A young surfer goes through a painful transformation that leaves him battered, bruised and changed. As he attempts to cope with those changes and the new life he must now live he also stumbles on a conspiracy that threatens his family, his friends and the township he lives in. As a young girl can she deal not only with a new body and new feelings but also overcome the evil that could destroy her

CHAPTER 1 – Drink the Water

The golden rays of soft summer sunshine invaded my room as my brother Tim stuck his head round the door.

“Hey grom you coming or what?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m there” I said climbing out of bed looking at the clock on my dresser laughing at me with the numbers 6:16am flashing. Stepping on the hard wooden floor I winced, it felt like I was stepping on broken glass. Just lately my whole body had started to feel like it was changing, like my bones and internal organs were moving around inside me, reforming. My Mom said it was growing pains that I’d get over it after all I was only 14 and she was a nurse. I figured she must be right but I sure hoped this phase wouldn’t last long cause it was a real pain.

I stripped off my boxers, it was far too hot to sleep in anything else and climbed into a pair of salt encrusted boardies, picked up a rash shirt and stepped barefoot and bleary eyed into the hallway.

Tim and Jeff were waiting for me. They were my older brothers, Tim was 16 and Jeff was 17 both seniors at the local high school. I was only 14 and the baby of the family but we were a tight group and looked after each other. It was just us and my Mom; my Dad had bailed on us years ago in a fog of alcohol and gambling that had left my family in deep debt. We had lived in the heart of San Diego but were forced to move out of the city to a smaller ramshackle property on Imperial Beach just north of the border with Tijuana. As brothers we didn’t mind we were only a few blocks from the beach so we could do the thing we all loved, surf.

My mom worked at the local hospital and was the main bread winner but all three of us boys had taken part time jobs after school to help out. I knew both Jeff and Tim pretty much gave my mom everything they earned just keeping enough to put petrol into their motor bikes and buy surfboard wax for our boards. I worked at the local surf shop for the owner Dave McIntyre who was a crusty old guy but he had a bit of a soft spot for our family and let me help him shape boards, serve customers and generally hang around talking surfing with all the locals after school. Working there didn’t help me get much homework done but I got tons of surfing information, cheap gear and made some cash that I gave to my mom. For a 14 year old my life was pretty sweet.

Walking onto the deck we picked up our boards and climbed onto the motorbikes. I sat behind Jeff holding both surfboards one under each arm and gripping the seat hard with my legs. Tim had a surfboard under one arm and steered his bike with the other. It wasn’t exactly safe or legal but we blatted the short distance down to the beach and parked up the bikes under some palm trees and near a few cars.

“You all good Jay?” asked Jeff and I nodded although my tummy rumbled as I’d only had enough time to grab a banana off the counter before we came down.

We all stood at the top of the beach looking out to sea, the Pacific Ocean glinted in the rising sun and a long swell was rolling in then peeling off to break perfectly into barrels.

There were about six other surfers already out there so we fastened our ankle straps, picked our boards up and ran for the water.

All three of us were lean and hard with not a shred of fat anywhere on our bodies from hours of surfing. Both Jeff and Tim were bigger, muscular taking more after my dad while I was thinner and scrawnier taking after my mom, well so she reckoned anyway. My smaller stature made me more agile and quicker on the board though and I was able to cut back and respond to a wave faster than either of my brothers. Dave the surf shop owner had been a pro once and he would often surf with us and give us tips on the best way to do tricks or approach a particular wave. He had told me I had a natural talent and if I gave it my all the sky was the limit for me.

What better motivation could a 14 year old kid need to surf?

As we crashed into the water we all looked at each other with huge grins on our faces, dropped belly first onto the boards then paddled hard to get through the breaking sea.
Once beyond the waves we sat on our boards and I soaked in the warmth of the rising summer sun, closing my eyes and breathing in the salt air. For me this was heaven and I knew my brothers felt the same. Another surfer paddled over greeting us with a high five. His name was Pete and he was a friend of Tim’s.

“Hey boys, good to see ya make it out, the barrels are sweet today”

“Yeah, looks awesome can’t wait to catch one” said Tim as he began to paddle for a wave.

“Hey Jay, how’s it going? Got any new tricks?

I smiled at him and said “yeah man, I’ve been working on one all summer, I’ll show you soon.”

“Dude, I’ll look forward to it”

He paddled after Tim but called back over his shoulder, “hey Jay, might want to watch out Morgan’s here.”

Morgan Chapman was the same age as me but his parents were wealthy and that made Morgan think he could throw his weight around although he never tried anything with the older bigger guys. That meant I became a prime target and he would often drop in on me and try to take one of my waves or knock me off my board. We had competed against each other last season in the beginning grommets competition and I’d kicked his butt which didn’t go down well with him.

Part of the etiquette of surfers out here was we dealt with our own problems so my brothers left me to deal with Morgan by myself. That suited me fine, I figured the best way was to surf rings around him and that’s what I did. He saw me as his main competition and Dave figured that was a good thing as it would sharpen my riding and make me more competitive, more often than not though Morgan just pissed me off.

I looked behind me and saw a large wave forming about 100 yards back. Paddling for it I felt the first sweep of the massive power as tons of water gathered beneath me. I timed it perfectly and hit the top of the wave, popped up then pushed forward with my front foot spinning my board 180 degrees then flipping it around again all in one smooth motion. Tipping forward I sped down the face then cut back slid across the top then glided down again as the wave broke around me.

Dropping belly down I paddled out of the surf and back toward open water brushing my hair from my eyes. Like many surfers I had long bleached blond hair that my mom hated but I loved. It fit my image and besides the girls at school liked it, often giving me compliments or running their fingers through it. Of course I never had any objection to this happening for some reason.

I waited my turn as other surfers took waves then spotted the one I wanted. I began paddling for it when all of a sudden sharp pain spread through my abdomen. I coughed and flecks of blood flew out staining the water around me. However I was committed and if I didn’t go I’d be caught in the break zone and be pummelled maybe breaking my board, something I couldn’t afford to do.

Paddling hard my arms felt like lumps of concrete but I pushed through hoping desperately I’d be okay. Cresting the wave I felt rather than saw a blur of movement beside me and the body of another surfer crashed into my legs. I was tumbled off my board and caught up as the wave broke around me. Everything went dark as the water cascaded around and I was thrown under. The orbital velocity spun me in circles until I didn’t know which way was up and which way was down. My board was caught in the momentum of the wave and dragged me by the ankle strap as stars began to pop behind my eyes and I realized I was drowning. Mercifully the strap broke and I floated free but that just meant the wave could take me and slam me into the ocean floor. My whole body was wracked with sharp pain and I couldn’t move. I thought of my mom and my brothers and hoped they wouldn’t be too sad if I died.

The last thing I felt before blacking out was a pair of strong hands reaching under my arms.

I woke to the sound of bleeping machines and looked around at the sterile white walls of a hospital room. I was hooked up to the machines and noticed a needle had been inserted into my left hand pumping goodness knows what into me. The pain in my stomach was still there although much less and my lungs hurt from the salt water I’d breathed in. A hose was stuck up my nostrils administering oxygen so I decided that at that moment pain was good because it meant I was alive and I was hopefully going to be okay.

The door to my room was open and I heard my mom talking. I moved my head to listen better to the conversation she was having with a man I assumed was a doctor considering all the big words he was using.

“So he’s going to be alright?” I heard my mom query and the doctor was saying “yes but….”

“But what?” my mom demanded, she was a lioness when it came to protecting her boys. I smiled glad to have her on my side.

“Well, we did blood tests, to check everything was okay, we were worried because there was blood in his mouth and nose when he was brought in. Anyway we found that Jay has an uncommonly rare condition called chromosomal hyperplasia.”

“What does that mean?” my mom asked and I thought at the same time.

“It means his body is producing a whole lot of new cells, more than he needs, essentially it’s trying to reshape itself from a genetic level up. We need to stabilise him before any damage is done but unfortunately there is no known cure. There is only one treatment that will allow him to live but it is painful and well……..” he hesitated.

“Go on” said Mom

Well, over the period of the next few weeks he is going to cease being your son.”

“What…what do you mean cease being my son, you said he would live.”

“Oh yes he’ll live but not as a boy. You see the hyperplasia will I guess you could say reboot him from his DNA up. He’s going to turn into a girl, the treatment we have will simply speed that process up which will take less of a toll on his body and his mind. Essentially he will turn into your daughter. If it’s any consolation he is only the fifth recorded person in America that this has ever happened to.”

“Let me get this straight, you’re saying my 14 year old son lying in there on that bed is going to undergo changes to both his body and mind that will in effect turn him into a 14 year old girl. Do you mean completely, as in he’ll have breasts, a vagina, ovaries? What about his features will he look like a girl?”

“Well yes, exactly, eventually he’ll think like a girl, even act like one, you’ll have to teach him all about being female. Let me ask you something has he been complaining recently about being sore, pains shooting through his feet or legs, pain in his stomach?”

“Yeeeesss, as a matter of fact he has, is that all related?”

“Yes, you see we’ve done x-rays and well let me show you….”

At that their voices faded away as my mom was led toward the x-rays on the far side of the room. They continued discussing stuff while I lay back and tried to process the information I’d just heard. My whole body had turned traitor on me and was changing, turning me into a……a girl. The only way to save me was to speed the whole process up. Dude I thought, I was still a virgin, I mean far out I’d never even been with a girl now I was going to be one!

Jeepers would I be expected to wear dresses and skirts, what was it like to have breasts and no penis? What about surfing that was my life, there were plenty of female surfers out there but still.

At that point my mom walked in with a smile on her face but her eyes were serious and sad all at the same time.

“I heard mom”

“Heard what darling?”

“I heard you discussing the hyper, hyper…..”

“Hyperplasia”

“Yeah that, hyperplasia, that I’m gonna turn into a girl, that there’s nothing they can do.”

“Oh, um yes that’s right, I’ve just talked it over with Dr Carter, they’ve sought another opinion from a specialist but as a nurse I think he’s correct and there’s nothing we can do. It looks as if I’m going to have a daughter in a month or two rather than a son. I’m so sorry.”

She folded me up in her arms and gave me a huge hug. I buried my head into her shoulder but I was determined not to cry. Our family had been through the ringer lately and the last thing my mom needed was me snivelling and whining about my fate. I didn’t like this news not one bit but I wasn’t going to let it beat me.

“Who saved me mom?” I asked, “Who was it got me out of the water?”

“You’re brother Tim; he saw you get swiped by that little, little….asshole Morgan”

I was amazed my mom never cussed she hated swear words, it revealed a lot about how she felt about what Morgan Chapman had done to me.

“Anyway, Tim saw you go under and he paddled over, he said it was pure luck he found you; that you were caught up in all the white water. He said he just stayed under holding his breath till he got you.”

“He and Jeff are worried sick about you, I need to ring them and let them know you’re awake they’ll want to come up right away and see you.”

“Cool mom, but um can you not tell them what’s happening to me, can you leave it to me to tell them?

“Of course honey, I won’t say a word about that; just let them know you’re okay. I know you surfers deal with your own problems yourselves right.”

“Yeah mom, that’s right, I need to let them know myself that they’re going to have a little sister to look after”

I smiled at her but my stomach was churning, this was easily the biggest challenge I’d ever faced in my life.

“I’ll be with you through this all the way Hun, I mean who knows you might enjoy being a girl, you and I we can do girl stuff together, go out shopping for clothes and shoes, all that kind of thing.”

I know mom was trying to be nice, to be supportive and comforting but that stuff was the furthest from my mind.

“Yeah mom, maybe, let’s gets through the next few weeks first, the doc said it was gonna be painful.”

“WE will get through it Jay, together alright, you’re still my baby, nothing in the whole wide world is going to change that and anyway I think you’re going to make a really cute girl.”

Mom was still trying to be kind so I smiled but I didn’t know if I could do this.

CHAPTER 2 – Broken

The next couple of days went by in a blur, notable only for the conversation I had with Tim and Jeff. They were immensely relieved that I was okay but when it came time to tell them what was happening to me they fell silent and just listened. Mom sat next to me on the bed letting me tell the story without interrupting at all although I knew she would have a lot to say once they got home and they were alone together without me.

“Grom, we’re with you on this, we stuck together when dad left, we work together to pay the bills, we live together, we surf together” said Jeff.

“Nothing splits this family up, nothing, we’ve got your back dude” said Tim.

I couldn’t help it and a solitary tear spilled down my face.

“Thanks guys I love you” I said as I tried to brush the tear away.

“Bro” said Jeff “you are going to get through this easy, anyone who can surf like you this is just a walk in the park.”

Others came to visit too, Tim’s mate Pete came along with a mini surfboard just to remind me of what to look forward to when I got out of hospital, a couple of good friends from school Josh and Sam showed up and sat with me for the afternoon asking when I’d be out and cracking lame jokes. A couple of girls even turned up with a cake and a get well card but they didn’t stay too long saying something about a pool party to go to.

One of them a girl called Jasmine who I got on well with said when I got out she would organise a party for me at her place, invite all our friends and even make it a surf theme. She seemed really concerned for me. My mom had spread the story that because I had nearly drowned that the doctors were worried the salt water had damaged my lungs, that people who had survived drowning sometimes died later from complications.

I was grateful and thanked her for being so kind. I wondered what she would think if I turned up to the party as a girl.

After that the hospital stopped all visits except for immediate family. The treatment consisted of a series of injections into the muscles of my back then injections into my bones that were excruciating. Within a week the first signs of my transformation were showing, my face had taken on a much softer more feminine look while I noticed that my testicles and penis were beginning to shrink and slowly be absorbed up into my body. The doctors decided to make incisions at these points to aid this process and I had to deal with open wounds in my groin. Within two weeks I had grown a pair of A cup breasts and the doctors told me they would continue to grow over time probably to a C Cup although there was no telling if they would grow even bigger. The nurses and my mom were amazing and helped fit me into a bra and would sit next to me for hours talking with me. I was quite frankly fascinated by the whole process of their growth. For natural girls this would happen over a couple of years but for me it happened in weeks. The transition from tiny breast buds to real actual boobs was interesting. Every morning I woke up they had grown a little bit more and I would check in the mirror staring in horror as they grew.

For some of the time the doctors would give me morphine to help with the pain as my body changed before their eyes. It felt like my bones were literally trying to tear my flesh apart from the inside out and I was often forced to sit in my bed rocking or moaning as the pain overtook me. My hips widened and my waist became noticeably smaller while my ribcage shrunk down. The hyperplasia caused cells to grow inside me and one morning when I woke up a doctor confirmed what I immediately suspected. I no longer had a penis, rather overnight my vaginal cavity had formed and my body had grown a womb and cervix while my testicles had become ovaries. I felt a real sense of loss that I had never had the chance to have sex as a guy other than of course by myself alone in my own bedroom.

The doctors constantly took tests and notes and even filmed me as I changed. My whole body was open to them and they poked and prodded me without mercy. The nurses and mom would often come to my aid, shooing them out when they sensed I could take no more. They would also bundle me into a wheel chair and take me for walks around the hospital grounds so I could smell the flowers and fresh air and have some small respite from the white walls of my room.

As for me the hardest part was psychological, trying to deal in my head with what was happening to me physically. I became more and more withdrawn and morose as I dealt with both my pain and my new body. I hated being touched and grew to resent the changes, becoming convinced that this would never end and my life would just be a constant state of pain and suffering. My new breasts were the symbols of that pain and I hated them, the enlarged nipples and areoles along with the mounds of flesh sitting on my chest constantly reminding me of my new status, my new gender. I tried my best but sometimes I lashed out saying things I instantly regretted while all the while wishing that it would probably have been best if Tim hadn’t rescued me and instead let me drown. It felt like I was a prisoner living inside something that no longer belonged to me. My skin was noticeably softer and what little hair I had on my body was finer except for on my head. That became thick and after a nurse washed it I was astonished how shiny it was. As it grew out further it framed my face which was changing too. I was still me but everything was more feminine, my nose; my mouth, even my cheekbones seemed to have changed.

The turning point came when my favorite nurse, a young woman called Fleur bought another young girl in to talk with me. She was about 21 and was beautiful and fragile and I could see in her eyes she had also been through pain. Her name was Danielle and she used to be a boy too. She had identified with being a girl a long time ago and had decided to go through gender reassignment surgery. We sat and talked for hours about her pain as she explained how she had hated being male and the decision that had started her journey down the path of becoming a woman. The hormone treatments, the changes to her body, the acceptance by some of her friends and family and rejection by others we even talked about the final surgery that had given her a vagina. We became firm friends and she helped me see that there would eventually be an end to my pain and that I could cope with being a girl even if for now I hated it. We agreed that when we both got out of hospital we would keep in contact and continue to talk together about our experiences. I think her visits and her openness, the way she treated me helped me turn a really important corner, one that led away from the thought of ending my life and all this pain. I owed Fleur and Danielle a debt of gratitude I would probably never be able to pay back. It started me on the road to accepting in my head that I was really a girl but it was a long road and there was lots more to accept and lots more to learn.

One morning perhaps a week later I woke to the realization I felt no pain. My blonde hair had grown even longer and reached down past my shoulders. My skin was now soft and tanned and my figure was that of a 14 year old girl. I had long slim legs and arms with fine fingers and small toes. To my amazement my bones no longer ached and I was able to stand by myself without pain. I walked to the bathroom and sat unassisted on the toilet. Wiping myself I stood up and looked in the mirror, my shoulders were now slim and my every movement seemed more graceful. I turned and looked at my butt taking in the bigness of it and the feminine lines. Dude I thought you have a nice rear end even if you do say so yourself.

I felt my breasts as they looked back at me now a generous B cup and finally decided that I might be able to come to terms with having them, maybe just a little. I looked at the slit that was now my groin. I hadn’t really explored it at all since it had manifested itself and I looked at it now. What did people call them pussies, twat, fanny, lots of outlandish and rude names? I was tempted to call it a girls’ name like Rapunzel but settled on just calling it my vagina cause that’s what it was. I ran my finger across the outer lips of my labia and felt the tiny electric shock of arousal. I’ll leave that till later, much later I thought then looked at my face. My eyes were still a deep emerald colour but my lashes were long and dark and full. My cheek bones were now high and a light dusting of freckles spread out across my cheeks and nose. It was unmistakably a girl’s face and I had grown used to seeing it in the mirror but for the first time looking at myself without pain I was able to appreciate it. I was still me but the girl version of me. I guessed I probably looked a lot like my mom when she was 14 and decided she must have been a beautiful woman before three kids, an alcoholic husband and all the cares of the world had stolen it from her. Not that she wasn’t a gorgeous woman now but there were lines where there shouldn’t be and cares on her shoulders that shouldn’t have been there. I was fortunate to have her as my mother and decided I would try to help her even more when I got out of this place.

Mom had also bought me some clothes for when I felt better and no longer had to wear the stupid hospital gowns that they forced me to wear. No matter how hard I tried there was always a draughty gap in the back.

I looked through the bag she had brought in and saw a couple of bras and some panties. There was a pair of women’s cut skinny jeans and a pink T-shirt along with a summer dress and a few other girly looking tops in blues and greens. A pair of very short shorts was also in there but I wasn’t game just yet to be seen in those.
I chose the jeans and pulled them on over a pair of plain cotton panties. I was quite adept at putting on a bra by now and put a simple plain white one on then pulled the pink t-shirt over my head. I almost felt human again. Slipping on a pair of sandals I decided it was time to go for a walk. At that moment my mom walked in the room though and just stared at me for a second.

“You’re up then” she smiled and gave me a big hug.

“Yeah mom I’m even feeling better too, no pain. Feel like going for a walk with me, this room is doing my head in.”

We wandered out of the hospital and into the grounds. There was a large garden out the back for patients to walk through; the hospital nurses and doctors had planted it themselves in an attempt to help patients recover faster. As we walked along Mom asked me an important question, one I hadn’t really considered then she asked me one I had.

So Jayden, she only used my full name when she was either telling me off or really serious, the hospital has agreed to change your records to show that you are female, your birth certificate, school records everything that legally makes you well you, will be changed to show that your now a girl, but they asked me what name you wanted.”

Wow that’s a biggy I thought. Few people ever get to give themselves a new name, that was always the privilege of your parents and I needed to think about it.

“Gosh Mom, I don’t know what do you think I mean you gave me Jayden.”

“Well I was thinking you have the most dazzling green eyes and I guess Jayden could easily become Jade. Your middle name is Alex after your grandfather so how about Jade Alexandra?”

She looked at me hopefully and I nodded.

“Yeah dude” I laughed in my best surfie tone, “sounds wicked.”

And that was that decision made. I was now Jade Alexandra Chamberlin.

The next question is important too honey, when do you want to come home? You’ve been here for two months now but we all miss you and Tim and Jeff keep asking and…”

“How about now”

“Now?”

“Yeah now. I miss you guys too, plus schools already started back and my surfboard must have been missing me by now.”

That earned me a soft punch on the arm then another big Mom hug. I could get used to these and so second big decision was made.

Now there was just getting back home, settling back into school and reconnecting with my friends and family all as a fourteen year old girl who used to be a boy. How hard could it be?

CHAPTER 3 – The News

Mom approached the hospital and although they were reticent at first they finally agreed that I could go home the next day but I had to report back weekly for a check-up and tests which in my vocabulary meant ‘give the vampires more of my blood.’

To say I was excited to go home would be a major understatement but I was also very scared. I knew I had the support of my family and that my mom and brothers would shield me from the worst criticism or problems that came along. Still I had to face my friends and everyone else in school because I had decided it was pointless changing to another one. This threw up problem after problem in my mind and more often than not I felt overwhelmed by it all because I knew it was me who would have to deal with it.

Danielle my transgender friend was always on the end of the phone and I found myself talking to her more than anyone about my fears. She was always patient and tolerant with me but we both knew that when it came down to it I was the one who was going to have to face all those people. The best piece of advice she could give was that it wasn’t going to be as bad as I thought it would be. I really hoped not but that didn’t stop the fear.

I hardly slept that night with butterflies the size of elephants fluttering in my stomach. The wait for mom was intolerable but she finally arrived about 9.00am to take me home. Fleur my nurse had kindly organised a little gift that the other nurses and even some of the doctors had contributed to. They gave it to me as I sat on my bed in jeans and t-shirt. It was a small box and inside was a ring with a tiny emerald in it. They said it was to remind me of them but to me it was also a symbol of who I now was. Had I been a guy they would have gotten me something different like soap on a rope or maybe some surfboard wax. For a girl the gifts were different. I slipped the ring on my right ring finger and let them look while offering the obligatory compliments but inside I cringed a little.

I was wearing the same clothes as yesterday which made my mom a little annoyed as I finally fell into the passenger seat of the car, “You don’t want to start smelling of B.O. dear” she commented “you need to change your clothes and stay fresh. I want you to shower every day. I’ve bought you some new soap and body wash plus I got you some cleanser and moisturiser for your face. I’m assuming you’ll want to surf again and you know what sun and surf will do to your skin, it’s more fragile now. You’ll need to use it at least twice a day plus we need to go out and get you a few more clothes including a bikini and I’ll take you to the makeup stand at the mall you’ll need to get some foundation and powder to match your skin type and I guess we should get you a new mascara and lip gloss.”

“Mom, mom stop. Far out take a breath and chill” I said trying to slow her down at least.

“But darling you do understand this is all stuff you’re going to need and I haven’t even started on feminine hygiene products yet or the fact you’re going to need to shave your legs and underarms.” She said the last bit with a really cheeky grin on her face and this time I got to punch her in the arm.

“Yeah, yeah all right I get it you care about me and you want the best for me but mom please can we take this one step at a time cause you are really freaking me out with all this stuff.” I said it half cheerfully but also half fearfully as well. I hadn’t even considered that I might start getting a period or that I was now expected to wear makeup or even shower once a day, I mean what was that all about? As a guy who spent most of his time either in the water surfing or sitting around a beach talking about surfing I usually showered when I felt like it not because I thought I had to so I could smell all fresh, floral and girly. Normally I just smelled of salt water.

I guess reality kind of jumped up and bit me then as I sank back in my seat and contemplated the list my mom had just given me. Although I hadn’t experienced it yet I was going to get a period, that meant I had to become used to using things like pads and tampons. Instead of learning to shave my face I was going to have to shave my legs and underarms. I also knew I actually wanted to do this because I'd seen a girl at school who had decided she wasn’t going to shave and had grown leg and underarm hair. The teasing and cruel remarks would often leave her shaking or crying and the last thing I wanted was to go through that. She probably lasted a month before she started to shave again. I got that a woman’s world was a foreign thing to me and I had a huge amount to learn plus many decisions to make about the kind of image I was going to project to the outside world. I didn’t have the faintest idea what that would be other than I knew I still wanted to surf. But girls who surfed came in all different shapes and sizes, some wore makeup some didn’t many were really girly and loved to wear summer dresses and short skirts because they were at the beach.

My life was never going to be the same and I had 14 years of catching up to do. I decided if I was going to fit in and not be seen as some kind of weirded out freak that my best ally was my mom.

I turned to her and said “thanks Mom, I really appreciate what you’re doing for me, hope I’m not too big a disappointment to you.”

“Oh darling, you’re not a disappointment, these changes you’ve gone through have happened it’s in the past. You’re my daughter now and I love you. I get that you’re scared and nervous and confused but like I said before, we will get through this together. Try not to let it overwhelm you okay”

“Yeah mom, I know you’re right but well……”

She reached over and rubbed my leg giving it a gentle squeeze. “I pity anyone who tries to make you feel less of a person just because of what you have gone through. They’ll have me to deal with!”

We continued driving home and I tried to relax a little. ‘Home’ it was my sanctuary a place of refuge and a place where I could feel comfortable. I couldn’t wait to get back to it and chill out. ‘Suppose I’d better have a shower too’ I thought.

As we drove into our driveway I saw both Jeff and Tim waiting for us. They both crashed through the door down the stairs and pretty much ripped the door off the car opening it.

“Hey grommet awesome to have you home, man the surf has been going off” enthused Tim while Jeff just stood there grinning from ear to ear like a big goof. As I stepped out I was engulfed by four huge arms that literally picked me up and I was carried into the house. Mom trailed after us with my stuff while I was unceremoniously deposited on the lounge room floor.

“Whoa, whoa be careful of her you two, she’s just been through a hell of a time and I don’t want you to break her the minute she gets home.”

“Aw sorry mom, sorry Jay” said Tim with the same massive goofy look on his face as Jeff and I noted he called me Jay rather than Jade which I kind of liked. I had a feeling my abbreviated name would just continue to be used by my brothers regardless of my gender.

I stood there looking at them then kind of quizzically with my head on the side a half grin on my face.

“What you looking at?” said Tim

“Oh I don’t know, I was just wondering if it was me or if you two have gotten dumber while I was away” I said it with a huge grin then scampered off while the two of them roared their indignation and Mom cracked up laughing. I think she was just felt relieved that she had her family back together and the house was alive again.

My room was the same as before, pictures of surfers on my wall, a couple of trophies siiting on my dresser but with the addition of a full length mirror in a corner. Mom said I would need it now. I just shrugged and thought ‘whatever’

Mom had also taken my underwear from my drawers and replaced it with panties and bras in my size. As much as I appreciated what she had done it was strange seeing frilly bras and satin panties where once my old cotton boxers and t-shirts used to be.

“Where are my t-shirts Mom?”

“Just in the bottom drawer there honey, I didn’t throw them away, they’re far too big for you now but I thought till we got you some nighties or pj’s you could probably sleep in them.”

“Oh yeah right, good thinking” I said realising that girls didn’t just sleep in a pair of boxers. I had boobs to cover now.

“We need to get you some clothes to wear for school too Jade, and for going out in plus some more casual wear. I think we need to go out to the mall this afternoon just to get a few things.”

“Um sure mom I guess can we afford it though?”

“Yes dear no problems, your brothers sold a couple of things and have pooled some money together. We have enough for you.”

“Sold stuff, like what?” I asked worried it was a surfboard.

“Nothing major Jade, don’t worry it’s not a surfboard. Sheesh you look like the world just ended.”

“Yeah well not being able to surf is pretty much the same thing.”

“We’ll go after lunch” said Mom and strolled out of my room. “How about you have a shower and freshen up a bit” she called back “and put those clothes you’ve got on in the wash young lady.”

I looked around my room and decided to have the shower. In the bathroom I stripped off and threw my soiled jeans, t-shirt and underwear in the laundry basket. The shower felt great and I probably stayed in longer than I should. I covered myself in some floral body wash and scrubbed everywhere then jumped out. Instantly I had a problem because I hadn’t brought any other clothes into the shower with me and I would have to run down the hallway to get back to my room. Previously I wouldn’t have cared and just sprinted the short distance. Who cares if your brothers see you? Now however I was a girl and that was different. Wrapping myself in a towel to cover up I peeked out the door to make sure nobody was there then ran for my room. It all felt different, running this way, I noticed that with wider hips I stepped differently and that I took smaller steps too.

‘Weird’

Reaching my room I rummaged through my underwear finding a pair of white panties and a bra. Once in them I looked in the mirror and used my towel to dry my hair. Looking back at me was a young girl with long curly blond hair and emerald eyes. I decided the freckles on my face looked cute and although my body wasn’t lean and hard anymore it sported the flowing curves of an adolescent female.

Looking in my wardrobe I saw there was nothing there that I could practically wear. Everything was either too big or just wasn’t going to fit right.

The bag of clothes Mom had bought me was sitting on my bed so I tipped it all out. I had a choice the really short shorts matched with one of the blue or green tops or the summer dress. It had a floral design on it and the skirt part came down to just above my knees flaring out from my waist when I held it against me. The top part had thin straps for my shoulders but it kind of covered more of me than the rest. I hadn’t worn a dress yet and felt pretty freaked out about the prospect but then again the alternative wasn’t much better at least to me.

Fortunately at this time of year it was still really warm so I decided to try on the dress. Stepping in to it I pulled it up over my hips then adjusted the bodice part over my boobs. Brushing my hair out so it wouldn’t knot it fell around my face and down my back emphasising to me just how much of a girl I looked as I gazed in the mirror. If I had seen this girl at school or the beach when I was male I probably would have wanted to get to know her I decided. It felt like my heart was leaping out of my chest it was pounding so hard as I decided to twirl around making the dress flare out. There was something that felt really funky about doing it yet another part of me was asking the question, how could I enjoy this? After all it wasn’t that long ago I was a guy who lived in an old pair of salt encrusted board shorts and a t-shirt. Why did I enjoy this so much? What was it about being so feminine that I was beginning to like?

A soft knock came at the door. “It’s only me” said Mom as she peeked in then stopped as she saw me standing there wearing the dress.

“Oh darling, you look, you look oh my, you’re beautiful” she whispered but I had a feeling she really wanted to say ‘you look just like me when I was a girl’ as her face crumpled and tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

“Aw mom, don’t cry” I said as she came over and just held me.

“I’m not unhappy” she whispered to me, looking into my eyes, “just the opposite.”

“I was just wondering if you wanted lunch now, it’s just sandwiches sorry but we can get something else down at the mall.”

“Food is good” I smiled suddenly realising how hungry I felt but as I stepped out of my room and into the kitchen both Jeff and Tim just stopped and looked. Their jaws dropped at almost the same time and they just stared.

Mom gave a little hurrumph and they both quickly went back to making sandwiches but I understood their looks.

“You’re hot sis” blurted Tim, he was always the one to speak first and say what he thought no matter what the consequences.

“Yeah” said Jeff “I reckon pretty much every guy at your school is going to try and hit on you Jay. I might have to invest in a shotgun.”

I blushed a really bright crimson but the compliment meant a lot.

“Yeah right you guys eat your lunch, if anyone is buying a shotgun it’ll be me and if any guy comes within a mile of Jade they better have good running shoes.” My mom’s inner lioness was coming out again.

“We’re off for a surf after lunch” said Tim completely changing the subject. He looked at me expectantly and I looked at Mom pleadingly.

“Not a chance young lady, you are coming with me to get clothes. Anyway you don’t even own a swimsuit, what were you thinking of doing surfing naked?”
Tim and Jeff guffawed.

“Plenty of waves in the ocean Jay, maybe you can come tomorrow if you get a swimsuit?”

Today was a Saturday so surfing tomorrow was on as far as I was concerned which meant my first point of call at the mall was a shop that sold swim gear for girls.

The shopping mall at Imperial Beach wasn’t far away and we got there quickly. I had slipped on my pair of sandals while mom had gotten herself ready. Before we left she called me in to her room and made me sit in front of her mirror. She applied a couple of coats of mascara to my lashes and gave me some lip gloss to wear. It made my eyes seem to pop and she seemed satisfied with the way I looked. I was just amazed at how such a little bit of makeup could change my face.

“Is this really necessary mom?” and she stared at me.

“It changes your face Jade, makes you look very feminine so if you run into people from school they’re probably not going to recognise you. I thought that might be helpful.”

“Aw okay yeah good call mom” I replied. My mom was the best and once again proved to me how much she cared, plus I had a sneaky suspicion she was enjoying seeing me like this.

As we walked in I spotted a couple of guys, Jordan and Grant, who I knew from school. They stopped as they saw me a furrowed look on their brow which quickly gave way to just open staring as we walked past.

“Ignore them” whispered mom

“They go to my school, I think they recognise me but they don’t know how” I whispered back.

“All they see is two hot chicks” chuckled mom.

I giggled,” absolutely Mom”

We walked on and came to a surf shop that sold swim wear.

“Can we go in here please?”

“Sure honey”

We found ourselves in a rainbow sea of bikinis and one piece swimsuits. Looking at it all I realized just how much of my flesh would be on display at the beach but my desire to surf overcame any embarrassment I might feel. We picked out two bikinis one black and one green that seemed to cover me a bit more and would be okay to surf in. The young shop assistant rang up the sale for us and commented on how nice I looked in my dress.

I blushed and mumbled a thank you as she passed me my shopping bag.

“Have you ever thought of doing any modelling?” she asked “you have a killer figure and that face of yours is beyond cute.”

“What? Really you think so?”

“Yeah of course, in fact I know we’re looking for a model to help sell a lot of the surfing merchandise in the store. I mean this is a chain so you could have your face in every store across the country plus in our catalogue. If you want let me take a pic of you on my phone and I’ll send it through. No harm in trying aye?”

I looked at Mom who just smiled. “Your call”

“Okay then sure” I said “go for it.

“I’ll get back to you soon” she said, “give me your mobile number”

We swapped details and wandered out of the store. I was on a high and Mom looked at me raising her eyebrows.

“Wow Jade”

“Yeah, I know”

“Told you, you were pretty.”

I left it at that but the rest of the shopping trip kind of flew by in a blur. We bought a complete wardrobe of clothes for me. I tended to opt for more practical stuff like jeans and flat shoes but Mom managed to throw in the odd girly dress, some skirts and even persuaded me to buy a pair of high heel court shoes ‘just in case’.

Just in case of what I wasn’t sure but I wasn’t about to argue with her, in fact I was dying to know what it felt like to walk in them.

The experience of being a female in a dress out in public really made me realise how vulnerable I was. I was wearing a piece of clothing that was completely open around my legs. Lots of guys looked at me most of them started at my boobs, then down to my legs then back up to my boobs again. Even older guys did it and I became increasingly uncomfortable. At one point I felt like going over to one guy and asking him what he wanted but it was mom who came to my rescue.

Sitting me down on a seat and making sure I had my legs together she told me the story of how she met my dad. How when she saw him how handsome she thought he was and how he looked at her, kindly and gently. “See all these other guys” she said waving her hand, “they don’t know you, all they see is a pretty girl and they wonder about you and what it would be like to be with you. But you have the final say if you ignore them they’ll just keep on walking and look at another attractive girl. When you find the right one you’ll know darling, until then treat people with respect and expect it from them. Just enjoy the effect you have on them but don’t give them a second thought.”

“Okay Mom, sure, it’s just well its never happened to me before and it’s freaking me out a bit.”

“You’ll get over it” she said getting up. “lets go”

Eventually we headed back to the car laden down with clothes, makeup and shoes.

Loading it all in the car mom then began to head back in to the mall.

“What haven’t we finished yet?”

“Not quite, come with me there’s a couple of things we really need to get”

Heading to the pharmacy mom stopped beside the feminine hygiene aisle and picked out some petite tampons and a pack of pads.

“You’re going to need these hun, it’s part of being a woman, plus I was wondering if you wanted to get your ears pierced?”

The tampons and pads grossed me out a bit but funnily enough pierced ears didn’t.
It only took a couple of minutes and I had an earring in each ear. While mom paid the bill I walked out of the shop and noticed Jordan and Grant from school were still hanging around looking at me.

Grant sauntered over and stopped in front of me.

“Hey cutie, I noticed you before, you look familiar like I’ve seen you before but I can’t quite place it?”

I looked at him, taking in the odd blackhead in his nose and pimple on his chin.

“Do you always use such lame pick-up lines dude?” I asked and it was as if a light went on his eyes. Even with my softer, higher voice he recognised it.

“’Dude’, that’s it that’s how I know you, you’re Jay Chamberlin but I mean what happened to you, you’re a chick.”

His mate came over and stared at me too. ‘So much for the make-up mom’ I thought.

“Well yeah it’s kind of a long story maybe I’ll tell it to you some time.”

“So it is you, shit Jay you are the hottest looking girl now. WTF dude”

Just then mom walked out and saw me talking.

“You ready to go honey?”

“Um yeah, look guys I’ll explain it all at school okay, just help me out on this, don’t say anything please?”

I looked at them pleadingly but it fell on deaf ears. I knew that by Monday the whole school would know I was now a girl.

“It’s okay hun, everyone was going to find out eventually at least this way you can go into school knowing what you have to say and you’ll soon find out who your real friends are.”

“Yeah well I guess, but it sure is going to be a weird day.”

“You’ll get through it Jade, look how far you’ve come already.”

I thought about that and knew Mom was right but the biggest hurdle was yet to come. I wondered what Monday had in store for me.