The Silent Girl

(Rated R for Strong Language and Sexual Themes)

My name is Liz and I was a junior in high school. I was a bit of a
troublemaker occasionally smoking cigarettes or weed, drinking alcohol,
and I had sex with a few boys. I wasn't particularly good in school
either. The only thing I was good at was sports like the school
softball team. One day we got a new transfer student. She had short
hair, dressed conservatively, but did not speak as she was escorted
inside the classroom.

My female teacher gave her a reassuring look. "This is your new
classmate, Mary. She is able to hear but not able to speak, so her
interpreter will be with her in the classroom," the teacher introduced.

Mary's interpreter was an older woman who also had nothing to say to
us. Mary did some quick signs to her interpreter, and I could tell she
was nervous. "Nice to meet you all," the interpreter said.

We all knew then that having a disabled kid meant we all had to be
careful with what we said. Any teasing or so-called "bullying" would
send us to detention for a week. Mary took a seat near me and listened
intently to the English class. She never said a word and rarely made
any signs to her interpreter. She had no expression on her face. I
tried not to stare, but it was too weird. I had never encountered
someone who couldn't speak before. It would make sense if she were
deaf but that wasn't the case here.

***

During PE, Mary was nowhere to be seen. I later learned she was
excused from it for some unknown reason. Over the next few weeks,
nothing controversial happened. My interest in Mary faded away. She
never talked and that was boring.

One day, a group of seniors discovered Mary's condition and decided to
pester her after school. Each one tried to provoke Mary to talk. She
tried to sign to them that this wasn't possible, but they simply mocked
her for it. The harassment turned to physically bullying her and
taking her things. They weren't convinced she couldn't talk and
planned to beat a scream out of her. They tossed her on the ground and
lightly kicked her making her unable to come up.

I happened to be waiting for softball practice when I saw it. I heard
a voice, "Help!" and ran over. The boys were laughing hysterically as
they continued to bully her.

"Hey, assholes. Get away from her before I smack you with this bat," I
said holding my softball bat.

"Please, we could easily take that from you," the leader said.

"Before you do, I'll make sure I bust the teeth out of at least one of
you. Which one is going to be?" I pointed at them with my bat.

The boys shrugged and laughed as they walked off. I came over to Mary
to pick her up. "You okay?" I asked.

She simply nodded. I found her backpack and gave it to her. When I
was sure no one was around, I confronted her. "I know you can speak.
What's the deal?" I demanded.

She shook her head not wanting to tell me. "Look, I just saved your
ass. Could you at least give me an explanation?" I asked.

She looked away and walked off.

***

The next day, Mary still had her interpreter with her. I tried to keep
myself from scowling. It didn't make any sense, and it frustrated me.
Right before class, Mary discreetly gave me an envelope that was sealed.
I simply nodded to her and read it at lunch.

"Thank you for saving me from those guys after school. It was
courageous and charitable. I am telling you this in the hopes you will
keep it to yourself. A few years ago, I was cursed by one of my
relatives who was bitter that I was given all the inheritance when my
parents passed away. That relative is now dead but the curse remains.
The curse placed upon me affects my voice. While I can speak, my voice
is too horrible for me to use. All medical explanations and treatments
have failed. Instead, I have learned sign language and hired
interpreters to be with me at all times. I hope you can understand and
will keep this between us."

I read the letter a few times and then decided to burn it completely
with a lighter. I wasn't a gossiper or a snitch. The next day, I gave
her a note.

"Your secret is safe with me. Can you teach me your sign language?"

She read it and for the first time, I saw her smile.

***

For the next few weeks, I was Mary's unofficial bodyguard against the
senior boys. I was prepared to knock out teeth and give concussions.
I didn't give a fuck whether I was suspended. Mary gave me a list of
commonly used words and taught me the signs for each one. It was hard
for my idiot brain to comprehend at first.

"This would be a whole lot easier if we simply spoke to each other," I
said annoyed.

She signed "No," in reply.

"Look, I don't care what your voice sounds like. It could sound like a
throat cancer victim for all I care," I said.

She shook her head. I didn't press her and the lessons continued. By
October, I had learned a decent number of signs. The two of us could
talk to each other during class when we're not supposed to or in the
halls. It was our secret code. Since Mary never spoke to anyone, I
was her only friend.

"You going to go to any Halloween parties?" I asked her.

"No," she signed.

"Why not? It will be fun," I said.

"No, it will not," she signed.

"Mary, you have a lot of money but no social life. How long do you
think you can keep this up?" I asked.

"I don't know," she signed. She then looked up at the sky
thoughtfully. "I have an idea," she signed smiling.

***

That Halloween, I dressed up as a witch to the party, because I was
broke and unimaginative. Mary eventually showed up in casual clothes.
"What's up?" I asked her.

"Party, my place," she signed.

I nodded understanding the dumbed-down sign language she was using. I
went into her luxurious car. The driver took us away to her mansion
outside of town. Once we got there, there was already a crowd of
people in costumes, many of which were college-aged.

"Soon," she signed to me and went to her room upstairs.

I shrugged and had some champagne. No one asked me how old I was. I
socialized with the young men who figured I was some rich guy's
daughter. I lied and made up all sorts of stories. I didn't see Mary
for a while and assumed she was just taking her time getting dressed.

"There you are," a masculine voice said behind me.

I turned around and saw someone in a cowboy costume. She wore boots of
rich leather, the pants were male jeans, the belt also looked leather,
a white collared t-shirt, a thick brown leather vest, and
finally the Cowboy hat. I stared at the young man bewildered and then
recognition slowly registered.

"Yeah," I said awkwardly.

"This is my date for the night. Doesn't she look great?" she asked.

The other oblivious rich guys agreed and began complimenting me. "I would like
to thank the host in person if I could," one rich guy said.

"I heard the heiress went on a trip to England and couldn't be back in
time," Mary said impersonating a male cowboy.

"That's a shame. I have heard stories of her beauty," the rich guy
said.

In my awkwardness, I felt some jealousy or perhaps protectiveness. I
didn't know what I was feeling at the time. I knew now why Mary kept
her mouth shut all this time. Her voice was exactly the same as that
of a boy. I knew that if I had such a voice, I would keep my mouth
shut too. However, no one there seemed to recognize her as the host.
I saw another side of Mary I had never seen before. She was social and
outgoing while I remained fairly quiet.

***

After the evening was over, I decided to make small talk. "So, that's
the reason you don't talk?" I asked.

"Yes," she said in a male voice.

"Maybe you could get a voice trainer," I suggested.

"I've tried it. It didn't work," she said.

I looked over her costume. She had done a very good job hiding her
chest and making her face look more masculine. "Maybe, you could be a
guy?" I said absent-mindedly.

She simply stared at me. "If I were just a normal person, I would
actually consider it. But I am the heiress of a well-known estate. It
would be scandalous."

"So what? Who cares? You running for office?" I asked rhetorically.

"No man would want me as a man," she said.

"Unless they're gay," I said obviously.

"That's too much," she said.

"Look, I only see three options here: You stay silent your whole life,
you fix this curse, or you become a man," I said simply.

"You talk like it is an easy decision to make," she said flustered.

"All I know is that you were enjoying yourself tonight. Are you going
to wait another year to have fun?" I asked.

She said nothing for a few moments. "There's no need to make a
decision now. Do you mind pretending to be my girlfriend?"

"Pretend?" I asked with mock seriousness. "We are girlfriends," I said
giving her a hug.

***

Mary continued to go to school in feminine albeit rich attire with her
translator. The only one in the class who knew of her secret was me.
I kept secrets well and made an effort not to smirk as she signed with
her translator. After class, Mary dressed in baggy pants and a thick
sweatshirt. She had her hair in a bun and hid it inside a ball cap. I
kept guard in the girl's bathroom as she worked on her make-up. If
anyone saw anything, I would immediately kick them out. After thirty
minutes, I curiously saw Mary putting the final touches on. Her
ability to use make-up was astounding. Of the two of us, she was the
real girl.

Once she was done, I checked the bathroom entrance and saw no one
around. "It's clear," I said to her.

A very boyish-looking Mary stepped out and walked with me to the
parking lot. I noticed her manner of walking and had to stop her.
"What?" she asked using her boy's voice.

"The way you walk is funny," I noted.

She looked at me anxiously wondering if she would pass outside. "Take
longer strides," I told her.

She eyed me and then took some practice steps nearly falling over.
"Try walking around the parking lot," I suggested.

"What if someone saw us," Mary said embarrassed.

"Who gives a fuck? Besides, it will just look like a girl and boy
walking together," I said.

Mary didn't care for my swearing but continued practicing taking longer
strides. "Now, move your arms a little more. You look so stiff," I
said.

She did as I said and was nearly passable. "If you don't keep it up,
everyone is going to think you're a gay guy," I said at her exasperated
face.

"You're right," she admitted.

"So, what am I going to call you. I can't call you Mary in public," I
said.

"Marty," she said finally.

"Like Back to the Future?" I grinned.

"Okay, I'll think of something else," she winced.

"No, Marty works for today. We can always change it up next time," I
allowed.

We got in the car and Mary looked over her appearance in the rear-view
mirror to make sure nothing had changed. "You look fine, really," I
assured her.

***

We drove to the mall and went through the clothing stores. Mary seemed
pleased to be able to talk about random subjects using her voice
instead of having to use sign language. For practice sake, she still
occasionally used sign language even as she was talking. I didn't mind
it, so I didn't make fun of her for it.

"Can I help you, Sir," a store's clerk asked Mary.

She, at first, didn't recognize being called "Sir" and didn't turn
around. She then quickly turned around. "Anything I can help you
with?" she asked helpfully.

Mary realized she was out of place in the women's section. "Just
trying to help my...girlfriend," she said awkwardly.

The clerk nodded and turned away. I rejoined a stressed-out Mary and
started laughing. "It's not that funny," Mary said annoyed.

As I looked through some clothes, I noticed Mary wasn't buying
anything. "What gives? Why aren't you getting anything for yourself?"
I asked.

"I never go shopping actually. I simply make a list of what I want and
someone gets it for me," she said simply.

I simply stared at her. "Wow, well, why did you want to come here?" I
asked flabbergasted.

"It just seemed like the social thing to do," she said. "And you're
fun to have around," she added.

"Well, shucks. Let's try something else," I said dropping what I was
doing.

"Like what?" Mary asked.

The two of us entered the arcade center. "You got any quarters?" I asked.

"I got this," she said taking out a twenty.

"That'll work," I said and then put the twenty in the quarter machine.
We waited patiently for eighty quarters to come out. I then counted
them all to make sure we hadn't been ripped off.

"It's fine," she smiled before I was done counting.

For the next two hours, we played race cars and shooter games. With
few exceptions, I was the better player. "Of the two of us, you should
be the boy," Mary commented.

"No way," I rejected. "Being a boy is more than playing arcade games,"
I rejected.

"You like the outdoors, you play hard, you aren't into dresses, you
swear like a sailor, and fight people," Mary listed off.

"That doesn't make a man. Men need to be leaders. You're rich not
just because of your parents but because you manage money well
yourself. You delegate tasks to other people. You host parties and
don't even have to be there to supervise it. You're smart and you
found a way to hide this without getting caught," I said complimenting
her.

She smirked. "Maybe, we're both boys and don't realize it."

***

Mary skipped school on a Friday to attend some business meetings. The
following Monday, she told me how it went away from everyone else. "I
sat there in front of the board of directors and had my translator read
the speech. After she had read my speech, they simply ignored me.
I own over 50% of the shares and they ignored me because I can't
speak," she said angrily.

"It's not just your voice. It's because they see you as a kid," I told
her.

"If I had my real voice, they would listen to me," she said frustrated.

"Yeah right," I said doubtfully. "You have to influence things from
within. You have to get a job within your own company and gain
people's trust from the inside. Then, you can force the board to do
what you want," I said.

"If I get the operation, I don't think I will be able to get any job
except one from home," she said bitterly.

"What operation?" I asked curiously.

"I am getting consultations to surgically take out my voice box. It
will make me unable to speak even if I wanted to," she revealed.

"You can't go through with it. It's your voice! What if someone
attacked you? How would you call for help?" I asked stunned.

"There are other means aside from my voice. I can carry an alarm
system with me. Even without my voice box, I can still use a voice
synthesizer like Stephen Hawking," she said simply.

"Why are you doing this?" I demanded of her.

"It only takes one time for me to slip up. If I use my voice by
mistake or by impulse, I am finished," she argued.

"So, you're a girl with a man's voice. Who gives a fuck?" I said.

"I will be viewed as a freak. I will never be able to influence my
father's company," she said.

"Why is that such a big deal to you? Sell your shares and live rich,"
I said obviously.

"It was the company my father built. I am not going to sell it away,"
she insisted.

I gave her a stumped look. "Why do you care so much anyway," she asked
bitterly.

"Your voice...it's kind of cute," I said lamely.

She gave me a weird look. "You actually like my voice?" she asked
incredulously.

"Only your voice. That's all," I said defensively. "When is the
surgery?"

"I don't have a date yet," she admitted.

I nodded. "Well, good luck with that," I said with false sincerity and
walked off.

***

On the day of the operation, Mary didn't come to school. I thought
about what I would say to her after she had recovered. Would I call
her an idiot and tell her that she had ruined her life? Would I be
sympathetic? Would we even remain friends? Probably not. After all,
she would likely go to a special school that worked with teens that had
disabilities. I had no expectation I would see her again and the
thought of it made me sad.

To my surprise that weekend, I received a text message from her. She
wanted to see me at the food court at the mall. I had nothing better
to do and so I went. When I got there, I didn't see her anywhere.
Finally, a familiar voice called out to me.

"There you are," Mary said in her usual voice. She was wearing male
clothing and looked convincingly boyish. I would have considered her
cute if I didn't know the truth.

"The operation?" I wondered.

"I didn't go through with it," she admitted.

I simply stared at her. A part of me was glad she hadn't done it but a
part of me was also mad that she had even considered it. We sat down
with a pizza between us. "So, why not?" I asked curiously.

"When I got there, I thought what you had said but that wasn't what
changed my mind," she began.

"So?" I asked.

"In the surgery prep room, I saw parents comfort their children and
husbands and wives talking to one another to reassure each other. I
realized the importance of one's voice is when it really matters. I
couldn't go through with it," she said lamely.

"What now?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "I guess I'll just use my voice for
those close to me and sign for everyone else."

"Let's think about this curse. When did you first notice your voice
change?" I asked.

She hesitated to answer. "I was at a summer camp for girls. It was
right after my parents had died and my relatives were squabbling over
my inheritance. I just needed some time out of the city," she began.

"Okay, anything out of the ordinary happen?" I asked.

She showed signs she was embarrassed and didn't want to answer. "Trust
me, I've done worse," I assured her.

"Almost all of the girls were snooty and arrogant but there was this
one girl that listened to my problems. One night, I don't know why I
did it...I kissed her," she said blushing.

I simply stared at her. "Is that all?" I asked incredulously.

She simply nodded. "Did you use tongue?" I asked becoming interested.

"No, it was a simple kiss," she said flustered.

"You didn't make out and touch each other all over?" I continued.

"No, it was just a simple kiss is all," she repeated.

"I've done worse," I said unimpressed.

She simply stared at me. "What? I'm totally straight but occasionally
I like to fuck with people. Some of the girls at school are so
uptight," I explained.

"Right, well, the next day my voice changed. I tried to disguise it
but nothing worked. So, I went home early and took a crash course on
sign language," she said.

"So, obviously the kiss is related to your situation," I surmised.

"What are you suggesting? I kiss another girl and see if it reverses
itself?" she asked.

"I'm right here," I volunteered.

"No way, it could cause the curse to spread to you," she objected.

"Do you know whatever happened to the girl you kissed?" I asked.

"No, I could probably find out," she said thoughtfully.

"Okay, first, we should find out whether anything happened to that
girl. Maybe, the same thing happened to her. Then, we find out
whether kissing a boy will reverse it," I said hopefully.

"It's too risky. What if the opposite happens?" she said anxiously.

"The opposite? Like, he turns into a girl?" I asked.

She nodded like I was an idiot. "Okay, then, let's try a test subject
that would have the least amount of risk," I said thoughtfully. "Okay,
I got one. His name is Bobby. He's totally gay," I said.

"What does that have anything to do with it?" Mary asked confused.

"It's obvious! If he turns into a girl, he might actually like it. He
can be with men without the stigma of being a queer," I said a little
too loudly.

"That assumes his sexuality doesn't change with it. What if it only
partially changes him? He would have a girl's voice with a boy's
body," she objected.

"Well, he's an asshole anyway. I say we try it on him," I said.

"Fine," Mary agreed.

***

The next Monday, I ran into Bobby. "Hey, Bobby. I need a favor from
you," I said.

"You haven't talked to me in years. What do you want now?" he asked
rudely. Bobby was slender, wore glasses, and had brown curly hair. He
made it obvious he was gay, but I never saw him with anyone.

"I need you to kiss a girl," I said vaguely.

"Is this some kind of joke?" he immediately rejected.

"No joke. You know the rich girl, Mary, the one that doesn't talk?" I
asked.

He nodded indicating he had heard of her. "That's the one," I said.

"No, why would I? I didn't come out of the closet just to get back in
again," he said annoyed.

"I'll give you fifty bucks," I offered.

"Now, you're treating me like a slut," he objected.

I rolled my eyes. "One-hundred bucks," I raised.

He looked at me to see if I was serious. "You don't have that kind of
money," he argued.

"She does," I said obviously.

"Alright, but no one can know," he agreed.

***

After school, the three of us met. Bobby looked at us awkwardly. "A
deal is a deal," I said handing Bobby the cash.

Mary said nothing giving nothing away. Bobby got next to her, leaned
down, and gave her the most awkward kiss between a girl and a boy. I
winced upon seeing it. After it was done, Bobby looked embarrassed and
regretful.

"Okay, see you around," he said lamely and walked off.

Once he was a safe distance away, Mary spoke. "That was positively
awful," she said disappointedly. "I can't believe my first kiss with a
boy was that."

"A boy for how much longer?" I grinned.

"Don't say that," Mary said regretfully.

"All I'm saying is that if he turns into a girl, he won't be your first
kiss with a boy anymore," I reasoned.

"It would still be my first kiss with a boy even if he does become a
girl. It's not as if the kiss didn't happen," she argued.

"Whatever. Now, we wait and see," I said.

***

The next day, Bobby didn't show up to school. A sense of dread came
upon us. What if the curse were real? What if Bobby now had the voice
of a girl for the rest of his life? As funny as that would be, it was
also horrifying to think about. I went by his house and knocked on the
door. A girl with brown curly hair answered the door.

"Oh, Hi!" she said as if she knew me.

"I'm looking for Bobby," I said assuming the girl was his sister.

"I'm Bobby. Don't I look great," she said happily.

I looked her over. I saw a resemblance to the old Bobby. "It is you,"
I realized horrified.

"Of course it is. My parents totally accept me now that I'm a straight
girl. My boyfriend loves the new look," she gushed.

"Boyfriend?" I asked. I wasn't aware he had one.

"Of course, silly. We've been dating for six months now. He's Bi, you
know," she said explaining the situation.

"So, what exactly happened after you kissed Mary?" I asked getting to
the bottom of this.

"So, right afterward my voice changed. It became very feminine, and I
was crying non-stop over it. My boyfriend then comforted me and then
last night, I became a girl. Well, not completely yet. I think a few
more sessions will make me complete," she grinned.

"Sessions?" I asked.

"Sex," she whispered.

"You had sex with your boyfriend after it happened," I hissed.

"You don't approve? I thought you were into that kind of stuff," she
said surprised.

"Well, sure, I just want to know what happened," I said frustrated.

"I started changing as we had sex. It was the most amazing thing," she
said.

"I see," I said lamely.

"Anyway, thank you so much," she hugged me. "I'm going to a new school
next week, but you can drop by anytime," she said gratefully.

"Sure, Bobby," I told her and walked off.

***

I met Mary who was in drag at a coffee shop to discuss what we had
learned. "I hired a private investigator to find the girl at the
summer camp. I should get a better idea of what we're dealing with
within a week," Mary said.

"That's great," I said flustered.

"What's wrong?" Mary asked.

"Bobby is now a girl now. That's why he didn't come to school," I
reported.

Mary simply stared at me. "It's okay. He even likes being a girl
now," I said.

"What happened?" Mary asked.

So, I told her everything that I had learned. When I was done, Mary
looked at me stunned. "So, the kiss causes it," she realized.

"Now, we just have to find out whether or not the girl you kissed at
camp is now a dude," I said bluntly.

"Don't say that," Mary said guiltily.

"Hey, it wasn't your fault. You didn't know you were cursed. What if
the other girl was a plant to bring the curse to you?" I suggested.

"It does establish that I can never kiss a guy," Mary said sadly.

"Bobby wanted to be a girl. He had sex with his boyfriend right
afterward. There are still a lot of unknown...," I began.

"Variables," Mary finished for me.

"Right, those," I said flatly.

"It's too risky. Every guy I am with could be cursed. Maybe that is
the curse," she said.

"No point in discussing it further until we find out what happened to
that girl," I told her.

***

Mary's private investigator found the girl quickly enough. She was
living in New England and at an expensive boarding school for girls.
Pictures of her showed no sign of masculinity. There was nothing
peculiar about her voice either. She was a normal straight girl with a
secret boyfriend that she kept from her parents.

"We have to test this on a straight boy and see what happens," I
suggested.

"No, it's too dangerous," Mary rejected.

"Okay, well, we still don't know if that girl at camp is the carrier or
not. If she is the carrier, she might be immune to it," I said.

"What do you suggest?" she asked.

"You kiss me. See what happens," I said.

"No, no way," she resisted. "I wouldn't wish my curse upon anyone."

"If it happens, we can both use sign language," I joked.

"No, not going to happen," she said adamantly.

"Alright, so what about this dead relative of yours? You say this
person cursed you," I brought up.

"It was probably my uncle," she said.

"Alright, who owns the house now?" I asked.

"His son and he will never invite me in to look around my uncle's
papers."

"Okay, so we break in," I said simply.

Mary looked at me like I was some kind of criminal. "It will be easy,"
I assured her.

"We have to make sure my cousin isn't there at the house," Mary said.

"Use that private eye and find out when he will be gone," I said.

***

Mary's private eye discovered her cousin's schedule and determined the
time he would be out of town on business. Mary couldn't go along with
me on this burglary, because she was too high-profile. If I got
caught, no one would give a damn. I dressed in black and came to the
house in the middle of the night after being dropped off by Mary's
driver. I entered the house through a basement window and snooped
around for anything that could be filing cabinets or papers. After an
hour of searching, I finally found some letters and personal documents.
I didn't bother reading them. I didn't have time. I took what I could
and exited the house without being spotted.

Mary's driver then picked me up and didn't ask questions. He drove me
over to Mary's mansion where the two of us looked through the
documents. Mary was a quick reader putting documents in various piles.
Most of them were about business but some were of a personal nature.
Mary finally found a letter that pertained to her.

"I am writing to you in the case of my late brother. His estate is to
be given to his only child, his daughter Mary. I am convinced, as
hopefully, you are as well, that the company and the estate could never
be run by a female. The company and the estate have always been in the
hands of great men and it is highly unfortunate that my brother never
had a son. I have no interest in running the company and the estate
myself or that I should take it legally or otherwise from Mary. She is
the rightful heir of my late brother's will. However, for her sake as
well that of the family, I ask that you use your influence to help her
in this matter."

I frowned as I heard the letter's contents. "What a misogynist piece
of shit," I spat.

"There's more," Mary said looking over another letter.

"I fully understand your concern. I will help her to the extent that I
can, utilizing the skills I possess. Any man she kisses will become a
woman rendering her forever childless and then your heir will inherit
the estate from her when she dies. However, in the unlikely event she
finds love in a woman, she will become a man. As a sign that my spell
has worked, her voice will be the first thing to change. As a man, I
have no doubt, she will satisfy your concerns."

Mary was in a state of shock as she put the letter down. "There's
this," I said offering it to her.

"I would have no objection to her becoming a man. It would strengthen
her in body and mind. Still, I am concerned it would create a scandal.
Therefore, I prefer her to remain a woman albeit childless."

Mary then read the last letter. "If she becomes a man, only those
close to her will remember that she was ever a woman. Do not fear of
scandal."

Mary checked the letters and found nothing indicating who the second
person was. The handwriting was in cursive and looked feminine. She
gave me a defeated looked. "I'm fucked," she said finally.

Even I was surprised by her outburst. "Your uncle is an asshole," I
remarked.

"He means well, but he has an archaic view on things," Mary allowed.
"Maybe he's right. Maybe, I would never be able to run the estate
properly."

"And having a dick is going to change that?" I asked bluntly.

"It's not just about having a dick. It's about being raised one's
whole life with confidence, aggressiveness, and pride. It's about
having that fire in the belly," Mary said. "I don't have that."

"What about temperance, civility, and class," I brought up.

"The business world doesn't care about that," she said defeated.

"So, what are you going to do? Join a nunnery?" I asked sarcastically.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "The letter assured my uncle there
wouldn't be a scandal."

"So?" I asked.

Mary grinned. "Let's make a scandal."

***

Mary went to a tailor who didn't ask questions. I watched as the
tailor made all the measurements and then provided her the right sizes.
She bought polished black dress shoes, a new male's suit pants and
jacket, a white dress shirt, and a tie. Once she was done, she got a
businessman's haircut by a barber who didn't ask questions. It helped
to have lots of money. No one ever asked you any questions. Once we
were done, Mary got dressed in her new clothes. She walked out looking
like a young man. She looked in the mirror and noticed that her eyes
were a little too feminine. She put fake eye-glasses on to complete
the look.

"Impressive. If I hadn't known any better," I said of her.

"If you're going to be with me...," Mary said looking at my punk clothes.
"You're going to need a new dress."

"Yes, Sir," I said mockingly.

Mary and I entered her company's office building. I was wearing a very
expensive black dress and my usually wild hair was in a conservative
bun. No one paid us any notice. I felt anxious for Mary. I wasn't
sure exactly what she intended to do.

We came to the private security station before we could enter the board
room. I showed my visitor pass to the guard and went through. Mary
showed the guard her ID card which still had a very feminine-looking
face on it.

"I will need you to establish your identity using this," the guard said
taking out a device.

Mary sighed and took off her fake eyeglasses. The device scanned
Mary's eyes and face. The facial recognition and iris scanner
recognized Mary. The guard gave Mary an odd look. "Proceed," he said
not certain whether to use "Sir" or "Ma'am."

Mary entered the room and saw a number of board members already
present. "Are you a new board member; I'm confused," one of the board
members said approaching her.

"Well, we wouldn't want that, would we," Mary smiled back.

The board assembled for the meeting. "I call this meeting to order,"
Mary said in a confident voice.

"I'm sorry, Sir. Who are you?" one of the board members questioned.

"Oh, excuse me. I didn't introduce myself. My name is Mark Thompson,
formerly known as Mary Thompson. This is my lovely assistant Elizabeth
Evans," she said. I tried to look pleasant although I hated my formal
first name.

"Could we have security come up," a confused board member asked through
a speaker.

Mary sighed as security came into the room. The board member stood up
and talked with the guard who assured him that Mary was who she said
she was. The board member then gave Mary a stunned look and sat down.
The guard then exited the room. "I am so sorry," he said
apologetically.

"Apology accepted. I have made some appearance changes since I last
met you. I am not surprised if some of you are shocked. In a few
weeks, it will be my eighteenth birthday which will allow me to make
legal decisions in this company including the future of this board,"
Mary said.

"We're glad to have you be an active member of this company," a board
member said politely.

"Yes, we're also quite pleased that your voice has healed," another
said.

"Doctors can perform miracles," Mary agreed. "For this reason, I plan
to make television appearances and interviews representing the company
from this time forth."

Most of the board clapped with approval. One board member seemed
particularly upset. "You are all fools!" she shouted at them. "This
will create a scandal throughout Wall-Street. It will destroy the
reputation of this company that John Thompson built," she said.

"What are you referring to?" Mary asked coldly.

"You may have a man's voice, but you are not a man. Not yet," she said
to Mary.

"I have always been a man," Mary said testing her.

"This wasn't supposed to happen. It was only a fail-safe," she
muttered and eyed me suspiciously.

"Let's break for a recess," Mary said to the group. "Except you, Aunt Debra," Mary
said glaring at the female board member.

Everyone left leaving the three of us in the room. I was on the
elderly woman in a flash. "Listen, bitch. Admit you did the spell," I
said pushing her up against the wall.

"This is impossible. If you are really a man, everyone should have
recognized it. How do you know about the spell?" Debra asked confused.

"Never-mind how we know. You're right, I haven't been changed fully.
Just my voice. Fortunately, I'm really good with make-up and dress-
up," Mary said to her.

"I can't reverse the spell once it has been initiated. I am so sorry.
I only did it to protect the family," she said apologetically. "I
never thought you would actually kiss another girl but when I saw that
you could no longer speak, I knew."

Mary gave her an angry look. "So, you would have had me either
infertile with no husband or have me become a man?"

"It was to protect the family from a weak heiress that would destroy
the wealth and prestige of the family. You can't go public now. You
have to wait for the spell to reach maturity and then everyone you know
will believe you always were a man," Debra explained.

"No, I'm going public now as a trans-man unless you reverse the spell,"
Mary threatened.

"Do it. Once you become fully a man, no one will ever remember you
were once a woman," she bluffed.

Mary wavered unsure of herself. "You're fighting against
inevitability," Debra said. "You'll ruin your life just to
spite me?"

"If she dies, maybe the spell will be broken," I suggested darkly.

Debra didn't shake in her resolve. "Were you the girl that
caused this? Did you kiss Mary?" she asked of me.

"Keep her out of this," Mary deflected.

"No, I didn't do it," I said truthfully.

Debra seemed to believe me. "To complete the spell, you will
have to love a woman fully. Only the two of you and I will ever
know you were once a woman," she said.

Mary wanted to be defiant against her aunt. "I only dressed as
a man to find out who the traitor was."

"I have only wanted the best for the family," she pleaded.

"I will show everyone that a woman can run this company voice or no
voice. I will adopt children and when I die, everything will go to
them," Mary said to her angrily.

"Please reconsider," Debra shook her head.

"She's too dangerous to be left alive. She could perform another spell
on you," I warned.

Mary seemed conflicted. "I have already amended my will. If anything
happens to me, it all goes to her," she said referring to me.

"I already know her name. You two can't escape me," Debra
said angrily.

Mary smirked. "Evans isn't her real last name." I simply shrugged.

Debra gave Mary a shocked look. "I can transfer everything I
have to her very shortly. So, if you really care for this family, you
will reverse the spell," Mary pressed.

"I can't...reverse the spell," Debra said helplessly.

"Do you know someone who can?" Mary asked desperately.

"No one can reverse it. Once you kissed that girl, your fate was
sealed," Debra said sadly.

Mary had used all her bluffs. She looked to me to see if I had any
ideas. I had none. Mary then turned to the board woman. "You're
fired," she said finally.

Debra merely nodded and then left the room. Mary sighed and
took a seat as soon as her witch aunt had left. "Can't you hire a hit-man
or something," I asked her as she leaned back in the chair.

"What good would it do?" she asked.

"Some good old-fashion interrogation might get her to talk. Get
Medieval on her ass," I suggested.

"I've lost my voice. I would prefer not to lose my freedom too," she
replied.

"I'll do it. I'll get a gun and rough her up. Just tell me her
address," I offered.

"I can't let anything happen to you either. You're my heir, remember,"
she disagreed.

"That was just to fuck with her," I said dismissively.

"No, its the truth," she revealed.

I shook my head in confusion. "I'm nobody. You would give everything
to me?" I asked stunned.

"That's right. Nobody will screw with me knowing that all the money
and power would go to someone unknown," she said.

"Thanks, you just put a big target on my back," I smirked.

"They don't know who you are. Even if they did, I have a contingency
against that too in case, we should both perish," she said lazily.

I simply stared at her speechless. Mary pulled on her tie unraveling
it. "This is uncomfortable," she muttered.

"Did you bring extra clothes?" I asked her.

She gave me a thoughtful look. "We're going to have to exchange
clothes," she said.

"Really?" I sighed.

***

Mary looked gorgeous in my black dress and high heels. Her hair was
still short but with her make-up off, she still appeared feminine
enough. I waited in the lobby wearing her business suit. The tie was
all messed up, my hair was wild as usual, and the suit didn't fit me
properly. I looked like a punk rocker wearing a suit for the purpose
of irony and mockery.

Mary used a very hoarse version of her male voice to explain to the
board that she was trying to put pressure on the fired board woman to
confess to a corruption crime within the company. The board seemed
reassured of this especially upon seeing Mary's feminine appearance.
She then reappeared in the lobby to pick me up.

In the car, we discussed what to do next. "So, we got the bitch fired,
but we still haven't found a cure," I said stating the obvious.

"There may be no cure," she replied. There was a sound-proof glass
divide between the backseats and the driver in the limo.

"So, we give up?" I asked.

"It's not the end of the world," she said exasperated. "Some people
are born blind, some are deaf, and others are disabled. I have been
blessed with power and riches beyond what most dream of. I've not even
eighteen, and I have my own limo and driver. How many can say the
same?" she said and then took out an alcoholic drink.

I simply watched her as she poured herself a glass. "You want some?"
she asked forgetfully.

"No, I'm good," I replied. Normally, I would love a drink but it
didn't seem the right time for it. Mary was getting drunk to deal with
her depression and the best thing for me to do was to just watch after
her.

"Well, do you want kids?" I asked.

"I can always adopt," she said.

"Yeah, but do you want your own flesh and blood," I clarified.

"Sure, if it could be done," she agreed.

"You can use a sperm donor," I suggested.

"I want the father to be in the picture. I am not going to raise a kid
all by myself," she said.

"So, marry a guy after you have your kid," I suggested.

"And have a sexless marriage? The moment we have sex, he'll be turned
into a woman," she reminded me.

"Okay, hire a butler to be a father-figure like Alfred was to Bruce
Wayne," I suggested.

"Those kinds of butlers don't exist," she chuckled sadly.

"You have money. Just hire a father," I argued.

"Money only goes so far. Do you think I can retain a hired father for
twenty years? I'm not going to have my kid grow up with several
different fathers. And even if I could, he would never be a true
father," she said.

The limo arrived at the mansion interrupting our weird conversation.
Mary stumbled out of the limo towards her house. The butler opened the
door for us. Once we were inside, I followed Mary to the living room
where she flopped herself down on a sofa chair. She stared at a portrait
of a man in a suit, her grandfather.

"I am going to get changed," I said retrieving my backpack filled with
my own clothes.

"Wait, what if I go through with it. I become a man?" she asked.

"You're drunk," I told her.

"Look, obviously I am not going to be making any decisions, tonight,"
she said as she opened another bottle and poured herself a shot. "But,
we can still talk, right?"

"Sure," I allowed.

"What's so terrible about being a man? I wouldn't have to deal with
pregnancy or periods. No one would look down upon me or question my
orders. I would be tough, have authority, and confidence. My
employees and my children would respect me. I wouldn't have to hide my
voice," she said.

"Right, well, you planning to be a gay man then?" I asked rhetorically.

"I mentioned children, didn't I?" she said annoyed.

"Right, but you could always adopt, get a surrogate mother, or just pay
off the real mother," I listed off.

"No, I wouldn't be gay," she said.

"Okay, you're swearing off all men? You're never going to kiss, dance,
or sleep with any men for the rest of your life? You're swearing off a
man that could provide you support and influence? Instead, you want
some whiny bitch that isn't going to give you a damn thing. She's
going to stay at home, do nothing, get fat, and annoy you for the rest
of your life," I said.

"I wouldn't pick such a person," she said confidently.

"Oh, you think so? What if she gets into drugs, drinks while pregnant
with your kid, or spends your money? What if she divorces you and
takes half of everything you own," I continued.

"We would have a prenup," she said flatly.

"Oh, good, so you thought all of this through," I mocked. "What about
men dying earlier than women. You care to lose ten years of your
life?"

"That's only because men do reckless things and that drives down the
statistics. If I stay healthy and I am not an idiot, I should last just
as long," she replied.

"You can never cheat. The media will destroy you," I continued on.

"I wouldn't," she said defensively.

"You say that now. What if she never puts out? What if she never
wants sex? You live under the assumption that your partner is always
going to be interested because you have only thought about men up til
now. What if she's a cold fish?" I asked.

"Then I am no better off than where I started from. We both know that
if I have sex with a man, he will become a woman anyway," she pointed
out.

"Who cares? Get yourself a prostitute and who cares what happens to
him afterward," I said.

"I don't do that," she refused.

"You have the power to rid the world of a lot of jackasses," I said.

She smirked at that. "I could prey on bad men and turn them into women
the next day."

"I'll help you find them. I can make you a list," I said as I thought
of all the high school boys I hated.

She took another shot and then stared at me with blood-shot eyes.
"Obviously, the choice is clear: you," she said.

"What about me?" I asked, uncertain where this was going.

"You can be the woman that can make me a man. You've kissed a girl
before, right? This wouldn't be that much different," she said.

"Whoa, this is an entirely different ball game, Mary. French kissing some
girl just for fun is not the same as girl-on-girl action," I said
dismissing it out-of-hand.

"It would only be one time," she said.

"You don't know that. It could take many sessions for all you know," I
said becoming weirded out by this conversation.

"I would be a man shortly thereafter. What's the difference?" she
asked.

"It's not about reputation, believe me. I have none," I resisted.

"Then what's the problem?" she asked.

"You're drunk," I accused.

"Just answer the question," she challenged.

"I see you as a friend. If we get weird with each other, that
friendship will never be the same. I will never be able to see you the
same way," I said honestly.

"That's going to happen regardless. I would be a man," she said
obviously.

"Yeah, but, I'll always know I was the one that caused it. And if you
become really unhappy and depressed about it, I will feel responsible
for it," I said.

"I am already miserable. I can't use my voice in public. I hire a
damn interpreter for when I go to school," she said.

"Okay, well, just maybe if we do this, I'll start to develop feelings
for the male you. You could be hot. I could be attracted to you. The
moment you become a man, we're done," I said.

"Why would we be done?" she asked.

"Men and women can't be friends. We either become lovers or
strangers," I said simply.

"I don't believe in that," she said.

"And what male friends do you have that aren't servants?" I mocked.

She looked at me uncomfortably knowing the truth. "I would treat you
well even if you weren't my girlfriend," she promised.

"You say that now. You'll be an entirely different person," I said.

"What if we went all the way? What if we got married and had kids
together? What if it didn't have to end?" she asked.

I was blown away by the question. "That isn't possible. I'm the
daughter of a fucked up family, I'm fucked up and someone like you
can't marry someone like me," I said.

"Why not?" she asked simply.

"You want to be Prince Charming and rescue Cinderella from her
problems?" I mocked. "You have standards I could never meet or what to
meet. I don't want to change to be who you need me to be," I said.

"So, what do I do?" she asked rhetorically. "Find some Lesbian off a
dating site and hope they don't freak out when I become a man the next
morning?" she asked.

"I would not advise doing that," I said and cracked a smile. "I
suggest getting a Lesbian prostitute."

"No, it has to be someone I trust. That prostitute is going to go to
the press," she said.

"Then pay her off," I said as if it were that easy.

"You have a lot of funny ideas of what the rich can and cannot do," she
said and took another shot.

"Honestly, I should be the man in our relationship, because I would get
things done," I said hammering my palm for emphasis.

"When the change happens, I want there to be someone I trust. That
person is you," she said.

I stared at her. How could I refuse her? She trusted me. What the
fuck was I thinking? Have sex with another girl? What if she did
become a man and then wanted to continue having sex with me? How could
I say no? Why would I want to say no? The easy answer was to say no
and simply walk away from all this weirdness. Still, the easy answer
was so boring. Was this not an adventure? Maybe if I got really drunk
beforehand, it would be okay.

"Get some sleep. If you feel the same way when you're sober, then we
can work something out, okay?" I said.

"Alright, deal," she agreed.

***

I woke up on the couch still in the suit. I yawned obnoxiously and
went to one of the numerous bathrooms to change into my old clothes. I
then placed the expensive suit on the counter. I looked at myself in
the mirror. My hair was a mess as usual.

I found Mary reading the newspaper with a cup of coffee, orange juice,
and a bagel. She was already dressed in a female business suit. I sat
down across from her wearing a t-shirt and shorts. She put the
newspaper down as I entered the room.

"Did you get enough sleep?" she asked.

"Yeah, fine. The couch was great," I said irritably.

"You should have asked my butler to show you a bed," she said.

"Yeah, well, it didn't occur to me to ask," I said honestly. "Why are
you so dressed up? You going somewhere?"

"I dress like this normally in case a visitor arrives," she said
simply.

I simply stared at her. "How's your head feel?" I asked referring to a
hangover.

"Fine. I took some hangover pills and this is my second cup of coffee,"
she said taking a sip.

I nodded in approval. I wished I were as thoughtful when I was drunk.
"So, now that I am fully sober, I am going to ask of you the same
thing. If you say no, I won't be offended," she said.

"We do this, there's no going back," I reminded her.

"I am aware of that," she said.

"Okay, I'm in. Do we take our clothes off now?" I asked.

"No, no, it has to be after we're both eighteen," she clarified.

"What?" I asked stupefied.

"That gives you plenty of time to rethink your position, and we would
both be consenting adults," she said.

"I think you're stalling," I accused.

"If we're going to do this, we're going to do it by the book," she
said.

"So, for a few weeks, we'll act as if there is nothing between us at
school even though we're scheduled to fuck each other?" I said
incredulously.

"Precisely. Can you handle it?" she asked.

End Part 1