Over the next two weeks, Jennifer found herself watching James with a new, quiet intensity. It started from a place of care, a desire to monitor him after his breakdown, to take his emotional temperature and ensure he wasn’t spiralling again. But the more she watched, the more she noticed what they had both seen in the mirror that night.

My mouth and eyes were dry, sunlight through my parents window caused me to stir. I rubbed my eyes a little, after opening them I realised what a mistake that was. I had been wearing mascara, eyeliner and eyeshadow last night and hadn't removed it prior to sleep. The black smudged transfer on my hands led me to expect the same on my face.

Bob waited for me after Drama Club. He had two tickets to the premiere of the new Secret Sissy Spy film. Actually it was Secret Sissy Spy 3. Technically that film had had its Hollywood premiere already but this was the national cinema premiere. He had won the tickets in a call-in radio show.

“Why don’t you go there with your girlfriend?” and then I remembered that his latest girlfriend was history. Bob had quite a lot of history. Rather ironic since he got Ds in that subject.

“No, I just want to see an action movie with a friend that appreciates action movies.”

Over the next few years, I gradually taught her more and more things. Ellie continued to amaze me with how bright she really was, and how much she could learn. She seemed as capable as any woman of her apparent age.

Following the consequences of allowing himself to be drawn further and further from manhood, Pat now found himself forced to face the family members who had always questioned who wore the pants in the relationship--though they had never suspected the truth of his current wardrobe.
You'll notice this part strays even further from the original story than the first, though it still follows the same conclusion.

Bull
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

People would say that you cannot ever meet two friend more different than me and PJ Leitch. But the fact is that we grew up in the country on neighboring farms, and a bike pathe beside the road between them. We had a hand in making that path, and also our special track down to the Lohanokie River in front and other up into the Campbell Mountains behind. We loved the outdoors in those days. Hell, I still do.

There were only three boys in the locker room at the ballet studio. We used to be best friends all through middle school. Then we started to drift apart in high school. I know why I pulled back, and I regretted it, but I had no idea why my best friends had not only drifted away from me but also from each other. We had been such a close-knit group. Standing together against the world. Three “girly” boys.