaned over. "Mr. Peterson got a call right after you left, and we figured you got nabbed. I'll give you my notes, Brianna."

"Thanks," he replied softly.

"By the way, you look great," stated Kurt.

Brianna just nodded slightly. He wasn't in the mood to talk about it.

"So who are you representing, Bree?' asked Jenny Morris, a redheaded girl who sat behind him.

"The cheerleaders," he replied.

"Figures," she replied. "Well, at least you'll look great. They always have one of the best entries."

Brianna was about to say that they hadn't even entered a contestant the last two years, but he was interrupted by the bell.

On his way to his last class of the day, Brianna ran into Jane.

"I heard the pom-pom girls got you. Damn, we were going to try and get you this period," Jane stated.

"Sorry, I really didn't have a say in all this," replied Brianna.

"I must admit that for an initial effort they did a great job. So what do you want to be called now, Brianna?'

"Yes, that seems to be my name now," he replied.

"You look great, Brianna. You look much better than Tina."

"Who?" asked Brianna.

"Oh, I mean Tim. The girls' basketball team got her," replied Jane.

"So who are the band girls going to get?"

"Kurt," she replied, "but don't tell him!"

Brianna laughed. "No problem there."

Chapter 7

After school, Brianna met up with Kim and the other cheerleaders. Together, they drove over to Tammy's house.

"Trust me, Brianna, nothing I'm about to do to you is permanent. After the contest, I'll re-style your hair, and it'll look better than before; you were in need of a trim anyway," said Tammy.

"What about my eyebrows?" asked Brianna.

"They'll grow back," she replied with a giggle.

"Now, when you go home tonight, you'll need to remove the hair on your body. I have a great cream that will do the trick. It's very gentle, and all of us use it," explained Tammy.

"Oh, I forgot about that," stated Brianna.

"It's no so bad," said Kim.

Brianna was surprised to find that Tammy's house had a salon built into it.

"My mom runs a side business here part-time. She taught me to cut and style hair," explained Tammy.

"Tammy styles all our hair," explained Kim.

Brianna sat in the salon chair and tried to relax.

"Thankfully, you're such a nice color of blonde, we won't have to color your hair too. Now, just sit back and let me get to work; you're going to love the way you look."

Brianna tried to relax as Tammy worked on his hair. The smell of the chemicals and the feel of rollers in his hair was a new and strange sensation. While he waited for the perm to be finished, Tammy waxed his brows. He couldn't see, but he worried that she had taken all of his brows off.

"Brianna, you're going look fantastic," said Tammy.

"Wait 'til you see your outfits for the contest," stated Kim.

"So, what are the costumes for the contest?" asked Brianna.

"This year, you'll be in a formal dress, a square dance dress, and an outfit selected by us," said Annie. "I know, I know, the square dancing outfit is so out of date, but it's a tradition."

"What's the other outfit?" asked Brianna.

"Why you'll be a cheerleader, just like us!" stated Kim. "We'll even teach you a few moves."

"Oh, joy!" replied Brianna.

"That's the spirit, Bree," said Tammy. "Just so you know, we really appreciate you being our girl this year."

"Yes, we weren't sure if you'd go through with it," added Kim.

"Okay, let's, get back to your hair," said Tammy. She began to let out Brianna's curls. "This hair style will be really easy for you to take care of. All, you'll have to do is brush it out in the morning. I'm leaving you some shampoo and conditioner too."

Brianna nodded.

"Okay, take a look," stated Tammy as she swung Brianna around.

Brianna was shocked by what he saw. His hair looked huge. The style was filled with large curls and looked very feminine. It also looked a little dated, like something from the 80's. Still, Brianna noticed that her style looked similar to the other girls in the cheerleading squad.

He was also shocked by his eyebrows. They were very thin and arched, making his eyes look very feminine.

"You look great," commented Kim. "Now, you need to touch up your makeup. Here, why don't you try with your lipstick?"

Brianna took the lipstick and nervously began to apply it to his lips.

"That wasn't so bad, Bree," said Annie. "Since I just live three houses down from you, I'll stop by in the morning before school and help you."

"Okay," replied Brianna, almost automatically. He was pleased for any attention that Annie gave him. "I just can't believe that I look this much like a girl."

"Wait until the contest, you're going to look even better," said Tammy. "Now, we'd better get you home and unload your stuff."

"What stuff?" asked Brianna.

"Your clothes, makeup, cosmetics, and shoes," replied Tammy.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," replied Brianna. He was feeling strangely passive, as if events were now sweeping him along. He didn't see himself as a girl, but he felt different.

Chapter 8

"Okay, that takes care of everything," said Tammy. "Now remember, you're Brianna until the end of the contest. Just like the rest of the girls, you need to wear skirts or dresses."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that, why don't you wear pants?" asked Brianna.

"It's just not done around here. The only time a girl wears pants out here is when she's working on the farm," replied Annie. "I'd say you'll get used to it, but most of us have never known any difference. Boys wear pants, and girls wear skirts and dresses; it's just the way it is."

Brianna shook her head. "This is like living in another country compared to California."

"We'll see you tomorrow morning, Bree," said Tammy.

The girls left, and Brianna looked at himself in the mirror. He was still wearing his school uniform, and he decided to change. He decided to use the hair remover first, even though his legs weren't that hairy; still, he didn't want to wear pantyhose anymore that day.

The cream smelled slightly, but in less than fifteen minutes, his legs were smooth. He also shaved what little hair there was under his arms. He washed and dried them and picked out a new outfit to wear. He selected a knee-length denim skirt and a red cotton blouse. He put on red knee socks and shoes.

"Honey, are you in your room?" called out his mom.

"Yes, I'll be right down," he replied automatically. He took one last look at himself in the mirror and headed downstairs.

Dave was with his mom, and they were both beaming as Brianna walked down the stairs.

"You look great, Brianna; you're a very attractive girl," said Kristin.

Brianna was a little taken aback. Seeing his confusion, Kristin smiled. "Your principal called us at work and told us that you were in the contest."

"Oh, okay," replied Brianna.

"I agree with Kristin; you look fabulous, Brianna," said Dave.

"Um, thanks," replied Brianna. He was a little embarrassed by Dave's very positive reaction.

"Well, I was going to ask you to cut the grass, but I think instead you should help your mom fix dinner," said Dave. "It's not exactly the job for a pretty young lady."

Brianna was about to protest.

"Girls don't do that sort of work; I'll take care of it," said Dave as he walked past Brianna to go upstairs to change.

"Come on, honey, you can help me get dinner ready," said Kristin.

"Mom, I'm still a boy," stated Brianna, almost to convince himself as much as her.

"I know, but you might as well play along for the next few days," replied Kristin. "Besides, you've helped me with dinner before."

In addition to helping his mom fix dinner, he also did the laundry. It was so strange how his mom and Dave were treating him, thought Brianna.

What made it even stranger was that, over dinner, Dave and his mom acted like nothing was out of the ordinary. It was like he had always been Brianna.

"Oh, Brianna, Dave's going to show me how to square dance this Friday. I'm being fitted for my dress tomorrow," said Kristin.

"You're actually going to try square dancing?" he asked incredulously.

Kristin nodded. "When in Rome."

"It's a lot of fun, as you'll find out, Brianna," interjected Dave.

"What do you mean? I'm not going square dancing," he replied.

"Actually you are, Brianna; it's part of the contest. Mr. Evans told me that you have to be there. He said that you can try on your dress tomorrow when I try mine," said Kristin.

Brianna shook her head. "I can't believe that I got into this."

After dinner, Brianna helped his mom clean up, and then he went off to do his homework. He debated wearing nothing to bed, but relented and slipped on the pink nightgown before going to bed. Damn, he couldn't wait to get out of Grantville, he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 9

For the first time since he moved there, he was pleased that his school had uniforms. It made getting ready for school so much easier. Just as Tammy said, his hair felt back into order with just a little bit of brushing.

He decided to wait until Annie arrived and not try to do his own makeup. He looked at himself and decided that he looked presentable in his uniform.

He looked at the crystal and noticed that the color seemed slightly different. He figured it was just the way the light was hitting it, even though it was a different shade of blue.

After breakfast, Annie arrived and applied Brianna's makeup. "The school doesn't like us to wear a lot of makeup, unless it's at a game or something like that."

"Are you planning on staying around here after graduation?" asked Brianna.

Annie nodded. "I hate school and have sort of resigned myself to becoming a housewife. Besides, I love kids. I baby-sit for the Snyders all the time. Hey, why don't you come over and help me tomorrow? I know Mrs. Snyder won't mind, and I can always use the help. You'll get paid too."

"I don't know, I'm not that good around little kids," replied Brianna.

"Oh, it'll be fun. The kids are cool, and they're in bed by eight. It'll give us some time to talk."

"I'll think about it," replied Brianna.

School was strangely normal. Brianna was accepted as if he had been a girl his whole life. No one goofed on him, and everyone was nice. Brianna half expected to start hearing the theme from the Twilight Zone.

He ran into Kurt, now Kathy, during homeroom.

"Brianna, you look great," stated Kathy. His hair was also in a perm.

"So do you, Kathy," replied Brianna, honestly. He noticed that Kathy also had a crystal hanging around his neck. He reached down and held the crystal. "This is so weird."

"Tell me about it. There are ten of us, the second biggest group ever," said Kathy.

"I wonder why this year it's so big?" asked Brianna.

Kathy shrugged his shoulders. "Have you been fitted for your dress for the dance Friday night?"

"This afternoon," replied Brianna groaned.

"My mom gave me one of my sister's dresses. I can tolerate the dress, but the big poofy petticoats are awful."

Brianna just groaned, but then he thought about Annie. "This better be worth it."

Chapter 10

Mid-morning, Brianna was called up to Mr. Evans office.

"You're not in trouble, Miss Anderson; I just wanted to see how you're doing," he stated. "You're new around here, and I realize that this contest can be a bit overwhelming."

"I've been treated nicely by everyone. I'd almost feel better if someone ragged on me," replied Brianna.

Mr. Evans smiled. "Things are different here, even without the diversity of California."

Brianna smiled. "You heard that, huh?"

"This is a small town, Miss Anderson; I hear everything that goes on here. Still, Mr. Peterson said that it caused a great class discussion," said Mr. Evans. "Now, do you have any issues or questions?"

Brianna thought about it and shook his head.

"Okay, you should head back to class, Miss Anderson," stated Mr. Evans.

As Brianna headed back to class, he thought about his meeting with Mr. Evans; it was as if he was checking him out, thought Brianna.

Chapter 11

"Okay, Brianna. Miss Glover contacted me, and I have a great costume for you," said Trish Harris. "I've been putting these together for the cheerleaders for years. Now, for the contest I have an even nicer outfit for you. But this one will look great for the dance Friday night."

Brianna looked at the skirt and blouse hanging by the changing room door.

"Now, let me tell you about the outfit. The blouse is called a rumba blouse, and it has triple ruffles along the top and sleeves. The skirt is called a tulip skirt, and it has lots of ruffles. It'll look great with a triple layer petticoat."

The blouse was purple, and the skirt was white and purple. The petticoat was white.

"Now, under your petticoat, you'll wear a pair of pettipants. They're essentially ruffled mid-length underpants. They really make the outfit."

Brianna just stared at the outfit in disbelief.

"Well, you go try everything on, and then we'll get you a pair of shoes. Oh, you'll also need stockings."

Brianna changed and felt as if he was being engulfed in ruffles and lace. The petticoat would take some getting used to, he thought. In addition to the feel of the material against his body, there was the soft rustling sound it made, as if it was constantly reminding him that he was dressed in a very feminine outfit.

For shoes, Trish picked out a pair of three-inch heel white shoes. The shoes had ankle straps.

"These are very popular with the other girls," said Trish. "They're also comfortable to dance in. I wear a pair very similar to them."

Brianna looked at the price tags for the outfit. "This is real expensive for just one dance."

"Your father said don't worry about the cost, he's picking it up. He said that he wants you to look extra pretty Friday night," said Trish.

"He's not my dad," replied Brianna, slightly annoyed with Dave.

"Oh, I'm sorry," replied Trish.

"It's okay. He just married my mom this year," said Brianna.

"Your mom looks great. She's getting her dress's hem set in the back."

"So how is my outfit different for the contest?" asked Brianna.

"It's much more feminine. Your top will be white lace, and your skirt will have many more ruffles."

Brianna didn't think that was possible.

"So have you ever gone square dancing?' asked Trish.

"No," replied Brianna, as he stifled a smartass remark about never having bamboo pushed under his fingernails either.

"Well, come back next Tuesday, and I'll have you contest outfit ready," stated Trish with a smile.

Brianna carried his outfit out to the car and prayed that Rick never found out about this, as he would never, ever live it down.

Chapter 12

At dinner, Kristen turned to Brianna. "Mrs. Snyder called and said that she would be happy to have you baby-sit tomorrow evening. I think that's wonderful, but when did you ask her?"

Brianna silently cursed Annie. "I didn't." He then explained Annie's offer.

"It'll be a nice experience for you. This is giving you great experience in what a teenage girl goes through," continued Kristen.

Yeah, if she lives in Mayberry, thought Brianna.

"Well, I think it's nice too, Brianna," added Dave. "Annie McCormick is a nice girl. I went to high school with her mother."

Brianna just nodded. He was still a bit pissed about what Dave had said to Trish. For some reason he didn't bring it up.

After dinner, Brianna was up in his room doing his homework. What was happening to him, he thought. Maybe it was just because he was wearing a skirt, but he found that he was feeling more and more passive. He couldn't believe that he didn't speak his mind to Dave. It was almost as if he was unable to speak his mind.

"You're just reading too much into this," he said to himself. His hand began to play with the chain around his neck. He looked down at the crystal and cocked his head. He leaned over to his desk light and noted that the color was more purple than blue. He wondered if it was like a mood ring or something like that.

Chapter 13

Mrs. Snyder was very friendly. "I appreciate you helping out, Annie."

There were four kids, three girls and one boy. The girls were aged six, five, and two. The boy was three.

"Annie knows the drill, and the only one that should give you trouble is Bobby. However, they all know that they have to be in bed by eight," continued Mrs. Snyder.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Snyder, Bree and I will be fine. Now, where will you be this evening?" asked Annie.

"We'll be over at the Kratz's house for the evening, and their number is posted by the phone. We should be back by ten," said Mrs. Schultz.

"We'll do fine, Mrs. Snyder," said Annie.

Brianna gained a whole new respect for Annie as he watched her handle the four Snyder kids. Dinner was quite a challenge, and it was all that Annie and Bree could do to make sure that more food got into the kids than on them.

After dinner, Annie and Bree played with the kids before putting them to bed. By the time they cleaned up the kitchen, Bree was exhausted.

"I can't understand why anyone wants to have kids!" he grumbled as he flopped down on a kitchen chair.

"I hate to tell you this, but they were really well behaved tonight," said Annie.

"You're kidding, right?"

Annie shook her head. "No, they were pretty good tonight. I guess I'm used to it; I come from a large family. I have three little brothers, and let me tell you, those guys are monsters!"

Bree laughed. "I guess that would help. It was just my mom and I." He went on to tell Annie about growing up in California.

"I can't imagine what it's like to live somewhere else. I guess I'll always live here," stated Annie.

"Aren't you curious?" asked Bree.

"No, not really; besides, I like the idea of being a mom."

"I don't think I could do it," said Bree.

"You'd feel different after carrying your child for nine months."

"Well, that's something that I won't have to be concerned with," replied Bree with a laugh.

"I think you'd be better at it than you think. You make a pretty passable girl."

Bree cocked his head. "What makes you say that?"

"I don't know, it's just you seem to be more and more comfortable every day. I mean, you move more naturally with every passing moment. The only time you seem uncomfortable is when you try to act as a guy."

"Well, it's only for another week. The contest is next Friday, and I'll be Brian again on Saturday morning. I must admit that this has given me some new insight, but I'm happy as a boy."

"Too bad, you're a nice girl. On the other hand, you're a pretty nice boy too," stated Annie.

Brianna smiled to himself. Maybe I have a chance with her after all, he thought.

Chapter 14

The next day at lunch, Bree and the girls from the cheerleading squad were sitting together eating. "So, are you excited about the dance tonight?" asked Tammie.

"I don't know. I just feel that I'm going to look like a fool in that outfit," stated Brianna. "It's just so... so... poofy."

Tammie laughed. "I guess it's a big difference from what you're used to. I couldn't wait for my first dance. It was so much fun. I just loved dancing with all those boys."

Brianna's eyes opened up wide. "Boys? Crap, I forgot about that."

Annie and the others laughed. "Of course, you're going to have to dance with boys!"

Brianna rolled his eyes.

"And they'll want to dance with you!" added Sally.

"Okay, Saturday morning, we need to get your evening gown fitted. Also, we need to check to see how your cheerleading outfit fits," said Tammie. "It's too bad we don't do this contest in the fall; it would so cool to train you to become part of the squad. I think we could make you into a great cheerleader."

Brianna laughed. "It'll just have to be one of the great mysteries of the world."

"So are you going back to California when you graduate?" asked Tammie.

Brianna nodded as he took a sip of his water. He told them about his plans.

"Besides drawing designs for skateboards, what else can you do?" asked Annie. "I mean, can you draw me?"

Brianna nodded and pulled a sketchpad out of his backpack. He pulled out a pencil and began to draw. In less than fifteen minutes, he handed Annie the sketch.

"Whoa, that's so cool. You're a great artist, Bree," replied Annie, as she looked at the portrait.

"Can you do me next?" asked Tammie.

"Then me!" stated Sally.

"Me too," added Kim.

"Sure, I'll do you all next week during lunch period," replied Brianna. He was pleased to be praised for something besides looking good in a skirt.

"Have you always been an artist?" asked Kim.

Brianna nodded. "I started drawing as far back as I can remember. I started with crayons, and it just came easy."

"Bree, I bet you can do more than just design patterns for skateboards," said Tammie.

"True, but there's a market for it. My drawings of people are nice, but I'm not good enough to make a living at it," replied Bree.

"Don't sell yourself short," said Annie.

"You should talk," replied Brianna.

Annie smirked. "Good point."

"Look, no offense, I can understand that if you were raised around here that you might want to stay, but that's no reason not to do something with your lives," said Brianna.

"I'm going to college," said Kim.

"I'm planning on going to beauty school," said Tammy.

"What about you, Sally?" asked Brianna.

"I'm like Annie, and I'm going to get married and live here. I'm sort of engaged as it is right now," she replied.

"Really?" asked Brianna.

"Yes, his name is David Carter, and his farm is next to my parents' place. He's twenty-one, and we've been dating for a year," she replied. "I can't wait to get married, Brianna. I'm so in love with him."

Brianna shrugged his shoulders. "Well, as long as you're happy, I guess that's all that matters."

"Do you want to get married someday, Brianna?" asked Tammie.

"Sure, but I'm in no hurry to settle down," he replied. "I guess I want to see the world first."

While they ate and talked, Mr. Evans watched them; specifically, he was watching Brianna. He took out a small notebook and wrote some comments and placed it back in his pocket.

Chapter 15

After school the cheerleaders had Brianna join them for practice.

"We don't expect you to do full splits or anything like that, but we figure you can learn a few moves for the show," stated Kim.

"We're the only senior cheerleaders, so we can spend time with you. Miss Glover is working with the juniors and sophomores," added Tammy.

Brianna was wearing one of the practice uniforms that the others were wearing. It consisted of a blue jumper, white top, tights, and sneakers. He felt a little foolish at first, but he slowly got into the spirit. Brianna had to admit what made this all so tolerable was that the girls were all so nice. They had accepted him as one of their group and were intent on him doing as well as possible in the upcoming contest.

Kim and Tammy were also competing in the beauty contest.

"Has a boy ever finished near the top of the contest?" asked Brianna as he practiced a kick move.

"A few placed in the top five, but now they have their own competition," replied Kim. "They did this so the boy's competition was more like an exposition and held for fun."

Brianna was about to ask about the few numbers of boys listed as contestants, but found that he couldn't. It was as almost if there was something blocking him.

"Okay, let's run through your routine again, Bree," said Kim. "Then we'll get ready for the dance tonight."

Chapter 16

Brianna looked at himself in the mirror and couldn't believe his eyes. The square dancing costume was just so different. What made it worse was that the girls from the cheerleading squad all had similar outfits, and he blended in with them too well.

His hair had been brushed out and sprayed with numerous coats of hairspray, until it looked huge. His makeup was also heavier, but it wasn't any worse than the cheerleaders.

"Brianna, you look great," remarked Annie.

"I can't understand the reason for the big petticoat," stated Brianna.

"To make you look more desirable to the boys, silly!" remarked Sally.

"I really don't have to dance, do I?" he asked.

"Oh, yes. Don't worry about it; all the other contestants will be there. It'll be fun. Trust me; you'll stand out more if you don't dance. We'll look after you," said Kim.

They were at Kim's house, and it was only two blocks from the gym.

"It's easier to walk there, as there's no way we can all get in a car together with these petticoats on," said Kim.

As they walked into the gym, Brianna saw Jane and some of her friends. They were hanging out like the previous week and obviously not planning on dancing. Jane saw him and waved, and he reluctantly waved back.

Just as Kim had said, all the contestants were there, along with what seemed like most of the town. They had a live band, and people were already dancing by the time they walked in. Brianna saw her mom dancing with Dave. He had to admit that she looked happy.

"Now, you've never done this before, right?" asked Tammy.

Brianna nodded. "Square-dancing isn't real popular where I grew up."

"Have you ever seen it before?" asked Kim.

"Just when Bugs Bunny abused two hillbillies," replied Brianna with a laugh.

Kim smiled. "Well, all you have to do is follow instructions and do as the caller says. It's not that difficult, and you'll have a lot more fun than you expect."

Brianna was about to say that it wouldn't take much to do that, but he bit his tongue.

Kim led them around the gym until they met up with several boys. Brianna recognized them from school, and they were dressed in western outfits - tight jeans, western shirts, scarves, and cowboy hats. It was so surreal, thought Brianna.

To his surprise, he was a popular partner. The first boy who acted as his partner was the class vice president. In spite of himself, Brianna had to admit that it was fun, in a weird, silly sort of way. The boys were nice, and none tried to take advantage of the situation and try to embarrass him.

During one of the breaks, he asked Annie about this.

"It's simple, just like you would have been ostracized if you had refused to go into the contest, they would get the same treatment if they were mean to you. The contest is pretty silly, but we girls appreciate the fact that you're doing it, and the last thing we want is to see you get hurt. Also, the school would come down hard on anyone who hurt you."

"That's nice to know," replied Brianna. "Do you have a date yet for the prom?"

Annie smiled. "We can talk about that later," she replied with a giggle. "I like you, but you look too much like a girl right now for me to take you seriously."

"That's better than a no," replied Brianna.

The dance lasted until ten-thirty, and Brianna ended up having a good time - not that he would ever consider doing it again. His feet were also killing him, and he couldn't wait until he got home.

Chapter 17

The next morning, Brianna got up feeling very relaxed. He had passed the test of the dance without incident. Today, he would get sized for the other costumes for the contest; otherwise, he was free the whole day.

As he applied his makeup, he noticed that the crystal was now a dark reddish purple. He looked at it and tried to determine why it was changing colors. He decided that he would look at the other contestants and see if their crystals were also changing color.

Brianna went downstairs and, without being asked, helped his mom fix breakfast.

"You appeared to have a great time last night, Brianna," said Kristen.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be; still, you have to admit that the outfits are a bit over the top."

"I don't know. They're a little silly, but it's all part of the fun. So what are your plans for today?"

Brianna told her as he set the table. He also told her about Annie.

"She sounds like a nice girl," stated Kristen. "Honey, I just want to tell you how proud I am of you for entering the contest."

"It hasn't been as bad as I thought," he replied. "There is something weird about it, but I can't put my finger on it. Every time I try to think about it, something happens and I lose my thoughts. It's probably nothing."

Dave walked in and kissed Kristen. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down. "How are you doing this morning, Brianna?"

"A little tired and sore. Those shoes take a little getting used to," he replied.

"You made some good points last night. I was talking to Mr. Evans, and he's very impressed with how well you're going along with it all."

After breakfast, Brianna met up with the others, and they drove to the seamstress's to get him fitted for his other costumes.

The woman was an aunt of Tammy's, and she ran the business out of her home.

"Okay, Brianna, why don't you try on the evening gown first? I think it'll be a near perfect fit," said Aunt Mary.

The dress was a red sequined strapless gown. Brianna wondered where it could have come from, as it looked as out of place on the prairie as he did.

"Don't worry about your bra right now. I have an all-in-one strapless piece for you to wear. I just want to make sure the hemline is right," said Aunt Mary.

Brianna nodded. He changed into the dress and found that it fit almost perfectly. He stepped into the matching three-inch heels and slowly walked out of the dressing room.

"It's perfect," exclaimed Kim.

"I don't think that I'll need to make any adjustments," noted Aunt Mary as she walked around Brianna.

"It looks like it was made for you," added Annie.

"Okay, go change into your cheerleading outfit," said Aunt Mary.

Brianna obeyed and carefully removed the gown and placed it back on its hanger. The cheerleading outfit was a short blue pleated skirt and a blue and white sweater that said 'Cougars' across the front. It fit, but was very tight across his chest. His breasts stood out through the material. He also noticed that Brianna was embroidered above his right breast.

He stepped out, and the girls and Aunt Mary nodded in approval.

"It's perfect," said Kim.

"We even spelled your name right, Bree," stated Annie proudly.

Brianna nodded. "I noticed, thanks." To his surprise, he found that he was genuinely moved. He began to see the girls as his best friends in town, in spite of the circumstances that brought them together.

"Well, we wanted you to know that you're part of the squad," said Tammy.

"It does mean a lot to me, thanks," replied Brianna.

"Okay, Brianna, why don't you get changed and I'll pack up your outfits. I think you'll win first place in the contest," stated Aunt Mary.

Brianna nodded and went back into the changing room. He felt strange as he looked at himself in the cheerleading outfit. For a moment, he wished that the contest would last longer than another week, but then he brushed those thoughts out of his head. You're not a girl - remember that; this is just a contest, he said to himself.

Chapter 18

Instead of hanging out with the other teens that night, Brianna was made to go to dinner with Dave and his mom. They drove an hour out of town to Dave's family's farm to have dinner with his parents.

"I wanted to do this sooner, but it's been so hectic since the move and everything," explained Dave.

Brianna sat in the backseat of the car. He was wearing a dress that his mom had picked out for him. Brianna wasn't totally happy with it, as its hemline was below his knees, and it looked like something two decades out of date. His mom explained that Dave's parents were rather old fashioned and would expect Brianna to be conservatively dressed.

"Do I have to wear this? It's awful,' stated Brianna, when his mom gave him the dress.

"It's what's expected of you. Dave's parents are real traditional. If it makes you feel any better, my dress is pretty ugly too," replied Kristen. "Oh, here's a slip, you'll need to wear this under your dress."

"Mom, has Dave explained to them that I'm really a boy and this is all part of the school contest?" asked Brianna, as he changed into the dress. For some reason he didn't mind changing in front of his mom.

"Yes, but that doesn't matter, Dave's parents expect girls to act a certain way. I know it's a pain, but try to deal with it tonight. Please do it for me, okay?"

"Okay," replied Brianna.

"Oh, one more thing, can you call Dave 'Dad' just for tonight?" asked Kristen.

Brianna stared back. "Do I have to?"

"Please, do it for me," replied his mom.

Brianna let out a long sigh. "Okay, but just for tonight."

"Thank you, sweetie," replied Kristen.

They arrived at the farmhouse around six. In addition to Dave's parents, there were several other people there. Dave's sister and her husband, who lived in a town an hour north of Grantville, were there with their four kids.

Brianna ended up in the kitchen with the other women to help prepare dinner. Pam immediately tied an apron on him and put him to work. Brianna wasn't sure, but even his own mom seemed to forget that he was really a boy.

Dave's sister, Pam, asked Brianna if she had a boyfriend yet, causing Brianna to almost choke. He glanced at his Mom, who motioned for him to just play along.

"No, not yet," he replied.

"Well, if you stay around Grantville long after your graduation, you'll be sure to be engaged before Thanksgiving. A pretty girl like you won't stay single very long," said Pam, as she stood over the stove checking on the vegetables.

"I don't plan on staying around here. I'm going to college," replied Brianna, as he cut the ends off the green beans.

"What a waste. No offense to you, Kristen, but girls shouldn't go to college. It's just a waste of money," said Dave's mother.

Brianna was about to respond, but stopped when he saw his mom's face. She gave him the look to just be quiet.

"Mom, times have changed; some girls want a career," said Pam.

"Career, humph! Brianna, you shouldn't waste your time with that. Get yourself a husband and start raising a family," said Dave's mom. "I'd love to have great-grandchildren."

Brianna was beginning to wonder if the old lady was senile, but he kept his promise to his mom and kept his mouth shut.

Thankfully, the rest of the evening passed by quickly, and there were no further discussions of Brianna's future.

On the drive back to Grantville, Brianna spoke up. "Do they really think that I'm a girl?"

"Does it matter?' asked Dave.

"It does to me," he replied. "I mean, I accept that I pass pretty well as a girl, but you can't tell me that they really think I'm a girl. I've been dressing as a girl for a week, and I can't be that convincing."

"Don't sell yourself short, Brianna," replied Dave.

"What do you mean?" asked Brianna.

"I mean, you're pretty convincing. I have to remind myself that you're not a girl. I watched you last night at the dance, and well, please don't take this the wrong way, but it was hard to distinguish you from the other girls."

"I have to agree with him, Brianna. I think you've gotten into the swing of this. I don't mean that you're not a boy anymore, but you've become a very passable young lady," said Kristin.

"In what ways? You mean just because I'm dressed this way?" asked Brianna.

"No, it's in the way you move - even in the little things, like the way you walk and gesture. Even when you get mad, it seems feminine."

Brianna was taken aback by these observations.

"I wouldn't worry about it, my dear; you've always been very adaptable," continued Mom.

"Well, there's less than a week to go," stated Brianna. He stared out the window in silence as they drove home.

Chapter 19

The next thing Brianna remembered was that he was just waking up as Dave carried him up the stairs.

"I didn't want to wake you as you looked so peaceful," he said, as he carried him into his room. He gently set him down on his bed.

Brianna was still half asleep. "Hmm, thank you, Dad."

"Mom will be here in a moment to help get you dressed for bed." He then leaned down and kissed him on forehead. "Good night, darling."

Brianna wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not, but his mind was too foggy to argue.

Brianna woke up the next morning. He was in his nightgown and felt very refreshed. He wasn't sure if that was a dream or not. If it was a dream, it was strange, and if it wasn't, then it was really strange.

He got up and, after showering, got dressed. He selected a blouse and jumper to wear. By now, the styling of his hair and putting on of his makeup seemed like second nature. He tried to get his emotions up, but found that he couldn't. A strange sense of passivity seemed to be taking over.

He went downstairs and found that Mom was already up.

"Good morning, Mom," he greeted her.

"Good morning, Brianna. You want to help me make breakfast?" she asked. "Dad will be down shortly."

Brianna nodded. He was about to say something about her referring to Dave as dad, but stopped.

Dave came down and walked over to Kristen and gave her a kiss. He then greeted Brianna the same way, by giving him a kiss on his cheek.

Instead of being shocked, Brianna just accepted this and went back to work making the pancake batter. However, inside he was freaking out.

After breakfast, he headed out to the library. He told them that he needed to work on a school project, but mainly he needed to get out of the house and clear his head.

What the heck was happening, he asked himself. I'm still a boy, yet, I'm being treated like a girl. I'm also acting weird. I mean, Dad.... err, make that Dave kissed me and called me darling!

He noticed another figure walking towards the library; it was Kurt, rather make that Kathy.

Chapter 20

"What's up, Bree?" asked Kathy.

"I wish I knew. There's something weird going on," replied Brianna.

"You've noticed that too? Thank God, I thought I was the only one!" replied Kathy.

Brianna's eyes opened up wide. "You mean that?"

Kathy looked around. "Come on, let's go sit down and talk."

The two teens exchanged their observations of the past couple of days.

"I thought my family was goofing on me at first, but now I'm not sure," replied Kathy.

"Have you talked to any of the other contestants?" asked Brianna.

"No," replied Kathy. "But, I think we should."

Brianna's eyes were then drawn to Kathy's crystal. Like his, it had changed color.

"I see that your crystal has changed color too," noted Brianna.

"You're right. I though it was just me, but it's almost red now. Come to think of it, I noticed that Tina's crystal had also changed."

"I wonder if everyone's crystals have changed?" asked Brianna.

"We'll have to look Monday. I wonder what it means?" asked Kathy.

"I don't know. It's probably just our imagination; I mean, otherwise it would have to mean it was magic or something," said Brianna.

Kathy laughed nervously. "That's impossible."

Brianna didn't laugh. "I don't know. This is pretty strange."

"Have you noticed any physical changes?" asked Kathy.

Brianna thought about it for a moment, and then shook his head. "No, none that I can think of."

"Same here, but I still checked. My weight is the same, as are my waist and height."

"So you think that we might be turning into real girls?' asked Brianna.

"I don't know; still, you have to admit that there's something weird going on," said Kathy.

Brianna nodded and told Kathy about his research about past contests. "We have ten boys in this year's competition, yet none of the past contests have listed more than five contestants. Do you find that a little strange?"

Kathy nodded. "I wonder if we should quit the contest; what do you think?"

"I don't know. We'd look like idiots if we quit. I mean, we have no real proof of anything strange; we'd just be called quitters and poor sports."

"Since when do you care what the people in this town think?" asked Kathy. "That in itself is sort of strange."

Brianna laughed nervously. "You're right. Maybe I've just read too much science fiction."

"Well, it does feel good just talking about it. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one. I was beginning to think I was paranoid."

Brianna smiled. "Well, let's check out the other contestants at school and talk about it later. But, let's keep it between you and me for now."

"I agree," replied Kathy.

Chapter 21

Brianna logged on to his computer and began to do searches for magical gender changes. His search didn't turn up anything concrete, but he did find several fiction sites devoted to gender transformations. They were for adults only, and he skipped looking at them. He also found a few web comics that had magical gender transformations as a major part of their storyline. He did get distracted reading some of those. His favorite was one called The Wotch, as he liked its sense of humor. He also liked that the lead character was named Annie.

He also searched for magical crystals. Again, he didn't find anything specific to the crystal he wore around his neck.

"Why not just take it off," he said aloud to himself. He sat down on the edge of his bed and fumbled for the latch and couldn't seem to open it. It was slightly frustrating as he tried to open the latch. He then tried to slip it over his head and found that it was too small. He debated just snapping the chain, but as he began to pull on it he found that he couldn't. He began to tug at it again and something made him stop. It was as if he was being controlled.

He shook his head and decided that he was being silly and that nothing bad would happen if he snapped off the chain. He began to pull again....

Brianna woke up from his nap. He felt very groggy and it took him several minutes to clear his head. He looked at his alarm clock and saw that it was nearly four. Soon it would be time to help Mom with dinner. There was something in the back of his mind that he couldn't remember, as if he had to do something. Brianna shrugged it off and headed downstairs.

Chapter 22

At school on Monday, Brianna noticed that three other of the contestants had crystals that had changed color. Tina's was now almost as red as his crystal. The two other boys were now going by Gina and Sue.

Brianna didn't know their boy names, but that didn't matter. He was sure that Kurt would know. The other contestants wore crystals that were still bright blue. Brianna wondered what it meant, and what to do next.

He ate lunch with the girls from the cheerleading squad. As promised the previous week, he began sketching the other girls.

"We missed you Saturday night," said Annie.

"We went to eat dinner at my grandparents," he replied. "It made Mom and Dad happy." He didn't even notice that he continued to call Dave "Dad."

"A few of the boys you danced with at the square dance were looking for you; I guess you made a big impression on them," said Tammy.

Brianna laughed. "Now I'm glad that I didn't go."

"Does it bother you that much?" asked Sally.

Brianna shrugged his shoulders as he drew. "To be honest, I don't know anymore. I don't see myself as a real girl, but it is interesting to see things from a different point of view. I know I have a much better appreciation for what a girl goes through just to get ready for school, let alone for going out to a dance."

"That's good to hear," said Kim. "But how do you feel about dancing with boys?"

"I tried not to think about it and just tried to have fun. It wasn't like real dancing, I mean, up close and personal. I don't know how I would have reacted to that," said Brianna. "I don't have anything against gays, but I'm not interested in being with a boy."

"The boys around here see you as a girl, at least for the rest of this week," said Sally.

"Does that mean if I went on a date with a boy, no one would mind? Not that I'm about to do that," said Brianna.

"It might raise a few eyebrows, but no one would consider it gay," said Kim.

"I'll pass," said Brianna.

"Do you know anyone who's gay?" asked Annie.

Brianna nodded. "There were a few kids at my old school who were out. I didn't know them that well."

"Not to be dense or anything, but what do you mean by out?" asked Sally.

Brianna shook his head. "Out means, out of the closet, open about their sexuality. Our school had a LGBT-Straight student club, and everyone pretty much knew who was who." He looked at the girls' confused looks. "LGBT-Straight means lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and straight - meaning none of the previous. It's a student club to allow students to talk openly about issues. Some of the kids were members because one or both of their parents were gay or lesbian."

"Sorry, you must think that we're morons here, but we don't talk about those sorts of things here. I mean we talk about it in health class, but that's about it," said Kim.

"And no one has ever come out here?" asked Brianna.

"Here? You must be kidding!" replied Annie, she started laughing.

"That's not totally true; while no one has come out while living here, several have after they've left," stated Kim. "My cousin did when he went to college."

"So it was no big thing back at your old school?" asked Annie.

"I wouldn't say that. It was more accepted, but not by everyone," said Brianna.

"But, since you're experiencing so many things, aren't you even slightly curious about being with a boy?" asked Sally.

Brianna shook her head. "Nope. I only like girls." He then looked at Annie.

Annie cracked a small smile.

"I can't blame you, I doubt I would do it either, if I were in your shoes," said Kim.

"So are you really going back to California after graduation, Brianna?" asked Tammy.

Brianna nodded. "Yes. I just received an e-mail from my old boss. He said that he can rent me out a loft apartment above his business if I want it."

"I can't believe that you're going back to California; it sounds so exotic," sighed Annie.

"Why don't you come out for a visit?' asked Brianna.

Annie laughed. "I can't do that."

"Why not?" asked Brianna. "Trust me, you won't miss anything here. Who knows, you might want to stay out there," said Brianna hopefully.

Annie and the others laughed.

Mr. Evans was standing a short distance away and was able to hear most of the conversation. He pulled out his notebook and wrote some more comments, before walking back to his office.

Chapter 23

Brianna went to practice with the other girls to work on his routine for the contest.

"So, have you thought about it, Annie?" he asked as he took a break. 'I mean about going to the prom with me."

"I'll let you know after the contest," she replied with a wink.

"Okay, I'm holding you to that promise," he stated.

After practice, he walked home. He was almost home when Kathy came towards him.

"I've been waiting for you, Brianna," stated Kathy.

"Cool," he replied. "Let's talk as we head to my house."

Brianna told Kathy what he had observed at school. Kathy confirmed this.

"I talked to Tina, and he said that he's been feeling a little strange too. The other two are Greg Swenson, now Gina, and Stan Carlsberg, now Sue. I'll talk to them tomorrow," replied Kathy. He then stopped in his tracks. "Hey, I just realized something. All of us who have crystals that have changed are planning to leave town after graduation. None of the other boys in the competition are planning on going anywhere, they all plan on working on their family farms. Is that weird or what?"

Brianna stared back. "I don't believe that it's just a coincidence. But what can we do? We have no proof, other that the fact that our crystals have changed color. And if it's magic, what kind, who is doing it, and why?"

"Maybe it's just something to mess with our minds,' said Kathy.

"I don't believe that, and neither do you. The contest is only four days away, that doesn't give us much time."

"I know, besides we don't even know what, if anything, we're looking for."

"Try to talk to the others and see if they have any ideas," said Brianna.

"I will. I'll talk to you tomorrow," said Kathy.

Brianna nodded and headed home. By now he had a set routine of helping his mom with dinner and then doing his homework, before going to bed. This wasn't what it was like back in California, he thought. Why did we ever have to leave?

Chapter 24

Brianna wasn't totally surprised when Kathy told him that the other boys were also feeling slightly uneasy. In fact, all of them had a growing feeling of apprehension as the contest approached. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was always there. Brianna couldn't put his finger on it, but something seemed wrong, but he didn't know what. Logic told him that his magic theory was nonsense and not to worry, but Brianna wasn't sure if he could count on logic.

The night before the contest, he lay in bed and debated on whether or not he should run away, but as he held the crystal, his fears subsided and he drifted off to sleep.

The day of the beauty contest was a half school day for all students at Grantville High. This would allow the school to get ready for the big event and allow the contestants time to prepare. The event would start at six sharp at the gym. It was always held early so the whole town could attend.

After lunch, Brianna found himself sitting in the styling chair at Tammy's, getting his hair styled again. In addition to his hair, he was also getting a new set of nails. He felt strangely calm as the girls worked on him. So far, nothing strange had happened. His body was unchanged, and in a few hours this would be all over.

"Now, you'll be in your cheerleader outfit first, followed by the square-dancing outfit, and then your evening gown," explained Kim. "Annie and Sally will help you change. They'll also help you with your makeup."

"I hope one of you two wins," stated Brianna.

"Thanks, and you know that we'll all for rooting for you. Maybe we'll get a clean sweep this year," said Kim.

Brianna just nodded. The only things he wanted were for this to be over and for Annie to go to the prom with him.

"We'll do your initial makeup here," said Annie, "and you can go over in the cheerleading outfit. We'll bring everything else you'll need to the gym."

"I just want to say that I've enjoyed this and thanks for being so supportive," said Brianna.

"There'll be time for that at the post contest party," commented Tammy.

"I know, I just want to say it now," said Brianna.

Chapter 25

Brianna fidgeted nervously as he waited for the contest to start. He was dressed in his blue and white cheerleader sweater and skirt. He was holding a pair of pom-poms. He saw Tina dressed in the uniform of the Lady Cougars basketball team. Kathy was wearing a band uniform. It was identical to boy's uniform, except that it had a pleated skirt and knee high white boots.

He had just spent nearly an hour being made-up by the girls. He had a thick coating of mascara on his lashes and lots of eyeliner and shadow Tammy remarked it was more like stage makeup than anything else.

There were other boys in various outfits showing off the organizations that had changed them, including a girl scout and a candy-striper. Brianna felt suddenly fortunate to have been grabbed by the cheerleaders.

The real girls were also wearing their respective uniforms or costumes. Kim and Tammy came up and gave Brianna a good luck hug.

Mr. Evans came back and smiled. "You all look great. This is going to be the best pageant that Grantville High has ever had. I want to thank all of you for the hard work you've put in."

One by one, the contestants were introduced as they walked out onto the stage. Brianna was pleased that his quick cheer came off without a hitch. He got a loud round of applause for the cheer.

He headed backstage to change and was met by Sally and Annie.

"You were great, Bree. Too bad we didn't have you all year on the squad," said Sally.

Annie nodded in agreement.

"Okay, we need to get you into your dance outfit," stated Sally. "I also want to touch up your makeup.

The outfit had even more lace than the one Brianna had worn at the dance the previous Friday. The skirt was blue and in a style called a three tier gypsy skirt. His blouse was a white fiesta blouse with lots of lace. Combined with the big petticoat and pettipants, Brianna was swimming in a sea of lace and ruffles.

"Wow, Trish really picked out a great costume for you," said Annie.

Brianna just nodded. He didn't mind the other outfits, but this one was too extreme for him.

All the contestants walked out on the stage and down into an area cleared in front of the stage. To Brianna's horror, there were boys standing by to lead them in a short dance. He glanced over at Tammy and Kim, who were standing next to him.

"I suppose you knew about this," whispered Brianna.

Kim and Tammy nodded together.

"We wanted it to be a surprise," said Kim.

Brianna rolled her eyes. "Thanks."

The contestants did three dances before heading off to change into their last outfits.

The only good thing was that at least Brianna had gotten some practice the previous Friday.

"Okay, we need to get you changed in a hurry; you're in the first group going out," said Annie as she led Brianna to a changing area. "Everything is inside. When you come out, we'll touch up your makeup."

Brianna didn't have a chance to think as he changed out of the square dancing outfit. The all-in-one was flesh colored and slipped on like a glove. He then put his pads in the bra portion. He connected the stockings to the garters and then slipped on the red sequined dress. Lastly, he put on his high heels.

"You almost dressed, Bree?" asked Sally.

"Yes, I'm coming out now," he said.

Annie made a quick adjustment of the dress and then applied a fresh coat of bright red lipstick.

"You look great; now try not to fall down!" she said.

"No promises," replied Brianna. He couldn't believe that this was almost over.

One by one, the contestants walked out onto the stage. Each received a large round of applause. Brianna had to admit that being pleased by the reaction of the crowd.

When all the contestants were on the stage, Mr. Evans walked out to join them.

"I just want to hear one more round of applause for all of the contestants," he announced.

After the clapping died down, he crouched down and took a sheet of paper from the judges.

"I'll read off the top five in each category, from fifth to first. When your name is called, please step to the front of the stage.

He started with the boys. Kathy's name was called first. Tina was called next. A boy with the name Bonnie was named next. Then Brianna heard his name; he was second.

Brianna walked up to the front and was greeted by a round of applause. He was handed a bouquet of flowers, and he stood next to the others. The winner was a boy named Lisa. Brianna had to admit that he looked the best of any of them.

Brianna found that he was pleased with finishing second, and was slightly sad that it was over.

Tammy was second in the girls' division and Kim was first. This made Brianna very happy that his two friends had done so well.

There were group photos taken before they left the stage. Kathy was standing next to Brianna and whispered. "Well, it looks like we were worried over nothing."

Chapter 26

As they left the stage, Brianna, Kathy, and Tina were directed off to one of the locker rooms. None of them thought anything of this at first. They found Gina and Sue were already there. All five of the boys were still dressed in their evening gowns. Brianna wondered what this was all about, as he was anxious to return to his life as Brian.

They were followed in by Mr. Evans, who was carrying a weathered black leather bag. He set the bag down on one of the benches.

"Please sit down, young ladies. I suppose you wonder why I wanted to see you all," he stated in a friendly manner.

Brianna looked at the others. The contest was over, so why was Mr. Evans still referring to them as women?

Two men followed Mr. Evans into the locker room. They stood by the door as if they were guarding it.

Brianna whispered to Kathy, asking him if he knew who they were. Kathy replied that one was the sheriff and the other was the mayor.

From the stern looks on their faces, neither looked as if they were there for something good, and Brianna suddenly had a really bad feeling. She began to head for the exit, but was addressed by Mr. Evans. "Please Miss Olsen, sit down. You're not going anywhere."

Brianna stopped and stared at him. He was about to tell Mr. Evans that his last name wasn't Olsen. He also noticed that the sheriff and mayor were now blocking the only exit from the room. The sheriff reached up and locked the door.

Mr. Evans reached into the bag and pulled out a large white crystal. It seemed to be emitting a slight glow.

Brianna suddenly felt weak and almost collapsed. It was all he could do to sit down on one of the benches. He looked over and saw the other boys were also affected by the crystal. They were all sitting down, almost slumped over, as if all strength had been sucked out of their bodies. Brianna looked down and saw that his own crystal was also glowing. It was now emitting a dazzling red color.

"I suppose you want to know what's happening to you," said Mr. Evans as he set the large crystal down on the floor in front of the teens. "You've been selected to fulfill a very important role in your community."

"What do you mean?" asked Tina weakly. He was now slumped down on his side on the bench.

"My dear Miss King, as we speak, you and your classmates are being changed into young women. Our town's existence depends on a certain number of young women staying here. The contest is our way of screening suitable candidates for conversion. You know what I'm telling you is true. You might have even noticed some subtle changes in your own behavior and how others reacted to you as the week progressed."

"So that's why our crystals changed?' asked Brianna. He felt very weak and he struggled to speak.

"You're very observant, Miss Olsen. Yes, it's our way of seeing the best candidates."

"What will our families say?" gasped Gina.

"Nothing, my dear. The spell is very complete. It changes everything about you. When you wake up tomorrow, you won't even remember that you were ever a male. It will be as if you were born female .Your histories and memories will all be female. Even if you do retain some male memories, there will be no physical proof of your past."

"Why?" cried Kathy. Tears were running down his face. "Why are you doing this to us?"

"So you can help this town. You'll all be very special women, vital for our community's future, " he stated in a friendly way.

"What do you mean?' asked Brianna. It was harder and harder to speak.

"You young ladies will form the foundation for the next generation of our town. Not only will you become physically and mentally female, but you'll be blessed with very strong maternal instincts, and you'll all be very fertile. We already have potential husbands picked out for you, and I expect you'll all be married within months of graduation and pregnant not long after that," he stated proudly. "You'll love being pregnant and be totally devoted to your husbands and children. In turn, your husbands will love and protect you."

"How can you do this to us?" asked Kathy. Her voice was close to breaking, as if she was about to break out crying. "I was born here!"

"Why shouldn't we do it to you, Miss Jenkins? You all were going to leave anyway, so you were expendable as far was we were concerned. We know when boys like you leave, they almost never return. From the information that I've gathered, I know that all of you couldn't wait to leave Grantville forever, so you became perfect candidates for transformation," stated Mr. Evans. "If it makes you feel any better, we transformed your brother last year, and look how happy she is now. I believe she's due to have her baby in the next few weeks; am I right, Miss Jenkins?"

Kathy was mute with horror and could only cry as she realized her impending fate.

"Still... how can you change boys... into girls?" asked Brianna. It was getting harder to speak, and she almost had to fight to get out her thoughts.

Mr. Evans turned and faced Brianna. "Like you really care, Miss Olsen. I know you don't think much of our community, but this town is a special place. You even tried to get others to leave."

"But why?" demanded Brianna, forcing herself to stay awake.

Mr. Evans looked over at the other men, who nodded. "Years ago, as Grantville began to decline, a group of elders decided that they would do anything necessary to keep it going. They eventually discovered the crystal and found that it created perfect wives and mothers; the only thing was that it only changed boys. They decided that it was worth it in order to preserve our community. So the contest was created to screen good candidates. Only males who planned on leaving the community were considered. Every year we were able to add new brides to our community, which in turn kept our men here. We now have a steady population growth, and that will continue with the addition of you young ladies."

There were weak cries of protest from the girls.

"The only people that will know of your transformation are us," stated Mr. Evans as he pointed to the sheriff and the mayor. "We're now the committee that decides how many girls we need each year. Now stop fighting it, ladies, you'll all soon be asleep. When you awaken, you will have no memory of any of this."

Brianna reached down and touched herself between her legs and confirmed that she was female and gasped. It then hit her; that's why the paper only showed a few contestants each year. My god, she thought, how many of the women in town had once been boys? She did the math, and it was staggering. The mental process was very tiring, and she almost passed out, but thanks to her growing rage, she was able to concentrate enough to address Mr. Evans.

"Was Dave...I mean... was... my dad in on this?" she asked almost afraid to hear the answer.

Mr. Evans shook his head. "No, we're the only ones who know about this. If it makes you feel better, from what I was told, he was almost a candidate for transformation."

Brianna sighed. At least he wasn't a part of this, she thought. She lifted her head up and glared at Mr. Evans. "There's a special place in hell for you." Her voice was weak, but filled with rage.

Mr. Evans laughed. "Maybe, but I like to think that all the good we've done by keeping this town going will absolve me of my sins," he replied. "Stop fighting it, Miss Olsen; can't you see that the others have given in?"

Brianna looked over and saw Kathy and the others were all slumped over and unconscious. She could feel her breasts pushing against the pads; it was very uncomfortable. She had to reach into her dress and with great effort she pulled out the pads. Her new breasts were as large as the pads. She continued to fight the growing darkness, fueled by her fury; she would not go under without a fight.

"Screw you," grunted Brianna, who was now struggling to sit upright.

The mayor walked over and looked at the unconscious girls and then Brianna. He seemed shocked that she was still awake and was taken aback by the hate in her eyes.

"Why is she still awake?" he demanded from Mr. Evans. "Dammit, Fred, you picked them all; she should be asleep like the others!"

Mr. Evans walked over and looked at Brianna's crystal, which was now a bright glowing purple. "I was afraid this might happen one day; her will is too strong. Even when the physical transformation is complete, she'll still retain her male memories."

"I'll tell... everyone.... who will.... listen," stated Brianna slowly, struggling to get out every word. As her strength drifted away, she began to lie down on the bench. Still, she kept her eyes on the three men. "You... won't...get... away with this. I'll... expose... you.... you.... bastards!"

"What do you suggest?' asked the mayor, ignoring Brianna's threats.

A wicked grin came over Mr. Evans face. "I think I have just the solution. Miss Olsen, since we can't transform your mind, we'll just have to change you so that no one will ever believe what you say." Mr. Evans reached into his bag and pulled out a worn leather book. He quickly flipped through a few pages until he found what he wanted and then broke out in a hearty laugh.

Brianna felt a sickening feeling in her stomach and wondered what was he about to do to her now.

"What's so funny?" asked the mayor.

"She complained about the lack of diversity in the town, and now, in her own very little way, she'll do her part to increase it."

Brianna glared at the two men. She was too weak to speak now. She knew that she was female now, and in spite of her threats, it would be difficult to convince people that she had been a boy. She tried to move, but it was impossible; it was just a struggle to stay awake. Still, she couldn't give up.

"Perfect! I thought I remembered reading this," stated Mr. Evans confidently. He reached back into the bag and pulled out a leather pouch and began to pull out several crystals. He held up and examined a small yellow crystal, and after it passed his inspection, he attached it to the chain hanging around Brianna's neck. It began to glow brightly. He then attached a smaller pink crystal to the chain. "This should do the trick!"

"What's happening?" asked the mayor.

"Just watch," stated Mr. Evans. "This should be very interesting."

Brianna felt a wave of energy sweep through her body, emanating from the crystals around her neck. She could feel her grip on consciousness loosening, and as she drifted off into blackness, she heard Mr. Evans's voice one last time.

"Good night, Miss Olsen, sweet dreams."

Chapter 27

Brianna woke up and slowly opened her eyes. She was in her bedroom, but everything seemed wrong, and she struggled to clear her head. Her body was so different; she reached down and could tell that she was definitely female. But that wasn't all, everything seemed so big. She sat up and reached for her lamp, but there was none there. There was light from what looked like a nightlight on the wall, and she could see strange things in the dim light. She threw back the covers and hopped out of bed. She was definitely smaller, and she hurried over and turned on the light, looked in the mirror and screamed.

Moments later, her mom came running in. "Bree, are you okay?"

Bree could only stare at her reflection in the mirror. She was now a very small Chinese girl, dressed in a pink nightgown. Suddenly, her mind released her new identity. She was Brianna Susan Olsen, adopted daughter of Kristen and David Olsen of Grantville. She was five and had been adopted by her parents when she was one. Until then, she'd lived in an orphanage in Beijing, China, one of many abandoned girls in a society that valued boys more than girls. That bastard Evans had found a way to keep her quiet; who would believe her now? As a wave of despair hit her, she broke out in sobs and hugged her mommy.

Dave walked into the room. "Is she okay?" he asked in a concerned voice.

Kristen nodded. "I think she just had a nightmare. Are you okay, Bree?"

Bree nodded as she cried. "I'm sorry, Mommy. My dream scared me."

"It's okay, sweetie; it was just a bad dream. Now, let's get you back into bed, okay?"

Bree climbed back into her bed. Kristen handed her a teddy bear, which she instantly embraced. "Thank you, Mommy."

Kristen leaned down and kissed her. "Good night, sweetie."

Dave did the same thing. 'It's okay, sweetie, nothing is going to hurt you."

"Good night, Daddy." Bree replied and was soon fast asleep.

Chapter 28

Bree got up and dressed. She wasn't too surprised when she found that all her clothes were dresses and skirts. Everything was very feminine. She was now fully caught up in the "perfect" community that Mr. Evans and the others had created and would be raised as girl. She picked out a red jumper and top and dressed herself. The jumper had an embroidered image of a panda on it.

Bree looked at herself in the mirror. She had long black hair, which she instinctively knew that her mom loved to braid into two pigtails. There was a collection of ribbons on her dresser that her mom used to tie in her hair. She knew she would be raised as a very feminine little girl - a Chinese-American girl raised in a small, mostly white farming community; she cringed as she remembered Mr. Evans laughter.

She looked around her room. It was the same room that had been hers when she had been Brian, but there were no signs of her previous life. Just as Mr. Evans said, her old life had been erased.

There was a handmade dollhouse in the corner. She remembered that it had been made by her grandfather. There were dozens of stuffed animals and dolls on her bed. Everything in the room looked perfectly normal for a five-year-old girl.

The one consolation was that there was a small desk with paper and crayons. At least she would have her art, she thought.

Mentally, she felt as if she was a little girl. She didn't have to try to act like a little girl; it all felt natural. But deep down, she retained her memories of being Brain Anderson, a seventeen-year-old male. If she concentrated, she could bring up these memories - but to what use?

It would have been so easy to surrender to her fate, but Bree couldn't do that, not without a fight. No, she was too young now to do anything, but there had to be a way. She knew that if she said anything to her parents, they wouldn't believe her. No, she would have to bide her time for now.

She went downstairs for breakfast and kissed her parents good morning.

"Are you feeling better, Bree?' asked Mom, as she gave her a bowl of cereal.

"Yes, Mommy, thank you," replied Bree.

"How's my little princess this morning?" asked Dave as he leaned down and kissed her.

"I'm fine, Daddy," she replied. Her opinion of Dave was much higher now, knowing that he had almost met the same fate she had. She could also sense that he truly loved her.

"Don't forget, Bree, this Saturday we're picking out our new puppy," said Dave.

Bree nodded. The backyard had been recently fenced in, and they were getting a young chocolate lab.

"I can't wait, Daddy," she replied eagerly.

"Oh, Bree, we're gong out tonight to dinner with the Kings. Annie will be babysitting for you tonight; I know you like her," said Mom.

Bree nodded and smiled. "Oh, yes, I like Annie a lot." It would have to be Annie, she thought. Right now they should have been making plans to go to the prom, but now Annie had no memories of Brian. This was so unfair, and it angered her. Suddenly, a plan began to hatch in Bree's mind.

Chapter 29

Bree spent the day trying to get used to her new life and body. It would take some getting used to, being so small again. There was the whole being treated like a little kid again. At least she would be starting first grade in the fall, and thankfully, Mr. Evans hadn't made her any younger, she thought.

She reluctantly accepted the fact that she was a girl now. While deep down she didn't like this, she knew that this was now her life. She remembered Mr. Evans' words about her being very fertile and loving being pregnant and cringed. At least she had sometime to get used to being a girl before she hit puberty... again. She felt sad for Kathy, Tina, and the others, who were now oblivious to the fact that they had once been male and had their lives violated.

Bree wasn't at a loss for friends; there were lots of children in the neighborhood. Her best friends were the Snyder girls next door. No, she would have a nice childhood, even if it was in Grantville.

While her mental ability was the same, Bree discovered that she could no longer read or write, beyond what a five-year-old could do. So much for writing a diary! She was desperate to somehow record her memories before they faded. If she couldn't write, there was only one way left to her.

Bree found that to overcome her new little girl persona, she had to concentrate and fight to bring up her old life. It was like swimming to the surface after wiping out surfing. She also found that the slightest distraction forced her old memories back down. It was very mentally draining. Still, she found that if she concentrated she could recall what had happened to her in exact detail.

"Bree, Annie's here," called Mom from downstairs.

Bree had been spending the whole afternoon drawing out images of her old life. Thankfully, she had retained her artistic ability, and with her crayons, she was able to draw out pictures of her life as Brian and her transformation. Her drawings had the look of Anime and were very detailed and neat. Bree took special care to include as many details as possible in her drawings. She decided she would hide the drawings and regularly look at them. When she was old enough, she would try to stop them from ever doing this again. She still had no idea how she would do this, but she had years to come up with a plan.

She heard Annie walking up the steps, and she immediately hid the drawing and started drawing on a new piece of paper.

"Hi, Bree, what are you doing?" asked Annie with a big smile. She was still wearing her cheerleader outfit.

"I'm just drawing some animals, Annie. How are you?" asked Bree with a big smile on her face. She got up and ran over to hug Annie. Annie was still as pretty as Bree remembered. She wondered if Annie had even the smallest memory of Brian.

"Wow, thanks, Bree!" exclaimed Annie. "I'm happy to see you too. Your mom said that you've been drawing all afternoon; can I see your drawings?"

Bree nodded and led Annie to her desk. She picked up one of her drawings of a dolphin.

"Wow, Bree, you're really good. You draw better than I ever could."

"I'd like to draw you. Can I do that after dinner?" asked Bree.

"I'd like that, Bree," replied Annie.

"Annie, can you please do something for me?" asked Bree.

Annie nodded. "What is it, Bree?"

"Could you write out that word that means you never forget... rember or something like that?" asked Bree, internally embarrassed by her inability to write.

"You mean remember, right?" asked Annie.

"That's it! Could you write that on this piece of paper?" asked Bree. "Please write re-mem-ber here."

Annie nodded and wrote out "remember" in large capital letters.

"Do you want to write anything else?' asked Annie.

"Yes, can you write 'never forget', please?"

Annie wrote "never forget" in capital letters under remember.

Bree hugged Annie. "Thank you, Annie."

"Why do you need this?" asked Annie.

"Oh...there are things I don't want to forget about, and I will draw them on this piece of paper so I'll re-mem-ber them when I get older," replied Bree.

"That's really cool; I wish I had done that when I was your age. Now, what do you say that I fix you dinner?"

"I'd like that, Annie, thank you! I'll clean up here and be right down."

"Okay, Bree, I'll be in the kitchen," said Annie. "You can help me."

Bree took the piece of paper and folded it, and inserted the other drawings in it. She hid it in one of her books. Later, she would find a safer place to hide them. It might take years, but she would get back at those who had done this to her and the others. She would do it for Kurt and Tim, and most importantly, she would do it for Brian. She would remember.