Erinna followed her cousins, Nancy, Brandi, and Shelby, into one store after the other. Her cousins and Nancy had one objective, buy a new wardrobe for the new girls. She felt hard-pressed to keep up with these shopping demons, but she couldn’t deny that she loved it.

“Alright, you three to the changing rooms,” ordered Cousin Amy while pointing to Erinna, Brandi, and Destiny. She acted like the group’s boss, and no one would say otherwise if she told them to do something.

Nancy had a feeling that Amy knew the truth about Brandi. She first took Brandi in for a bra measurement, making Nancy suspect. Of course, Brandi needed bras, and she had done a great job hiding that fact from everyone until now. They didn’t argue at all and entered the changing rooms. Amy handed Erinna, Brandi, and Destiny a pile of clothes to try on.

“You too, little one, Erinna’s friend is our friend,” Amy informed Shelby before handing her a couple of dresses, blouses, skirts, and various other tops and pushing her into the changing room before she could say anything.

“Don’t even try, Shelby. No one argues with Amy,” Erinna said with a giggle from the changing room.

“The little monkey is right. If these clothes fit, you will be going home with them. The same goes for Brandi, no argument,” Amy called from outside the rooms. Nancy had a blast, watching Brandi attempt to argue every time Amy handed her a new pile of clothes, which would only backfire on her.

“Nancy, would you mind if we talked for a bit?” Amy asked in a hushed tone so none of her sisters would hear her.

Nancy looked uncertain but nodded and followed Amy. She was worried about what Amy will ask, but she went ahead anyway.

“What do you want to talk about?” Nancy asked first, not waiting for Amy to start the discussion.

“Is Brandi a GCS girl?” Amy asked, getting straight to the point. She had seen what Brandi’s body looked like; her body had developed naturally. It was one no male would have; her breasts were too large to have been caused by a hormonal imbalance. Hormone pills or hormone blockers did not develop Brandi’s body, for she couldn’t have started taking hormones or hormone blockers long ago. Amy could only make one conclusion, Brandi is a GCS girl. After all, Brandi lacked a lot of basic knowledge about being a girl.

Nancy was astonished that Amy immediately guessed it right. Nancy had her suspicions but never thought that Amy guessed it correctly.

“How did you know?” Nancy was trying hard to hide that Brandi was a GCS girl. Still, Amy figured it out. If it weren’t for Brandon trying to look like a hunk and hiding behind his big mouth, everyone would have seen the real Brandi long ago.

“Oh, please. I have known Destiny for years and have seen her development. I know a new GCS girl when I see one, except for Erinna, of course, but she’s something else. Even like Dennis, Destiny was shy and distant but knowledgeable and artistic. Though Erinna seemed to have a switch that flipped to change her from a boy into girly mode suddenly.” Amy explained.
They made their way back and ensured the girls couldn’t get away without modeling everything they tried on. Hitting one store after another, Erinna was getting tired, and the pain in her feet was starting to grow. Her new white open-toed one-inch kitten-heeled ankle booties looked great, and she loved them, but it was beginning to take an effort walking in them. Her outfit matched her nails, the white knee-length straight dress with a belt around the waist, and a pair of baby-blue opaque tights covered her legs. She wore a long white wool coat and had exchanged her black purse for a baby-blue one.

Noticing that Erinna was getting tired, Nancy suggested they stop for lunch and rest for a bit. Realizing Nancy’s intentions, Amy agreed with her. She could tell that Erinna was more daring than either Destiny or Brandi. After all, neither of them agreed to wear heels, even if they liked them. On the other hand, Erinna was always eager to try something new. Heading over to the food court, everyone took a seat.

“Alright, girls, after lunch, we have two more stops, then we will go home. We don’t want to be late,” Amy announced as everyone looked relieved. While it had been fun shopping, they weren’t looking forward to going into more stores. Everyone was already carrying numerous bags; they could barely carry out more. Also, they were getting tired of going through store after store.

Amy, Nancy, and Olivia left the table to get food for everyone, while they left Emma, Destiny, Brandi, Shelby, and Erinna sitting on the table. Once the older girls had walked away, a group of boys their age approached them. Emma was able to notice it immediately. “Don’t look, but we have company,” Emma announced, giggling.

“What do you....” Brandi tried to ask, but a boy interrupted, cutting her off.
“Hi, girls, would you like to come with us and have some fun?” the boy asked. He was short and had short brown hair in a buzz cut. None of the girls looked impressed with him at all. No one even paid any attention to him. Erinna and Emma had both decided to ignore them just because they didn’t feel like replying, and Shelby, Destiny, and Brandi were too nervous to answer.

After a second of awkward silence, the boy decided to speak again. “I said hi. Are you deaf?” The boy sarcastically said, looking back to his buddies who were laughing.

None of the girls found it amusing. A smile on Emma’s face meant she was ready to strike back.

“Yes, we heard you, so stop barking already. Hold on. I should have a bone for you somewhere in my purse,” Emma opened her purse. “Aw, I don’t have one, sorry, I must have given it to my dog,” added Emma as she smiled sweetly at the boy. The girls struggled to stop laughing as the boy’s face turned red.

Trying to save face, the boy snatched Emma’s purse away and opened it.

“What? Don’t you believe me? See, there’s no bone in there,” stated Emma, making the girls giggle loudly.

Being the fearless child she’s known for and not seeing anyone intimidating, Erinna stood up, facing the boy. “Give it back,” Erinna instructed with no hint of worry or nervousness.

“Or what? You will kiss me?” the boy laughed, making Erinna roll her eyes.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Emma said with a giggle knowing what would be coming next. After all, she knew her cousin, and becoming a girl, changed nothing about Erinna’s bravery.

Erinna sighed and shook her head, thinking, “Why do I always have to end up doing this?” Erinna quickly raised her leg and kicked the boy right in his balls. “Was that a good kiss?” Erinna sarcastically asked as the boy dropped Emma’s purse, sank to his knees, and held his crotch while making weird wheezing noises.

The boy’s group started to laugh as Erinna smiled sweetly, picked up Emma’s purse, and handed it back before returning to her seat as if nothing had happened.

Amy chose this moment to return, not knowing what had happened but hearing the noises. “What’s going on here?” Amy was a very tall, athletic girl and stood at 6’2”, towering over all these boys. She was an intimidating sight, and she knew it.

At the same time, the boys saw a female security guard walking toward them, and she didn’t look pleased. “Shit, she’s coming again. Let’s get out of here,” one of the boys shouted as they all ran, deserting their friend, who hobbled away as he tried to catch up to them.

The security guard arrived at their table and sighed. “Are you ok, girls? Those boys are real troublemakers.” She looked at the girls individually, trying to assess if they were all ok.

“We’re all ok, thanks. They know how to deal with boys like them, so I wouldn’t worry too much,” Amy replied, looking towards Erinna, who shrugged.

“Well, if they ever come around again, come and find me. Have a nice day, everyone, and enjoy your shopping,” she said and turned on her heels, walking away.

Once the guard had left, Amy looked at Erinna with a smirk. “I guess you kicked him, right?” Amy asked, already knowing the answer.

“How did you know it was Erinna?” Shelby asked, as she had only seen Amy come after Erinna had kicked the boy. She found it amusing that Erinna, who was just a bit taller than her, could fearlessly make a boy fall to his knees. She only wished she could be as brave as her friend.

“Well, no one can make a boy whimper like that better than Erinna. I’m afraid he will see her kick in his nightmares,” Amy joked, causing everyone to laugh as Erinna stuck her tongue out at her cousin. “He got what was coming his way, but next time try to aim for other places instead of his balls. It can be serious if you hit a boy too hard there.”

She didn’t mind seeing one of those boys kicked by Erinna. Amy always encouraged Erinna to defend herself, but a kick like that could send a boy to the hospital. It was something she didn’t want to happen.

Soon afterward, everyone enjoyed a chicken wrap sandwich and was back at it again for more shopping. The first store they went to was for sportswear. Amy went to the swimsuits looking for a one-piece suit in Erinna’s size. Once she had found the right size, she collected a blue and a black one. Amy then took it upon herself to find regular sportswear for Erinna and Destiny. She competed with Nancy when picking out sports bras, tops, shorts, and yoga pants for Erinna. It was fun for both of them, but not for Erinna, who had to try on every item they picked and handed to her.
By the time they left the mall, Erinna was utterly exhausted as they met up with Leslie, who volunteered to pick them up after shopping since Amy’s car wasn’t big enough.

“How was your day, Destiny?” Leslie asked as the girls started to put their bags in the trunk.

“It was fun, mom,” she replied with a smile. Destiny felt that becoming a girl was her destiny, and her new name reflected her feelings. Even before Destiny knew she had GCS, her sisters would secretly help her dress in feminine clothes. They doubted that Leslie would oppose it since she would always comment on how beautiful Dennis was, and Jack wouldn’t say anything to upset Leslie.

“Erinna, I love your outfit. It’s simply adorable,” Leslie said as Erinna, Brandi, Shelby, and Emma all got in her car while Nancy and Olivia, along with Destiny, went to Amy’s car. Nancy wanted to get to know Erinna’s cousins better.

“Thank you, aunty.” Erinna blushed a bit as she thanked her aunt. She still wasn’t used to being called beautiful, cute, or adorable. It was all so new to her.

“By the way, if you don’t mind us intruding, we will stay at your house until the new year. Also, Liam and Lucas will be coming over too,” Leslie informed Erinna while looking at her in the car’s mirror. She could already see the excitement in her eyes. It was a family tradition that they gathered together before Christmas until the new year in their mother’s grandparent’s home. Erinna was unaware that this year would be different since her mom’s parents were going on a vacation to Spain and wouldn’t be back until the new year.

“Is Angelo coming?” Erinna asked excitedly. Angelo was her three-year-old cousin Erinna adored, and he was also very attached to Erinna, knowing how much she spoils him. The only problem is that getting him to leave her would be hard. He just won’t let go and stuck to her like glue.

“Duh, if uncle Liam is coming, then Angelo will be coming as well,” Emma noted. She struggled to understand why Angelo was attached to her younger cousins, Erinna and Maria, more than anyone else
Leslie reached Heather’s place and parked the car in front of the house on the street. Amy was just behind her as she parked her car as well.

Everyone went inside the house. Shelby went to find her dad and stepbrother. Erinna went to see her mom and found her in her home office. The door was open, so Erinna entered. Heather was reading something on her laptop when she noticed Erinna come in. She immediately put her computer in sleep mode and looked at Erinna with a big smile.

“Look at you, my dear. You look beautiful,” Heather gushed, leaving her office and walking over to Erinna.

“Thank you, mommy. I also love it. The shoes hurt a bit, though,” Erinna said, hugging her mom. Saying that the shoes hurt slightly was an understatement as Erinna’s feet cried for relief.

“You’re silly,” Heather said, kissing Erinna’s forehead, understanding what Erinna had meant. Still, she was amazed. When she was Erinna’s age, she didn’t ever remember wearing shoes with such high heels. They also took her time to master, and her daughter nailed it in less than a day. “You need to learn how to walk before you can run. Why don’t you change these shoes into something more comfortable?” Heather suggested.
“But these shoes look so cute, mommy,” Erinna pouted in protest.
Heather laughed a bit. Erinna’s reaction showed her that she never really had a son. Although Heather had loved Erinna as Ryan, and her love never changed, she now could see that Erinna had always been a girl. Erinna was like a flower bud that had waited for the perfect conditions to bloom into the most beautiful flower in the world.

Heather couldn’t see anyone prettier than her daughter. “I bought you a couple of cute flats yesterday. Why don’t you try on one of them for me?” Heather suggested knowing how to get Erinna to agree with her.

“Ok, Mommy,” Erinna agreed as she walked up to her room. The moment she entered the room, she was surprised at the changes made to her room. The new vanity table, a completely new addition to her room, was the most notable change. Sitting on the bed was an old friend whom Erinna had almost forgotten. A brown Teddy Bear was wearing a tuxedo jacket and a top hat. It had been very long since she had last seen it.

When she was four years old, Erinna received this teddy bear, a gift from George. Erinna named him Mr. Baloo. Mr. Baloo was like a best friend to Erinna, and she took him with her everywhere she went. She couldn’t remember exactly when or why she put him away, but she was happy to see him back.

Another change was the bedsheets. They were blue satin with flowers printed, not super girly but girly enough for Erinna’s liking. Erinna found a pair of white ballet flats beside the bed, so she sat down and removed her booties, placing them neatly beside the bed, then reached out and picked up the pair of flats and put them on. Once Erinna buckled the straps, she left her purse on the nightstand, left the room, and headed downstairs.

As Erinna entered the hallway, someone knocked her over with a loud squeal and a hug. Erinna looked up to see her mirror image holding onto her. Except for her longer, darker hair and slightly more prominent nose, she could have been her twin sister.

“You look adorable,” Maria giggled, causing Erinna to start laughing.

“You too,” Erinna replied, starting to giggle again. “Can I get up, please?”

Maria stood up, allowing Erinna to stand up as well. Maria was the prettiest girl and the girliest girl Erinna had ever known. Erinna knew that all of Maria’s male classmates were falling over each other to gain her favor, as she had seen before.

Two years ago, Maria chose a sport to play to keep her body healthy and in good shape. She didn’t like rough sports that might get her hair or clothes dirty. Maria chose swimming since most of her cousins were swimmers, and her mom used to be a swimmer. Maria quickly discovered that swimming was in her blood and loved it.

“Erinna, I love your hair. I want my hair styled just like it,” Maria commented, making Erinna giggle even more. Before Erinna could reply, Maria dragged her by the arm, pulling her to the front door where her parents and brother were putting their coats away.
“
“Mommy, look, look,” Maria excitedly called for her mom’s attention.

It took Lynn only one look to smile at seeing her new niece. She could tell from the pictures she received today that Erinna and Destiny were adjusting very well. She thought it would take Erinna more time to change, but she knew, in the end, Erinna would be happy living as a girl. “That hairstyle suits you, sweetheart. Your dress also matches your nails perfectly,” Lynn complimented, making Erinna blush and smile.

“Mommy, I want a hairstyle just like Erinna’s,” Maria informed her mom, pointing to Erinna’s hairstyle. Maria had her hair in a long single braid that reached just above her waist, so it surprised everyone that she wanted a shorter haircut like her cousin.

“Are you sure about this, Princess? It took you a long time to grow your hair that long,” Mark exclaimed. He could never say no to Maria but didn’t want her to regret it later. Maria would sometimes regret a rash decision, and he wouldn’t hear the end of it.

“Yes, daddy, please. Then we can grow out our hair together afterward,” Maria added, looking at her dad with begging puppy eyes, making him sigh. He looked towards Lynn, who just nodded back and shrugged. Mark smiled and nodded ok, causing Maria to squeal and run to hug her dad.

At the end of the hallway stood Amy, with Olivia calmly observing the situation. “Amy, you owe me ten dollars,” smugly said Olivia extending her hand.

Amy just groaned and handed her little sister the money. “Fine, you won fair and square, but you will be cleaning mom’s workshop for the next month,” Amy announced with an evil smirk.

“That’s not fair, and you can’t do that,” Olivia protested. She knew that lately, Leslie had been very busy finishing her spring collection and even enlisted help from Destiny. Amy was now in charge at home, and she decided on the chores.

“Pay up, or suck it up,” Amy chanted while looking at Olivia’s face. “You have to bribe me now,” Amy added as an evil grin appeared on her face, and she held out her hand, palm up. She had her way of getting back her money and more. It was a sight to behold.

“Fine,” Olivia sighed, giving Amy back her ten dollars. Amy just kept her palm open, expecting more. Olivia groaned, handing Amy another ten dollars.

Amy just smiled and walked away. She would later put the money back in Olivia’s purse, but she wasn’t about to let her celebrate her victory.

Later that day, all the kids gathered in the living room while the adults sat in the backyard. Erinna’s friends had gone home with their families and the Collins.

It was a tradition for the family to dress up in formal attire until they had dinner on the first day of their gathering. Everyone in the family complied, including the adults. After dinner, they could change into something more casual if they wanted. The boys wore formal black pants and white shirts, all the girls wore white blouses, black skirts, and white tights, and everyone wore black shoes.

Erinna could get away with wearing another pair of kitten’s heel shoes. They looked exactly like the ones she was wearing before but were black. Surprisingly Amy had bought the same shoes for Maria but one size smaller, knowing that she would match Erinna.

“So, George, who was that cute girl? I noticed you couldn’t keep your eyes off her?” asked Frank. He was Lynn’s oldest son and a senior in high school. Although he had a body fit for sports, he was not that much into it and just stayed in shape.

“His girlfriend,” Erinna stated before George could reply, not taking her eyes off her tablet as she competed against Maria in a puzzle game. Both of them were trying to solve it before the other.

“She’s not my girlfriend, well, not yet,” George replied, mumbling the last part. Upon hearing Erinna, George glared back at her. As much as he would love to say that Nancy was his girlfriend, he didn’t want to say it in front of his cousins, or he wouldn’t hear the end of it. George didn’t like to invite his cousins into his personal life, especially these two. They were like older brothers sometimes, they were good, and he could learn things from them, but they were annoying sometimes.

“What’s her name, by the way? I didn’t ask her. Maybe I should ask her on a date,” Joe said, teasing George, earning himself a punch in the ribs. Joe was like an older version of Maria and Erinna and looked like his mom. Of course, he knows how it feels to be mistaken for a girl. That didn’t mean Joe was not a guy and didn’t act like one. Although he had a gentle nature, he would viciously protect Maria if he had to.

“You don’t have a chance,” Erinna announced with a giggle, still focused on her tablet. “George already asked her out, and she said yes,” she added, earning another glare from George.

“I will also tell Lyla that you’re chasing after George’s girlfriend,” Maria informed Joe.

The other girls couldn’t help but laugh, especially Amy. It was funny how these two little girls could invade and dominate the boys’ conversation. They were unopposed, and the boys didn’t know how to deal with their little sisters.

George, however, knew how to get revenge on Erinna, and he knew just the thing. “But I’m not the only one who’s admiring a girl. Maybe everyone would love to know the name of Erinna’s first admirer?” George said with a sly grin on his face, this was going to be fun, and he knew it. He and Nancy had already witnessed Oliver kissing Erinna a goodbye kiss on the cheek without anyone else seeing it. They vowed to make them remember this moment forever.

Erinna’s eyes left her tablet for the first time, and she looked with surprise at George, noting his sly smile. She realized that this wasn’t good. But Erinna was in luck since Jeff chose this moment to walk into the room. “What admirer?” Jeff asked with a raised eyebrow. He was not ready to allow boys to approach his baby girl since she was his gem, his treasure, and not someone else’s.

“Oh, nothing, dad. If someone had eyes for Erinna, would you allow her to date a boy?” George asked, already knowing the answer. After all, if it were anyone other than Oliver, he wouldn’t allow them within 20 miles of Erinna. George wasn’t sure if Oliver or not would matter to his dad. He doubted it, though.

“Of course not,” Jeff answered immediately without even thinking about it. He didn’t need to think about it. Like any dad, he knew the answer before anyone even asked him. “Listen, Erinna, you’re not allowed to date until you’re 31,” Jeff added, with a big smile, trying to sound strict but not as severe as before.

Erinna stared at Jeff as her jaw dropped. This restriction was new to her. Like Ryan, Jeff would tease her by asking if she had found a girlfriend, but now things were just the opposite. She was still learning what it meant to be Daddy’s girl, so it was natural to be surprised.

“Not until 31? Daddy, that’s not fair,” Erinna protested, pouting. Maria started giggling, not realizing that her dad Mark stood behind Jeff.

“Well, that doesn’t just apply to Erinna alone. The same goes for you too, Maria,” Mark announced. Both dads said this as a joke but were serious about protecting their daughters. This joke didn’t come without consequences, however.

At that moment, everyone was distracted by the sound of the doorbell. Heather rushed to open the door, and behind the door were none other than her brothers, Liam and Lucas, with their wives. When the girls heard the sound of their uncle, Liam, they both rushed to the door to greet their uncles, but they were more interested in seeing someone else.

“Angelo,” both girls squealed, seeing their baby cousin. He ran towards the girls but then stopped in front of them. Angelo looked between the two of them in confusion. He could see that something was different, but he couldn’t understand what had changed.

“It’s his first time seeing you two in matching clothes,” Angelo’s mom, Hattie, explained, smiling. Both girls were a great help to her. She had no issue paying them to babysit Angelo if that’s what it took for them to look after him. After all, it was hard to keep Angelo still in one place, something both girls managed to do wonderfully.

“Just because we don’t have a baby shouldn’t mean you ignore us,” Lucas joked, seeing the girl’s whole focus on Angelo. “Come here,” he said, taking the girls in a bear-crushing hug.

Now that everyone had arrived, Heather could finally start setting dinner. The girls took care of Angelo, giving his mom the freedom to help Heather. Both girls pretended to be angry with their fathers and wouldn’t talk to them throughout the afternoon until it was time for dinner. However, Jeff and Mark couldn’t ignore their daughters and unsuccessfully tried everything they could to get them to talk to them again.

Both Heather and Lynn couldn’t help but laugh at them. It was cute how the big intimidating men would do anything for their girls. “Ok, what’s going on here?” Heather asked as everyone took their seat at the dining table. She could see Jeff trying to sweet-talk Erinna, who rolled her eyes and turned her head the other way.

“Daddy and Uncle Jeff said we can’t date until we’re 31,” Maria answered, causing everyone at the table to laugh, especially uncle Jack, who now has four daughters. He had messed up many things in his life, but he wasn’t willing to mess up his relationship with his daughters. He had only realized how wrong he was for trying to toughen Destiny when he had still thought of her as a boy. Jack finally realized his mistake and treated Destiny as one of his daughters.

“Look, girls, I can tell you’re mad at your fathers, but I know they only want to protect you. Believe me when I say no boy or man can love you more than your father,” Jack spoke sincerely, earning an odd look from Leslie.

She had the right, as these words originated from a conversation with Destiny last night. Jack was worried that after the way he had treated her, Destiny would hate him. So, he asked Leslie to talk with her.

Leslie explained to her daughter how sorry Jack was for mistreating her.
“He loves you, sweetie, and would do anything for you.”

Destiny replied to her stepmom, “I understand how much Daddy loves me. I love Daddy too, and he will always be my first love despite how poorly he treated me.” She continued, “Daddy hadn’t yet realized that I was always his daughter, but he understands me now.”

Since they had a late dinner, it was straight to bed for Erinna and Maria. They were already half-asleep when Mark and Jeff carried them to Erinna’s room. They decided that both girls would share her room, while the other girls shared one of the guest rooms, and the boys would share George’s room.

Jeff carefully helped Erinna out of her shoes, then the blouse and the skirt. He took off her bra and helped her into one of her long-sleeve nighties. Mark emerged from the bathroom with Maria dressed in a similar nightie over his shoulder. They didn’t bother removing their tights as they laid the girls beside each other on the bed. Both girls received a kiss on the forehead before Mark and Jeff walked out of the room.

“Good night, Princesses,” Jeff said before closing the door behind him.