Gene Rookwood slammed the front door of his house behind him. He was not in a very good mood right now, and he knew things were gonna get even worse now that he was home.

"Gene? You're home?" Gene heard his father Reginald say.

"Yeah," said Gene.

"What happened?" Reginald asked. "Did you get off work early?"

Gene went into the living room, where his dad Reginald and stepmom Paulette were sitting on the couch. "No," said Gene. "I got fired."

Reginald's jaw dropped. "You were fired?"

"Yeah," said Gene. "I saw Cassy there and tried to talk to her, and she snitched on me to my manager."

"Cassy," Paulette repeated. "She's your girlfriend, right?"

"Ex," Gene repeated, putting as much contempt as he could into his voice. "She dumped me yesterday, and I went up to her and asked her what her deal was. Then she ran off and found my manager."

Reginald and Paulette exchanged glances. "Well, if you're unemployed now," said Reginald, "Then perhaps you should-"

"You deserved it," said a new voice. Gene turned to see that the person he hated more than anyone else in the world had entered the room. It was Ramona Dunby-Gene's new stepsister. Gene and Ramona were in the same grade at school, and they'd hated one another from the first day of their Freshman year. Gene was a natural-born ladies' man, flirting with every girl he saw and trying to win them over-something Ramona highly disapproved of. Meanwhile, Ramona was on the cheerleading squad and acted like she owned the school, which really rubbed Gene the wrong way. And the fact that they were "siblings" now rubbed them even harder the wrong way. In the month and a half since their parents had married, and they moved into their new house, there had been a lot of tension around the house between them.

"Stay out of it, Ramona," Gene said through clenched teeth.

"I think I have a pretty good idea of what happened," Ramona went on. "Cassy just happened to show up at that stupid hot dog stand where you work, and then you went up to her and tried to grab her boobs. And then you-"

"That's not what happened!" Gene shouted. And the fact that Ramona didn't even flinch somehow made him even angrier.

"Hey!" Reginald said, standing up and getting in between Gene and Ramona. "Remember what we talked about Sunday night? How we're all gonna try and get along better?"

"She started it," said Gene.

"And for that, you'll be grounded," Reginald said to Ramona. "But you, Gene..." He looked at his son with disappointment. "We'll talk later."

Gene bit his lip. "Of course," he said.

***

After dinner that evening, Gene did indeed have a talk with his dad and stepmom. He told them the truth-partially. He told them that he'd gone out to talk to Cassy, and that he'd been fired for it. While technically true, this left out the details of the bigger picture. Just days ago, Gene had been over at his girlfriend Cassy Grange's house when he tried to talk her into having sex with him. This had put off Cassy so much, she dumped Gene and threw him out of her house. Which made him furious. Then, today, Cassy had happened to go to the hot dog stand where Gene worked with her brother. Gene's schedule wasn't very consistent, so Cassy hadn't realized he'd be there. And once Gene saw Cassy, he left his post to go let her have it. When Gene's manager came out to see what was going on, Cassy told him the whole story. To which the manager had said the two worst words he could've said to any employee: "You're fired." As angry as Gene was about the whole thing, he knew better than to tell his parents. Because then he'd come out looking even worse.

As it was, Gene's parents ended up forbidding him from seeing his sketchy friends for the rest of the summer. Gene wasn't exactly happy about that, but it wasn't his biggest concern. What he really wanted was to finish what he'd started at the hot dog stand. Fortunately, he knew where Cassy worked. She had a summer job at the bookstore in the mall just down the street from Gene's house. Unlike Gene, Cassy had a much more consistent schedule. She worked Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 4:00 PM to closing. So Gene knew exactly where to find her.

After dinner Friday night, three days after he'd lost his job, Gene went out to go to the mall. He'd told his parents he was going to the store for some milk, but that was a lie. In reality, he was making a beeline for the mall's bookstore.

Gene went down to the mall's lower level and found the bookstore called Bates And Strong. He entered through the doors and saw that-aha! There was Cassy, stocking the shelves with a new shipment of books. "Hey busty-tits," Gene said when he saw Cassy. It was a term he often used for insulting girls that had turned him down.

Cassy gasped when she saw Gene. "Gene," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Giving you what you deserve," Gene answered, clenching his fists. "First you dumped me, then you got me fired from my job!"

"Gene, I didn't know that you'd be there!" Cassy defended. "I tried to talk my brother out of taking me, because I was worried you might be there-"

"Well, I've lost my job, and it's all your fault!" Gene said. "Need I remind you, I've only got one more year of high school left. I'm going off to college next year, and I need to save up money for it!"

Cassy took a step back in fear. Under different circumstances, Gene might've found it cute. The way her brown eyes widened, and her mouth opened, and her dark red hair fell behind her head...some girls looked even sexier when they were scared. But Gene was too mad at Cassy to care.

"Hey!" said a new voice. "What's going on here?" Gene looked up and felt a jolt of fear himself. It was Cassy's manager, Mirna Abbot. Gene had met her once before when he'd come in to visit Cassy at her job, and he did not like her. From the moment she first laid eyes on him, she always seemed to be glaring at him. Even when he was just casually talking with Cassy, Mirna kept eyeing Gene suspiciously like she was half expecting him to steal something.

"He's trying to harass me!" Cassy said quickly.

"What-no, I-"

"I saw what I saw," said Mirna. "And I can NOT have you treat my employees like this!"

"Okay, fine," said Gene. "I'll just go-"

"Oh no," said Mirna. "You are coming with me." She grabbed Gene by the arm and pulled him past the store's front counter and into the back room.

"What are you doing?" Gene asked.

"Cassy told me all about your....relationship," said Mirna. "She told me that whenever you were at her house, you kept trying to touch her breasts and her butt, even without her permission. Is this true?"

Gene's jaw dropped. It was true-but why would Cassy tell her boss, of all people, about it?

"And then you tried to force her to have sex with you," Mirna went on. "Is that right?"

"That's none of your business," said Gene.

"I've had some talks with that stepsister of yours, too," said Mirna. "She told me Cassy's not even the first girl you've sexually harassed."

Oh, Ramona, you bitch, Gene thought. Once he got home, he was going to rip her hair from her skull. "So? What do you care?"

"I care because men like you make things much harder for us women," said Mirna. "So I'm going to teach you a lesson!" She snapped her fingers, and Gene became encased in a large orb of blue magic sparkles.

"What the...how are you..." Gene trailed off when he saw his brown hair grow out in front of his face. As he swept it out, he felt that his face was changing shape, becoming more feminine. "Oh my gosh," Gene gasped. "Am I..."

"Becoming hotter?" Mirna asked, smiling cruelly. "Why, yes you are. Just look at those beautiful boobs you have now!"

Gene looked down and realized Mirna was right. His whole body was smoothing down and becoming more feminine. His arms were becoming thinner, his body fat was melting away, and a pair of round, squishy boobs were growing on his chest. He might've been turned on if he weren't so scared.

"And that big, rounded ass," said Mirna. "Just like how you like your women, is it not? Oh, and that ugly, disgusting mound on you...that's got to go too."

That couldn't be good. Gene grabbed at his penis and balls through his pants, hoping he could somehow hold on to them. But, under his hand, his genitals shrunk away until there was only a smooth space. He, or rather now she, felt pain as her insides rearranged to fit in her new female reproductive system. Meanwhile, her butt cheeks grew out, and her thighs thickened.

"No! No! No!" Gene cried, then suddenly realized that her voice was higher. "Wait. Is that...my voice?"

"Yep," said Mirna. "And it is now Genesis."

"G-G-Genesis?"

"That's right," said Mirna. The orb of magic sparkles disappeared, and Genesis' clothes shifted to become more feminine. "Look at you, pretty lady. You're a sight for sore eyes."

Genesis glared at Mirna. "You're a witch, aren't you?" she deduced. "Change me back right now, or else!"

"Or else what?" Mirna asked. "This is your punishment. You've spent your whole life treating women as objects to satisfy your own lustful desires. Now let's see how you like it."

"But my family! My friends! My teachers! How are they gonna-"

"They'll all remember you as Genesis," said Mirna. "As far as they know, there was never a Gene Rookwood. That is, once I've finished casting my memory-altering spell..."

"I gotta go," said Genesis.

"Whoa, there." Mirna snapped her fingers, and Genesis was immediately frozen in place. "I'm not done with you yet."

"What more do you want from me?" Genesis asked.

"I imagine you're wondering what you can do to get me to change you back," said Mirna.

Genesis nodded.

"Well, I'll be watching you," said Mirna. "Once you learn to respect women, then I'll consider changing you back. But only if you're a good girl." She waved her hand, and Genesis was unfrozen. "Now, go."

Genesis would've lashed out at Mirna, but she was too afraid to do it. She just turned and ran out of the back room. She didn't even bother to stop and talk to Cassy. She was just desperate to get out of there and get back home.

To be continued...

Genesis ran home as fast as her legs could carry her. What Mirna had said about casting a mass memory-altering spell really scared her. She did NOT want her father to forget the son that he had-and, okay, Genesis supposed her stepmom could be in on it, too. She'd need their help to figure out a way out of this mess.

When Genesis got home, she threw open the front door and ran into the kitchen. There, she saw her stepmom working on washing the dishes. Paulette looked up at Genesis and frowned. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm your stepson Gene," Genesis answered. "I just had a run-in with a witch, and she turned me into a girl!"

"What's going on here?" Genesis' dad asked as he came into the room.

"Dad, listen," said Genesis. "I'm Gene. I just got turned into a girl!"

"I'm not your dad," said Reginald.

"Yes, you are." Genesis struggled to think of something only her father would know. "Remember when Mom-not Paulette, my real mom-left us when I was seven? And then she got a job as a middle school History teacher, and died in a school shooting?"

Reginald's jaw dropped. "What...how did you..."

"She took me with her at first," said Genesis. "When she died, the government decided I'd get to live with you again."

"That's exactly what happened," said Reginald. He looked closer at Genesis and realized that her features did somewhat resemble that of Gene's. "And you...you do kind of look like Gene..."

"Do I?" Genesis hadn't given a thought as to what she now looked like. She hadn't even seen a reflection of herself.

"Well, not exactly like him," said Reginald. "But if Gene were female, I think he'd look like you."

"I am Gene," said Genesis. "And I guess I am female now."

"What's your girl name?" Paulette asked.

"Genesis," Genesis answered. "That's what the witch said."

"So you paid Cassy a little visit at the mall, did you?" Genesis turned to see Ramona entering the kitchen with a sadistic, triumphant smile on her face. "Got a little more than what you bargained for?"

Genesis' jaw dropped. "Ramona?" she said. "You knew Cassy's boss was a witch?"

Ramona nodded. "I worked at that bookstore last summer, you know," she said. "Mirna let me in on some of her secrets. And, since you just had Cassy dump you, I figured you'd be going out to try to get back at her, and then catch the eye of her boss. And it looks like I was right."

"Hold on," said Paulette. "She turned you into a girl just for talking to Cassy?"

Genesis hung her head. "No," she admitted. "There was...a little more to it than that." She explained how, as Gene, he'd tried to get Cassy to have sex with him, only to be rebuffed. Then she launched into the story about what really happened at the hot dog stand, and the horrible scene in the mall bookstore.

By the time Genesis was finished, Reginald was shaking his head. "I'm very disappointed in you, young...lady," he said. "I hate to say it, but Cassy's boss is right. You do need to learn how to respect women."

"But-but I just wanted to have sex with someone!" said Genesis. "I just wanted to know what it felt like! And Cassy was my girlfriend, so I figured-"

"Girls aren't just toys to be played with," said Ramona. "We're people, just like you are. And we don't like being objectified. You, Gene-excuse me, Genesis-have been an insufferable womanizer all throughout high school. And now you're finally getting what you deserve."

Hearing Ramona talk like this made Genesis' blood boil. Since the moment Gene met her, Ramona had been spying on him and keeping track of everything bad he did, as if she was hoping she could find something to blackmail him with. And of course now that Gene had gotten himself into a load of trouble, Ramona was taking the opportunity to walk all over him. Bitch was not the right word to describe how Genesis felt about Ramona right now.

"Yes, thank you, Ramona," Paulette said sternly. "Now, Genesis, did Cassy's boss say anything about changing you back?"

"She said not until I 'learn to respect women,'" Genesis answered.

"Like that'll ever happen," Ramona scoffed.

Well, that was it for Genesis. Looking back, she wasn't sure what happened. Maybe, somehow, her male hormones hadn't quite worn off yet, and they were contributing to her aggression. Whatever the case, she lashed out and hit Ramona across the face. "Would you just shut the fuck up!" Genesis screamed.

"That's it," Reginald barked. "To your rooms! Now! Both of you!"

Genesis and Ramona glared at each other, but they complied.

***

Genesis paced inside her room. It now looked quite different from how it had before. When she entered, a wave of magic sparkles had passed through it and completely changed it. The boy clothes in her dresser and closet were replaced with girls' clothes, and a mirror had appeared above her desk. All her action figures and video game guidebooks had vanished and were replaced with stacks of romance novels (thankfully, without Twilight among them). This, Genesis presumed, was the result of Mirna's mass-memory altering spell. It not just changed people's memories, but the world around them, too.

Genesis was just starting to wonder if the memory-altering spell had affected her parents' minds when Reginald knocked on her bedroom door. "Yeah?" said Genesis.

"It's me, your dad," said Reginald. "Can I come in now?"

"Sure," Genesis said, though she had a feeling her dad would've come in no matter what she said.

Reginald opened the door and looked around Genesis' new room. "So the spell changed your room, too," he said.

"What-you still remember?" said Genesis. "That I was Gene?"

"Yes, I do," said Reginald. "Somehow, Mirna's spell didn't affect me or Paulette."

"Maybe because I told you before it took effect?" Genesis suggested.

"Perhaps," said Reginald. "Which brings me to what happened just now."

Genesis breathed really heavy out of her nose. "Look, I know I shouldn't have hit Ramona," she said, though she honestly didn't feel any shame. Now that she was a girl, it felt a lot less "wrong" to hit another girl. "But she said-"

"Yes, I know she was egging you on," said Reginald. "But if you give in, then you're just encouraging her to keep being mean to you."

"What is her deal?" Genesis asked. "Why has she been out to get me all throughout high school?"

"Because she sees that you haven't been very respectful to women, and she doesn't like that," Reginald said simply.

"It's not just me," said Genesis. "She walks over everyone else at school, too. She's just such a bitch all the time."

Reginald slowly nodded. "I know she's not very easy to get along with," he said. "But there's a lot about Ramona that you don't know."

"I know what I need to know," said Genesis. "She's a bitch who hates everyone around her. End of story."

"There's more to it than that," said Reginald. "There are some deep wounds inside of Ramona that still haven't healed. I've told you before about how she and Paulette have been recovering from a very bad marriage."

Genesis rolled her eyes. She did know the story...sort of. Paulette had married some guy who'd turned out to be really awful, and the marriage had fallen apart. Reginald and Paulette had told Gene the story a few times over, but it had mostly gone in one ear and out the other. All he knew that Reginald marrying Paulette would make Ramona his sister, which he was very much opposed to.

"Yeah, I know," said Genesis. "Ramona's dad was a dick, blah blah blah."

It was Reginald's turn to sigh. "Gene-er, Genesis-I understand you have a hard past with Ramona. But, like it or not, she is family now. You're going to have to put aside your differences with her somehow."

"If she'll even let me," said Genesis.

"We'll have to work with her on that," said Reginald. "And we'll have to work with you, too. Not just on bonding with Ramona, but adjusting to your new life as a girl."

"Well, if everyone else besides you and Paulette-and Ramona-remembers me as Genesis, then that's one less problem," said Genesis.

"Yes, it is," said Reginald. "The real problem is adjusting to living as a girl. We'll have to have Paulette teach you how to wear girl clothes, and do your hair, and..." He trailed off, wondering how to word what he wanted to say. "Well, you do have a...different body now..."

"Yeah," said Genesis. Suddenly, she became aware of a sensation down in her pelvic area. She'd felt a sensation like this as a guy, but this time, it was in a different configuration. "Speaking of which..."

"What?"

Genesis smiled awkwardly. "I have to pee," she said.

To be continued...

For the next few weeks of the summer, Genesis took some lessons in being a girl. Paulette sat down with her and taught her how to braid her hair and do her makeup. It all felt really uncomfortable to Genesis. Being a girl was supposed to be a temporary thing, but everyone was acting like it was a permanent one. And it didn't help that her room didn't even feel the same.

Have you ever had someone "clean" your house, and when you're done, you can't find anything? That was how Genesis felt now that her room had been turned into a girls' room. Her dresser drawers were now filled with panties, short shorts, tank tops, and-erp!-bras. (That was easily the worst part of being a girl. Wearing a bra all day was SO uncomfortable, even if it did prevent her boobs from jiggling all over the place.) All the books and video games Genesis used to play had disappeared. And, to her utmost shock, she found a diary tucked under her bed. Was that it? In this new world, "Genesis" wrote in a diary? No. No fucking way. Genesis didn't even bother opening the diary to see what her quote-unquote "past self" had written in it. She was NOT going to accept this new life. Not in the long term, anyway.

However, there was something new to consider: school. On Monday, August 28, 2023, one week before school was supposed to start, a letter came in the mail for Genesis. It was her syllabus of what classes she'd be taking this school year, along with some other information for the new school year.

Genesis opened the envelope, and a school ID card fell out. Genesis picked it up and saw a picture of herself on it. She had to admit, she did look kind of cute. But seeing her new name, Genesis Cynthia Rookwood, printed out felt strange. It was like this was her certified new identity.

"Is that your course syllabus?" Reginald said as he walked by Genesis.

"Yeah," Genesis answered. She read over her class schedule and saw no real surprises. English, Calculus, Government/Economics, French, and Art. Everything she'd signed up for at the end of the last school year.

"Last night Paulette and I were talking," said Reginald. "We were wondering if you'd be interested in joining the cheerleading squad."

"Uh...no," said Genesis.

"Why not?"

"Well...you know Ramona does cheerleading," said Genesis. "And she said she was gonna be the captain this year."

"We know," said Reginald. "But if you're on the cheerleading squad with Ramona, maybe that can be a chance for you to work out your differences."

Genesis didn't think that would do any good. She and her stepsister really hadn't gotten much chummier since their recent fight. Neither of them had really spoken to one another, but the tension was definitely there. "I'm not sure about that," she said.

"Remember what we talked about before," said Reginald. "Ramona's family now. If you build a positive connection with her, then you won't have to get in fights anymore."

"I guess," Genesis sighed. "But even then...I don't want to be a cheerleader."

"Remember in middle school, when you did gymnastics?"

"That was different. Cheerleading is just...jumping around and shaking pom-poms."

"Hey, you're already a girl, and you don't know how long it'll be before Cassy's boss decides to change you back," said Reginald. "Might as well make the most of it."

"I guess," said Genesis. She stood up to go get a drink of water, but stopped when she felt a sharp tightening in her lower abdomen. "Ow!" she cried.

"What's wrong?"

Genesis doubled over, clutching herself just below the belly button. "I...it hurts," she said.

"Where is it?" Reginald asked. "Is it in the appendix area?" He'd had appendicitis when he was in his twenties, and he'd harbored a secret worry that Gene/Genesis might end up getting it too.

"I don't know," said Genesis.

Ramona was sitting at the kitchen table eating from a bowl of cereal, but when she heard Genesis groaning in pain, she looked up. "I think I know what it is," she said.

"What?"

"Your period."

"My what?"

"Your period. What you're feeling is the cramps that come with your period."

Genesis' heart sank. She'd had a talk with Paulette about what to expect from her menstrual cycle, but nothing could prepare her for when she experienced it firsthand. "Oh no," she said. "Does this mean..."

"You may wanna check your pants," said Ramona.

Genesis tore from the kitchen and went upstairs to the bathroom. She locked the door, pulled her pants down, and sat on the toilet. Sure enough, she was already bleeding. She frantically opened one of the drawers beneath the sink where the pads and tampons were kept. Since she didn't feel comfortable putting in a tampon, she opted to get a pad instead. Even then, it took her several minutes to figure out how to set it properly in her panties. And by the time she'd pulled her pants back up and started washing her hands, her cramps still hadn't let up.

When Genesis left the bathroom, she ran into Paulette. "Hey," Paulette said when she saw the pained look on her stepdaughter's face. "How do you feel?"

"Awful," Genesis answered.

Paulette nodded sympathetically. "I know," she said. "Being a woman is a hassle, isn't it?"

Genesis nodded.

***

The next morning, Genesis went back to the mall. She wasn't looking for Cassy-rather, she was looking for her boss Mirna. Genesis had had quite enough of being a girl, and she was going to demand Mirna to make her a boy again.

Genesis felt a surge of relief when she saw that yes, Mirna was there at the bookstore. "Hey," Genesis said when she saw Mirna. "I need to talk to you."

Mirna smiled a falsely sweet smile when she saw Genesis. "Well hello, Miss Rookwood," she said. "Enjoying your new life so far?"

"No," Genesis answered. "I need you to change me back right now."

"Oh, but I can't do that yet," said Mirna.

"Yes, you can," said Genesis. "I know Cassy didn't like it when I tried to make her have sex with me, but this really isn't necessary!"

"As a matter of fact, it is," said Mirna. "There is an old saying, 'how things change when the shoe is on the other foot.' Now that you're getting to experience being a girl, you should understand how it feels to be objectified and used as a sex slave."

"I do understand!" said Genesis. "I know it's hard being a girl, okay?"

Mirna shook her head. "It seems you haven't learned your lesson quite yet," she said. "From the pain in your eyes, I think I know what's really happening. You're experiencing the pains that all women have to go through, regardless of whether they're being ogled by womanizing men, and want to be rid of them. Not because you truly feel remorse for how you've treated women in the past."

Genesis said nothing. She knew Mirna was right.

"Like I said, I'll be watching you," said Mirna. "When the times comes, I will change you back into Gene, I promise."

"Got it." Genesis turned and slunk away with her tail between her legs.

To be continued...

On the first day of school, Genesis rode with Ramona to school. Unlike Genesis, Ramona had her own car that her mother had helped pay for. Genesis had never thought she'd be riding in the school bully's car, but here she was now.

"Listen," Ramona said as they pulled into the school's parking lot, "My mom told me she and your dad signed you up for the cheerleading squad-"

"Yes, I know," said Genesis. "First practice is after school today, right?"

"Right," said Ramona. She parked the car, then inhaled deeply before speaking again. "Genesis, this is my last year of being a cheerleader. For the last three years, I've been working hard on the cheerleading squad, and I've gone to every regional cheer competition, but I've never won once. This year is my last chance. Especially because I'm the team captain this time."

"And why are you telling me?"

"Because if I had my way, you wouldn't have signed up for the cheerleading squad," Ramona answered.

Genesis glared at Ramona. "I didn't want to sign up, either," she said icily. "My dad-and your mom-made me do it."

"I know," said Ramona. "So please, please, please don't fuck this up. If I don't win the regionals this year, then I might not be able to keep cheerleading in college."

"Don't be stupid," said Genesis. "You don't have to win regionals-"

"It'll look much better on my record if I do," said Ramona. "And I lose because of you..." She let the threat hang in the air.

Fuck you, Ramona, Genesis thought.

***

Genesis sulked through the hallway that led to her Homeroom class. Going back to school was already hard enough without knowing she'd have to endure cheer practice with her bitch of a stepsister. Everything looked the same as it did before-the classroom doors, the lockers, the bathrooms, everything. Genesis even recognized many of the same students and teachers. But since she was a girl now, and everyone remembered her as such, she couldn't look at it the same way again. It was like everyone else had watched a movie with an actress playing Genesis' part, doing things she wouldn't have done, and now Genesis was put in that actress' place.

Fortunately, Genesis' spirits were lifted when she got to her Homeroom class. There, she saw that her Homeroom teacher was Mr. Aaron, who she'd had English with last year and the year before that. Mr. Aaron wasn't just a good teacher-he was a really gool guy to boot. Gene had once declared Mr. Aaron his all-time favorite teacher. Likewise, Mr. Aaron seemed to take a liking to Gene.

Much to Genesis' delight, she'd apparently gotten on well with Mr. Aaron in this new "timeline" as well. "Good morning, Miss Rookwood," Mr. Aaron said with a smile when he saw Genesis.

"Hi Mr. Aaron," said Genesis.

"How was your summer?"

Genesis' smile disappeared. "Not good," she answered.

"Why? What happened?"

"My dad married Ramona Dunby's mom," said Genesis.

"Ooh," Mr. Aaron cringed. He'd been aware of Gene's rivalry with Ramona, and Gene had kept him filled in on Reginald's courtship with Paulette. "I'll bet that's rough."

"It is," said Genesis. "And what's even worse is that they made me sign up for the cheerleading squad."

Mr. Aaron nodded. "You've never been very interested in cheerleading, have you?" he said.

"Nope," Genesis answered. "But my dad and stepmom think that if I'm on the cheerleading squad with Ramona, then we might be able to work out our differences. But to be honest with you, I don't think that's gonna happen."

"Yeah, Ramona Dunby, she's...something else," said Mr. Aaron.

"Plus, I've never been a cheerleader before," said Genesis. "I don't know if I'll be any good."

"Don't worry," said Mr. Aaron. "I've graded your assignments for two years. I know how hardworking you are. If you put your mind to it, you can be a good cheerleader."

Genesis smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Aaron," she said.

***

Cheerleading practice was held in the gym after Sixth Period had ended. Genesis left her textbooks and binders in her locker and then made for the gym. She was nearing the end of the hallway when she was ambushed. "Hey," said a familiar voice. Genesis turned, and when she saw who it was, her heart stopped. It was her old friend Wallace Mendoza. When Genesis was Gene, Wallace was his best friend. The two of them had bonded over video games and TV shows they liked, but they'd also chased a lot of girls together. But, unlike Gene, Wallace had actually succeeded in getting girls to sleep with him. None of them had been happy about it, but he'd seduced them into it.

Under different circumstances, Genesis would've been happy to see an old friend. But she didn't like the way Wallace was looking at her. "Hey, Busty," he said, ogling Genesis' large boobs.

"My name's not Busty," said Genesis.

"Oh, I know," said Wallace. "I'm just teasing you."

Genesis' cheeks went red. As Gene, she'd said that exact thing to girls he was hitting on.

"You know, I think we had First Period together," Wallace went on. "You had Calculus with Mrs. Underwood, is that right?"

"No," Genesis lied.

"Nah, I recognized you in the class," said Wallace. "I wanted to talk to you, but I never got the chance."

"That's great," said Genesis. "Look, I've got to be somewhere right now, so..."

"Oh, by all means, go," said Wallace, "But maybe you and I can go out later." He winked suggestively.

Genesis got out of there in a flash.

So this is what Mirna meant, Genesis thought as she went to the gym. She wanted me to experience firsthand what it felt like when I tried to get girls to have sex with me. What disturbed her even more was that Wallace had said many of the same things Gene had said when trying to seduce girls. Now that Genesis was the butt of such harassment...it hit her in a way nothing else could. Not only did she feel humiliated, but also, for the first time, she was starting to feel ashamed of herself. It might've been the most traumatic moment of her life.

"Whatever," Genesis told herself, trying to break out of her funk. "I'm going to cheerleading practice now. Maybe that'll get my mind off it."

To be continued...

Genesis opened the door to the gym. There she saw Ramona in her cheerleader's outfit, talking to the cheerleading coach Mrs. Wilson. "Why hello, Genesis," Mrs. Wilson said when she saw Genesis. "Welcome to the cheer squad!"

Genesis forced a smile. "Thanks, Mrs. Wilson," she said.

"Here's your uniform," Ramona said, tossing Genesis a cheerleader outfit. "The other girls are already changing."

"Got it," said Genesis. It wasn't until she was pushing open the door to the girls' locker room that she realized what she was really doing. She was marching right into the girls' locker room at school. As Gene, he'd schemed with his friends about how they could sneak in there and get some pictures of some girls in their underwear. Now Genesis didn't have to "sneak" into a girls' locker room or bathroom, since she actually was a girl. It would've been an opportunity to be a sort of double agent for her friends, but all her old guy friends didn't even remember her as a guy. Her encounter with Wallace was proof enough of that.

When Genesis rounded a corner, she saw that the rest of the cheerleaders were already changing into their uniforms. Genesis recognized a few of the girls in there. There was Talia Adams, who somehow looked even skinnier in her underwear. There were the Warren sisters, Ally and Amanda. There was also another girl who looked vaguely familiar, though Genesis couldn't quite place it.

"Hey," said the familiar-looking girl. She was about Genesis' age, with dark brown skin, beetle-black eyes, and curly black hair that went to her shoulder blades. The girl had already taken off her shirt, revealing a blue sports bra and a well-toned abdomen. "You're Genesis Rookwood."

"Yeah, that's...me," said Genesis.

"I sat next to you in History last year," the other girl said. "Do you remember me?"

"Oh yeah, I do," Genesis remembered. "You're...Charlotte Shetty, right?"

"Yes," said Charlotte. "You used to help me out with the assignments Mrs. Butterman gave us."

"That's right," said Genesis. Truthfully, she remembered no such thing. Gene had never really given Charlotte much attention. But in the newly created "timeline," Charlotte had actually been something of an acquaintance to Genesis. Genesis just hoped Charlotte wouldn't bring up something Genesis didn't remember.

"So you're gonna be a cheerleader now," said Charlotte. "Even though Ramona Dunby is the captain, and you hate her?"

"Yes," Genesis said ruefully. "My parents made me."

"That's right," said Ally Warren. "Isn't Ramona your stepsister now?"

"Unfortunately, yes," said Genesis. She undid her belt and started to pull down her jeans. "My dad married her mom over the summer."

"That sucks," said Amanda Warren. "People like Ramona give us cheerleaders a bad name."

"You said it," said Ally. "Ramona deserves to eat lunch by herself on the floor at the edge of the cafeteria."

"No offense, Genesis," Amanda said quickly.

Genesis had been taking off her shirt, but she froze when she heard what Amanda said. "Why would I be offended?" she asked.

"Well, Ramona's your stepsister now," said Amanda, "And it's kind of rude to bad-mouth someone's family members..."

"Oh, Ramona and I are NOT family," said Genesis. "And being on the cheer squad with her isn't gonna change that."

"Don't worry, being a cheerleader isn't all bad," said Talia. "All the boys are gonna want you."

Genesis frowned. "For better or for worse," she said.

"Oh yeah," Talia said, nodding understanding. "You might get some unwanted attention sometimes."

"Actually, I did just now," said Genesis. She told them about her run-in with Wallace Mendoza.

As she was talking, Ramona came in. "Did you say Wallace Mendoza?" she asked.

"Yes," said Genesis. "On my way here, I ran into him, and he tried to hit on me."

"Did he, now?" Ramona said with a slight smile. Ramona knew Gene used to be friends with Wallace. From the look in her eyes, she must've been savoring the idea of Genesis being sexually harassed by one of her former friends.

"That's Wallace," Charlotte said ruefully. "He's drawn to whatever has a vagina."

"Hey," said Ally, "Could you not say that word?"

"Vagina, vagina, vagina," Ramona said flatly. "Get over it, Ally. You have one, don't you?"

Ally hung her head in shame. "Yes," she admitted.

"Then you can call it what it is," said Ramona. She turned to Genesis and saw that she'd managed to slide on her cheerleader uniform. "Wow," Ramona said, her expression softening. "That uniform looks good on you."

"Does it?" Genesis looked at herself in the mirror, and...yeah, she DID look really hot! The uniform was somewhat tight, showing off Genesis' sexy physique. It boasted the orange and black colors of their school's mascot, which looked pretty good with Genesis' light skin and dark hair. In that moment, Genesis believed what Talia had said-she would be a magnet for guys.

"Yes, you do look really good," Ramona said with, surprisingly, no hint of sarcasm. "But looking good is only half the part. Let's see how well you do with actual cheerleading."

***

Mrs. Wilson oversaw the girls as they went through some basic cheerleading routines. At first, things went okay. Genesis did her jumping and pom-pom shaking as Mrs. Wilson and Ramona instructed. No one really said anything, so she wasn't sure how good of a job she was doing. But she did feel kind of silly doing it. Now that she thought about it, she had no idea how necessary cheerleaders really were. Okay, they definitely served their purpose of making guys get hard in their pants, but did they actually help boost football players' morale and push them to do better? Were there any studies done to prove it? Genesis decided she was going to look it up when she got home.

Towards the end of practice, however, things started to go awry. This was where Ramona had everyone practice forming a pyramid. She and Mrs. Wilson laid out a padded mat and started organizing everyone based on their weight. Since Genesis was in the middle weight class, it was decided that she'd be part of their pyramid's middle layer. "Okay, Genesis," said Ramona, "We're gonna have Charlotte and Talia be the ones holding you up, while you and Amanda hold up Ally. Got that?"

"Got it," said Genesis. She watched as Charlotte and Talia both got down on their hands and knees with their backs held out rigidly like steps for Genesis to climb on. Okay, Genesis said to herself. You can do this. She climbed onto Charlotte's and Talia's backs. It felt really awkward, having her hands and knees resting on two different surfaces, both of which felt like they could collapse at any moment. It was all Genesis could do to keep her balance on her fellow cheerleaders' backs.

Out of the corner of her eye, Genesis saw Amanda climbing onto the backs of two of the other cheerleaders. She braced herself, knowing that Ally would be climbing on top of her next. Genesis did her best to maintain her posture as Ally climbed up and tried to find her footing. But when Ally accidentally pinched the skin behind Genesis' shoulder blade, she reflexively cried out in pain. Before she knew it, Genesis had lost her posture-as did Charlotte and Talia. The whole cheerleader pyramid collapsed, with everyone landing in a heap on the floor.

"What was that?" Ramona asked. Even though no one was hurt, she still looked rather annoyed.

"It was Genesis," said Talia. "She's the one who fell."

"I didn't mean to!" Genesis defended. "Ally pinched my shoulder blade, and I-"

"Come on, now, Genesis!" Ramona scolded. "You have to maintain your posture! If you keep this up, you might get someone hurt! Remember last year when Alexis Britt fell, and she had to go to the hospital?"

"How would I know?" Genesis spat. "I wasn't even on the cheer squad last year!"

"Yes, but surely you must've heard about it?" Ramona shot back. "It was the talk of the school. Oh, but you probably didn't know, because you were too busy chasing girls to-"

"Girls!" Mrs. Wilson said, getting between the two of them. "This is NOT helping. Genesis, you need to work on holding your formation. And Ramona, you have to remember that Genesis is a beginner. If I recall correctly, you messed up a lot when you started cheerleading, too."

Ramona bit her lip. Her coach was right. "Sorry, Genesis," she said, though her tone didn't sound sorry at all.

Not wanting to look at her slimeball of a stepsister anymore, Genesis turned to Ally. "Sorry, Ally," she said.

"No, I'm sorry," said Ally. "I'm the one who pinched you."

"Well, accidents happen," said Genesis.

***

After practice was over, Genesis steered clear of Ramona. She didn't even bother going back into the locker room to change back into her regular clothes. She just kept her cheerleader uniform on and left the gym.

"Hey," said a female voice. Genesis turned and saw Charlotte coming up to her, still in her cheerleader outfit too. "Sorry about what happened back there."

"Oh, it's not your fault," said Genesis.

"No, I'm not talking about that," said Charlotte. "I'm talking about Ramona."

Genesis slowly nodded. "I hate her," she said. "I can't believe she's my sister now."

"I'll bet," said Charlotte. "I don't know if you knew, but I used to be best friends with her."

Genesis froze in her tracks. "Really?" she asked.

"Really," said Charlotte. "Back in elementary school, me and Ramona were best friends. We hung out a lot back then, but when I ended up going to a different middle school than her, we kind of fell out of touch. By the time we got to high school, she'd already kind of..."

"Become a bitch?"

"Yeah. I mean, we're still kind of friends, just...not as close as we used to be."

"Interesting." Come to think of it, Ramona did seem relatively civil towards Charlotte during the cheer practice. Genesis hadn't really picked up on it, since she was so busy trying not to screw things up, but hearing about Charlotte's past with Ramona made her realize it.

"But I've always felt bad for you," said Charlotte. "I've seen you get in fights with Ramona at school. It's pretty depressing, knowing how nice Ramona used to be."

"Ramona, a nice person?" Genesis said with disbelief.

"That's how she was when we were younger," said Charlotte. "But Ramona, well...she's seen some things in her life."

"Oh yeah," Genesis said vaguely. She'd heard that from her father way too many times-that Paulette and Ramona were recovering from a bad marriage. Maybe she'd felt bad for them at first, but its effect had long worn off-especially when Genesis reminded herself of how mean Ramona was to her.

"Just try to be patient with her," said Charlotte. "She's a piece of work, but she does have a softer side. Sometimes."

"Let's hope so," said Genesis.

Charlotte looked at her phone and saw a text. "Oh, my ride is here," she said. "But I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks, Charlotte," said Genesis. As she watched Charlotte walk off, she realized something else. She may have just found something that would be valuable to helping her survive life as a girl-a friend.

To be continued...

The next few cheerleading practices went better. Determined not to get in another fight with Ramona, Genesis tried her best to perform the cheer stunts and routines as Mrs. Wilson instructed. By the end of the first week, Genesis had gotten the hang of the basic routines. It helped that the other cheerleaders, especially Charlotte, were very supportive of her. Which made sense, considering that the whole point of cheerleaders was to be supportive.

Aside from cheerleading, Genesis tried to stay under the radar at school. She knew Wallace had the hots for her, and she was determined not to let him get at her. During her First Period Calculus class, she avoided making eye contact with Wallace. Once or twice, she thought she heard him calling her name, but she pretended not to hear him. All the same, she had a nasty feeling he was staring at her boobs and butt behind her back.

Before Genesis knew it, several weeks had passed, and they were nearing the end of September. And it seemed like all anyone could talk about was the Homecoming Dance taking place on October 7, 2023. Everywhere Genesis looked, people were distributing proposal mini-posters to people who they wanted to go to the Homecoming Dance with. This gave Genesis even more reason to avoid Wallace Mendoza-she didn't even want to think what his proposal might look like. But, to her surprise, he made no such advances.

Genesis couldn't stop to worry about getting asked out, though. The first real sports game the cheer squad would be cheering at was the Homecoming football game, which would take place on October 6. Determined to make a good first impression, Ramona worked her team harder than ever before. She ordered them about like a drill sergeant and extended the cheer practices for as long as Mrs. Wilson would let her. Genesis and her fellow cheerleaders felt exhausted after every practice.

"Ugh," Charlotte said when she entered the locker room to get changed on Thursday, September 28, 2023. "Another day of cheer boot camp."

"I know," Genesis grumbled. She'd already taken off her shirt and pants, and now she was sliding on her cheerleader uniform. "Ramona's pushing us way too hard."

"I think becoming captain has changed her," said Talia. "She's never been this extreme with cheerleading."

"It's because this is her last year of high school," Genesis said, remembering her conversation with Ramona on the first day of school. "She wants to make sure we win the regional championships."

"I know," said Janell Beck, one of the other cheerleaders. "We made it to the regionals last year, and we lost. Ramona was really sad about that."

"Imagine what Aubrey Murdock would think if she saw us," said Talia.

"She was our captain last year," Charlotte explained to Genesis.

Right then, Ramona stormed into the locker room-already in her cheer uniform, no less. "What are you all doing in here?" she asked. "We've gotta start practicing now!"

"We're coming," Amanda grumbled. She and the other cheerleaders that had gotten changed started out of the locker room after Ramona.

Genesis was going with them, but Charlotte stopped her. "Hey Genesis," she said. "You know the Homecoming Dance?"

"Of course," said Genesis. "Everyone's been talking about it."

"Are you going with anyone?"

"No. I wasn't really planning on going, so..."

"Oh. I was going to ask if you'd want to go with me."

"With you?"

"Yeah. Just as a friend."

For the first time in weeks, Genesis' heart lifted. She'd been meaning to ask Charlotte if she'd want to get together outside of school, but she never really got a chance. Admittedly, the Homecoming Dance was a school-related thing, but still. "Of course!" said Genesis. "I'd be happy to!"

"Great," said Charlotte.

Ramona stuck her head back in. "Did I say stand around and talk?" she asked. "No! I said get out and start practicing now!"

"We have got to get a better captain," Charlotte said to herself.

***

To Ramona's disappointment, the Homecoming football game ended up getting delayed to Sunday because of rain. But the Homecoming Dance was still on. Since Ramona was planning on driving there with her sketchy friends, Genesis had to coordinate with Charlotte. As it turned out, Charlotte had her own driver's license, so she could drive herself and Genesis to the Homecoming Dance.

The dance was held in the school's gym, which had been decked out with an "outer space" theme. There were shiny silver stars plastered all over the walls, with a couple spaceships and planets mixed in. Near the entrance was a photo spot where people could take pictures in front of a backdrop that depicted the moon's landscape. Genesis and Charlotte both got their picture taken at the picture spot.

"Wow," Genesis said when she and Charlotte were handed their printed pictures. "We look like we landed on the moon!"

"I know," said Charlotte. "And in our Homecoming dresses!"

Genesis smiled. Looking at her picture, she realized how much she really liked how her Homecoming dress looked. Reginald and Paulette had helped her choose a sky-blue dress that looked pretty, but not too over-the-top. Genesis ultimately hadn't cared that much, since she knew she'd have Mirna turn her back into a boy sooner or later, and then her time as a girl would become obsolete. But now she was glad she'd gone with the dress she'd chosen.

As more people trickled in, the DJ turned up the music, and the dance got started for real. Genesis and Charlotte made their way through the dance floor, occasionally joining in the dancing and getting food from the food table. But after a while, the DJ put on a slow song.

Genesis felt her stomach jump. "Oh boy," she said. "Is this where we..." She turned to Charlotte, but she'd already started slow-dancing with Edward Brooks.

Great, Genesis thought. She'd have to slow-dance with a boy! As Gene, he'd only slow-danced with a girl once or twice, so the idea of being on the other end felt rather absurd. But before she could give it any more thought, a boy about her age came up to her. "Hey," the boy said. "Want to dance?"

Genesis swallowed nervously. She hated the idea of dancing with a boy, but she didn't want to be rude and turn this one down. "I guess," she said. She tried to not panic as the boy put his right hand on her waist, and she put her left hand on his shoulder. This just felt wrong. Everyone might've seen her as such, but Genesis was not a woman. She was a man forced into a different body as punishment for sexually harassing girls. By this point, Genesis was ready to admit that her behavior had been wrong, but she also wanted more than anything to be changed back. Things were going WAY too far.

"So what's your name?" the boy asked.

"Oh...I'm Genesis," Genesis answered.

"Nice," said the boy. "My name's Marvin Locke."

"Marvin Locke," Genesis repeated.

"Yeah. My mom wanted to name me Mario, but my dad didn't want to."

"What? Why not?"

"Well, my dad's a big fan of the Super Mario games," said Marvin, "And I guess he thought it would be sacrilegious to name his son after Mario."

"That's stupid," said Genesis. "Just because Nintendo has a character named Mario, doesn't mean other people can't be named Mario."

"I know," said Marvin. "They can't own a monopoly on a person's name. But to be honest with you, I don't really mind my name. When you grow up being called by a name, you kind of get used to it."

"Yeah," said Genesis. She could kind of relate to what Marvin was saying. For his whole life, he'd been known as Gene, so having everyone call him by another name that was only vaguely similar to her old one felt weird.

"You're on the cheerleading squad, right?" Marvin asked.

"Yes, but I hate it," said Genesis.

"That sucks," said Marvin.

A moment later, the son ended. "Well, thanks for the dance," said Marvin.

"Thank you too," said Genesis. But she felt more relieved than grateful when Marvin took his hand off her waist.

***

The rest of the night was pretty standard for a school dance. Genesis got to hang out with Charlotte more and get some more food, and even participate in a dance circle. In spite of the awkward slow-dance, she still enjoyed herself. Which naturally meant something was bound to go wrong.

Towards the end of the night, Genesis decided she was going to take a bathroom break as an excuse to avoid another slow song. She left the gym and made for the small building that housed the bathrooms nearby. But on the way, she saw a twenty-dollar bill lying on the ground. When she saw it, she smiled. "Finders keepers," Genesis said to herself. She bent over to pick up the twenty dollars. But as she was doing so, she felt something lift up her dress' skirt from behind.

"Ha, gotcha!" said the voice of Wallace Mendoza. Genesis looked behind her and almost threw up. Wallace had come out of nowhere and lifted up her skirt, exposing her thin white panties.

"Wallace!" Genesis growled. She yanked her dress' skirt out of his hand and slapped him across the face. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"What any man wants," said Wallace. "Trying to get himself a hot girl."

"Are you kidding?" Genesis screamed. "You set up a trap just so you can pull up my skirt? That is not how you make a girl like you!" It felt crazy, hearing herself say that, considering she'd done similar things to girls in the past. But right now, she didn't care. All she cared about was letting out her feelings toward the creeped-out whackjob taht was Wallace Mendoza.

"Come on, girly girl," Wallace said, grabbing Genesis' hand. "You know you want me." He ran his other hand over Genesis' boob-which, strangely, felt kind of good, but it still set Genesis off.

"NO!" Genesis balled her free hand and punched Wallace square in the face. She hit him with even more force than she'd hit Ramona with. Wallace let go of her hand and fell on his butt. When he looked back up, Genesis saw that she'd bloodied his nose.

"You little bitch," Wallace said through a mouthful of blood.

"WHAT IS GOING ON BACK HERE?" another voice asked. Genesis turned and saw one of the dance chaperones, Mrs. Rose, approaching. Not far behind was Mr. Aaron.

"She punched me!" said Wallace.

"He pulled up my skirt!" Genesis defended. "And then tried to grope my boobs!"

"Is this true?" Mrs. Rose asked Wallace.

"It is, I saw it," said Mr. Aaron. "Wallace, we've given you lots of warnings about sexually harassing girls, and yet you come out here and try to perv out on Genesis Rookwood!"

"Mr. Aaron, I swear, I didn't-"

"Oh, yes you did," said Mr. Aaron. "And we cannot tolerate this anymore. I'm going to directly report you to the principal, and I'm very wrong if I don't think he'll expel you."

Underneath his bloodied nose, Wallace nodded. "Y-yes, sir." He got up, then furtively ran off.

Mr. Aaron turned to Genesis. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I-I'm fine," Genesis lied. Only now was she realizing what she'd really done. She'd assaulted her classmate and former friend. "I just punched Wallace. I'm gonna get in trouble, aren't I?"

"No, you're not," said Mr. Aaron. "He was sexually assaulting you, and you were acting in self-defense."

Genesis started to cry. "He-he tried to grab my boobs. He..."

"It's okay," Mr. Aaron said, giving Genesis a hug. "You'll be okay. Wallace is gonna get what he deserves now."

Genesis' expression hardened. "Yes," she said. "Wallace does deserve to get kicked out of school."

To be continued...

Genesis' memories of what happened next were scattered.

After the encounter with Wallace, she went back inside the gym and met back up with Charlotte, who then gave Genesis a ride home while consoling her about the traumatic event. Then Genesis got home and opened up to her parents about the incident. Both of them were just as horrified as Genesis expected. Even Ramona didn't seem to have many insults in store. Reginald and Paulette sat down with Genesis and tried to console her, but Genesis didn't care. She just wanted to go to bed and forget this whole thing happened.

When she awoke the next morning, however, Genesis still didn't feel good. As she got out of bed and went into the bathroom, she felt bloated and lightheaded. It didn't help that her reflection in the mirror looked really messy. But when she sat down on the toilet to pee, she found out why she felt so blah. She'd started her period again.

"Ugh," Genesis groaned. Why did it have to be so hard being a woman? Why did she have to deal with so much pain and discomfort every month? She grumpily performed the maintenance necessary for dealing with menstrual periods-putting on a pad and then taking a Midol pill from the bottle Ramona kept in one of the bathroom drawers. But by the time she'd washed her hands and left the bathroom, she still didn't feel any better.

Genesis went into the kitchen to get herself some food. There she found Ramona making herself a bowl of oatmeal. "Hey," Genesis said halfheartedly.

"Hey," said Ramona. "Feeling better?"

"No," said Genesis. "I just got my period. Again."

"Ah," said Ramona. Surprisingly, she didn't sound very rude or demeaning. She wasn't about to admit it, but it seemed like Ramona felt sorry for Genesis after what happened at the dance last night.

"And tonight's the Homecoming football game," Genesis went on. "And I don't know if I can get through it."

"You're gonna have to," said Ramona. "This is our first real performance this school year. We're going to need everyone-even you-to do the best they can."

"Even when I'm on my period?"

Ramona's eyebrows knit together. All of a sudden, she slipped right back into the bitchy persona that she was known for. "Genesis, part of being a woman is looking and acting your best even when Aunt Flo is in for a visit. Do you think my mom's boss at work cares if she's in a lot of pain from her period? No, he does not. He requires her to be in for work whenever she is scheduled, no matter what her body is doing."

"Even if she's vomiting, or her appendix burst, or she gets diagnosed with cancer?"

"You know what I mean," said Ramona. "If every other woman in the world can put up with having their period, you can too."

Genesis was astounded at Ramona's audacity. She was a girl, too, so if anyone should get what Genesis was going through, it was her. But it didn't seem like there was anything Genesis could do to change her mind. All she could really do was slump her shoulders and saunter out of the room.

***

At Paulette's suggestion, Genesis went for a walk around the block later that morning-which, to her surprise, did make her feel better. In fact, for the rest of the afternoon, she did feel pretty good considering what time of the month it was. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to last. When the evening came, and Genesis had to get ready to go to the Homecoming football game, she started to feel nauseous.

"Here," Reginald said when Genesis told him she wasn't feeling so good. "Try taking some enzymes. That might help."

"Thanks," said Genesis. She took an enzyme capsule from her father and ate it. "Think I'll be okay tonight?"

"Of course you will," said Reginald.

"I hope you're right," said Genesis.

Genesis and Ramona rode with their parents to the school. They got there a little early so Genesis and Ramona could prepare for cheerleading. As Genesis did the warm-up exercises with her fellow cheerleaders, she felt her nausea continue despite taking the enzyme. She couldn't help feeling worried, because over the years she'd heard conflicting advice about whether exercise would make you more or less likely to throw up. She sincerely hoped the latter was true, because she did not need any more trouble.

When the students, parents, teachers, and other spectators started filing into the footballs stands, the cheerleaders did a basic welcoming routine. Genesis tried to ignore the cramping in her stomach and abdomen, doing her cheer moves and smiling for the crowd. She couldn't help wondering if the people could tell that she was faking being happy, and that she was actually in quite a bit of pain.

All throughout the game, Genesis sat on the bench beside the field with the other cheerleaders. She watched the football game to try to distract herself from the pain, which helped. Sort of. And she did get up to do cheers every once in a while.

After the first quarter had passed, Genesis was sitting on the bench when she heard someone from behind her. "Hey Gene," said the voice. Genesis turned and, to her shock, saw that it was Cassy.

"Cassy?" Genesis asked, stunned.

"Hi there," Cassy said, giving a triumphant smile. "How are you liking your new life?"

"What the...you know? You actually know?"

"Oh yes," said Cassy. "Mirna told me. Since you harassing me was the reason she turned you into a girl, she felt like I had a right to know."

Genesis glared at Cassy. "Well, it's been awful," she said. "I just had Wallace Mendoza-my former best friend!-try to rape me at the Homecoming Dance!"

"Yes, I heard all about it," said Cassy. "It seems that you're experiencing firsthand how you made girls like me feel."

"I am," said Genesis. "And I've had quite enough of it. Mirna has to change me back right now."

"You really think so?"

"Of course! I get it now! I know I shouldn't have treated you like I did! Or...any of those other girls that I tried to sleep with. So could you please put in a word with your boss and tell her that I can be changed back now?"

Cassy slowly shook her head. "I'm not sure she'll be willing to do that just yet," she said.

"Please! This whole thing is going way too far!"

"Well...I can talk to her," said Cassy. "But I can't promise she'll say yes."

"Okay." Genesis reached over the metal wire fence and hugged Cassy. She wasn't sure why she did that-it just seemed like a girly thing to do. "Thank you."

***

Eventually, they got to halftime, where the cheer squad had to do the big cheer routine they'd been training for. Genesis felt her heart racing as she got into formation with the rest of the cheerleaders. You got this, she said to herself. She'd been practicing this routine and done it successfully lots of times this week. She could do it again tonight.

For a minute there, things went okay. Genesis and Charlotte did a couple cartwheels and stood aside for the other cheerleaders to come in and dance. Once they'd performed their moves, everyone formed up to create a pyramid. Genesis got onto the backs of Talia and Amanda, ready to support the weight of Charlotte. But as everyone was climbing over her, and Ramona got on top to jump up and cheer at the top of her lungs, Genesis' nausea started to rise to a crescendo. She tried to hold it down, but it was building up like water behind a dam. Already, she could feel her stomach acid coming up her esophagus.

"Go, Eastern Plains Tigers!" Ramona exclaimed. She gracefully hopped down from the top of their pyramid and landed on both feet. The other cheerleaders started to disassemble their pyramid and get into formation behind Ramona. They all formed a triangle shape and got ready to shake their pom-poms and do a collective cheer. But right then, Genesis simply couldn't keep it down anymore. She doubled over and vomited all over the grass. At first, most of the cheerleaders were too busy cheering "GO TIGERS!" to notice Genesis. But then Genesis hurled up another barrage of vomit, causing every head to turn her way.

"Oh my gosh!" a guy in the stands exclaimed. "Genesis Rookwood just threw up!"

"Is she okay?" another girl asked.

"Genesis," Charlotte said as she came up to Genesis' side. "I didn't know you were-" She broke off when Genesis retched yet again.

"Genesis," Ramona said through clenched teeth. "What the fuck..."

"I'm sorry," said Genesis. "I tried to hold it in, but I couldn't help it!"

Ramona crinkled her nose at the foul stench of Genesis' vomit. "We'd better clean that up," she said. "But Genesis..." She tried her best to restrain herself, knowing that hundreds of people were watching. "We need to talk."

Genesis didn't even bother trying to argue. She followed Ramona away from the bleachers and off the field. "Genesis Cynthia Rookwood," Ramona said accusingly once they were out of earshot of everyone. "What. The. Actual. Fuck?"

"Ramona, I'm sorry," Genesis repeated. "I didn't mean for that to happen, I swear!"

"That was a new level of embarrassment!" Ramona snapped. "We've been practicing that routine for weeks, and now, when we do it in front of the whole school, you have to go and mess it up!"

"You think I wanted to do that?" Genesis shot back. "You knew full well that I was on my period today. You saw me this morning, when I was feeling like a zombie! But no, you don't care about me or Charlotte or Talia or anyone! All you care about is doing these stupid cheer routines just so you can look hot!"

"Cheerleading is not stupid!" said Ramona. "It's as much of a sport as football or baseball! Oh, but you don't understand that, either, because when you were a man, you were too busy trying to bed women to give a shit about any kind of sport!"

"Hey!" Genesis and Ramona turned to see Mrs. Wilson approaching them, with Reginald and Paulette not far behind. "Ramona, that is quite enough! Genesis, are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine now," said Genesis.

"First off, I must ask, why did you come to the game if you were feeling sick?"

"Because Ramona wanted me to come," Genesis answered.

"Did she?"

"Yes. I haven't been feeling good all day today, but she still insisted that I participate tonight. I tried to do it, I tried to make it through without throwing up, but it was just too much."

"Well, I have to admit, I'm impressed that you lasted as long as you did," said Mrs. Wilson. "But Ramona..."

"Mrs. Wilson, you know this game is important!" said Ramona. "We needed everyone here. Genesis made a commitment to cheerleading, and if she's not gonna follow through on it, then she shouldn't even be on the squad."

Well, that was it for Genesis. "Then I quit," she said.

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Wilson asked.

"I quit," Genesis repeated. "Ever since I joined the cheerleading squad, Ramona's been bitching at me about every little thing. She yells at us, she tells us we're not working hard enough, she doesn't even care when we're feeling sick! And if she's gonna keep acting like this, then I don't want to be in the squad!" She threw down her pom-poms and stormed off. As she passed by her parents, Reginald opened his mouth to say something, but Genesis cut him off with "Don't talk to me!"

Ramona just stood there, dumbstruck. Even with all the tension between her and her stepsister, she hadn't quite expected Genesis to flip out like that. "What the hell?" she asked. "Why does everyone keep getting upset? Don't they know how important this is to me?"

"Maybe it's becoming too important," said Mrs. Wilson.

"What?"

The cheerleading coach breathed heavily out of her nose. "I hate to say it, but Genesis is right," she said. "You've been rather harsh with our cheer squad."

"But...I just want them to do well, so that we can get to the regionals..."

"Then you have an interesting way of showing it," said Mrs. Wilson.

Ramona had nothing to say.

"I've been lenient with you, but this will be your final warning," said Mrs. Wilson. "If this kind of behavior continues, I will remove you from the position of captain."

That hit Ramona with a wave of dread. "No," she said.

"Don't test me," said Mrs. Wilson. "I will do it."

"I understand," said Ramona. For the first time in her life, she felt a twinge of guilt. She hated to admit it, but she needed Genesis on her squad. And now she'd lost her. From the way she'd acted, it seemed highly unlikely that Genesis would change her mind. But it was too late. There was nothing else Ramona could do.

At least, she thought so.

To be continued...

Since Reginald and Paulette were so merciful, they decided to let their daughters go right to bed when they got back from the Homecoming football game. But they woke them both up early the next morning for a little chat.

"Okay," Reginald said when they'd sat both Genesis and Ramona down in the living room. "So what happened at the football game last night...I'd like to say it was unacceptable, but the truth is, you could've handled it a lot worse. Ramona, I appreciate you taking Genesis into a more secluded area before chewing her out. And Genesis..." He paused, clearly feeling awkward. "I am not a woman, but I know you don't have a lot of control over what happens during your monthly cycle. And, on top of that, you said you did try to stop yourself from vomiting while you were cheerleading."

"I did," said Genesis.

"That's good," said Reginald. "But what's been going on between the two of you...it has to stop. Now. Your stepmom and I have put up with your constant arguing up until this point, but it has to stop. You are sisters now. You have to learn to live with each other, or else our family might get ruined all over again."

"But you're the ones who decided to get married when you knew perfectly well that Gene and I hated each other," Ramona countered.

"We also knew perfectly well that both of you have troubled pasts," Paulette replied. "We hoped that, if you cared to talk with one another, you might be able to put aside your differences. But we are very disappointed that you haven't thought to do that yet."

Neither Genesis nor Ramona said anything. They had a feeling their parents were building up to something bigger, and that they weren't going to like that something.

"However," said Reginald, "It happens that Paulette and I have a business trip scheduled this coming weekend. At first, we were considering taking one or both of you with us, but we've decided that we'll instead leave you home by yourselves."

Genesis didn't know what she was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn't this. "What?"

"We're going to leave you home alone," said Reginald. "Perhaps that'll be an opportunity for you to take some time to work out your differences."

"You think?"

"Of course. You'd be surprised at how well people can bond when they're isolated with one another."

Genesis slumped in her seat. Ordinarily, she would've been happy to be left on her own for a whole weekend, but with Ramona? Ugh. Being locked in the house with her for two days felt more like a punishment.

"And you don't have to worry about food," Paulette added. "We'll leave the fridge stocked for you."

"I wasn't worried about the food," Genesis said to herself.

"May I be excused?" Ramona asked. "I have to get my stuff ready for school."

"Yes, you may," said Paulette. "But Genesis, there's something else we wanted to talk to you about."

"And what was it?"

"It's about the pain you went through yesterday," said Paulette. "Your dad and I thought maybe you should see a gynecologist."

"What's a gynecologist?"

"It's a type of doctor trained to deal with the female reproductive system," Paulette explained. "Usually, they help treat diseases associated with your uterus or ovaries, but they can also help you deal with heavy or painful periods. In your case, a gynecologist might be able to help you reduce the pain you experience during your period."

"I mean...yeah, that would be helpful," said Genesis, "But does it really matter? It's not like I'm gonna be a woman for the rest of my life. Mirna said once she felt like the time was right, she'd turn me back into Gene. And then I won't have to deal with periods anymore."

"Maybe, but we don't know when that time will be," said Reginald. "So it's best to try to deal with the pangs of womanhood until that day comes."

"Alright," Genesis sighed. "I guess I'll go to a gy...gy..."

"Gynecologist," Paulette repeated, more slowly so Genesis would understand.

"Right, thanks."

"And don't worry," Paulette added. "Even Ramona's been to one before."

"Uh...okay, I guess."

***

The following week at school was pretty uneventful, especially since a.) Wallace Mendoza had been sentenced to juvenile detention, meaning he couldn't creep on Genesis anymore, and b.) Genesis wasn't doing cheerleading anymore. At first she kind of regretted having walked out on it, since it meant she wouldn't get to see Charlotte on a daily basis any longer. But she had gotten Charlotte's phone number, so...maybe she could reach out and see if she wanted to hang? That seemed like a good idea, but Genesis didn't feel motivated to do it for some reason. Maybe because she was dreading the weekend so much.

Before Genesis or Ramona knew it, Friday afternoon had come. When she and Ramona got home from school, they found their parents packing up the last of their stuff. "Okay," Reginald said when he'd zipped up his suitcase. "Paulette and I are gonna be gone until Sunday morning. You two have the whole house to yourselves. You can do whatever you want together-watch a movie, do a puzzle, play games, whatever. Just try not to get in any fights."

"And one other thing," Paulette added. "Don't have anyone over."

Genesis bit her lip. "Got it," she said.

"Right then." Reginald shouldered his backpack, then gave Genesis a hug. "You have fun being home alone."

"Bye, Mom," Ramona said as she hugged her mother. "I'll miss you."

"We'll miss you too," said Paulette. Then she and Reginald took their bags and went out the door.

For a minute, Genesis and Ramona just stood there, listening to the sound of their parents' car drive off. "So...what are we gonna do?" Genesis asked.

Ramona smiled. "Isn't it obvious?" she asked. "We throw a party and invite everyone we know."

"What?" said Genesis. "Your mom just said not to have anyone over!"

"Which obviously means that's what we're gonna do," said Ramona. "Look, this is our golden opportunity. Our parents are gone, so we'll be able to do whatever we want without them breathing down our necks. We can throw a huge party without them telling us what we can and can't do!"

When Genesis said nothing, Ramona tried a different tack. "Look. Your dad, and my mom, wanted us to do something fun together, right? Throwing a party is something fun."

"Okay, I guess," said Genesis. "So who are we gonna invite?"

"I'm gonna invite all my best friends," Ramona said as she got out her phone. "Modesty Lyn, Gidget Chapman, Patricia Adams..."

"Could I invite Charlotte Shetty?"

"Of course!" said Ramona.

Genesis pulled out her phone and, for the first time, started typing a text message to Charlotte's phone number. Hey Charlotte, Genesis texted. Party at my place tonight.

Cool! I'll be there, Charlotte texted back.

***

Genesis and Ramona spent the next little while getting things ready for the party. They got out a couple folding tables and scraped together as many snacks as they could from the pantry. Ramona also got out an old karaoke machine, which Genesis didn't even know they had. Ramona also produced a disco ball that she hung from the ceiling.

The first person to knock on their door was Ramona's friend Modesty Lyn. Modesty was a pretty Asian girl with short black hair, rounded cheeks, and shiny red lipstick highlighting her lips. "Hey Ramona," Modesty said, hugging Ramona.

"Thanks for coming, Modesty," said Ramona. "Is your brother still bringing the pizza?"

"Yes, he is," said Modesty. Her brother worked at the local Domino's Pizza, which gave him an employee discount. At Ramona's behest, Modesty had asked her brother to get them a bunch of pizzas with the promise that she'd reimburse him for it later.

"Great," said Ramona.

After that, people started to come in one after another. To Genesis' surprise, a lot of them were girls she didn't really know. It seemed like once Ramona started inviting people over, word got around that the school's resident "popular girl" was hosting a party, and everyone wanted a part of it. So much that when Modesty's brother came with the pizza, he had to circle to the other end of the block because of how many cars were parked across the street.

Genesis was surprised at how much she enjoyed the party. There were so many people there, and there was a lot of good food, and they had their music cranked up so high, it was probably pissing off the neighbors. But fuck the neighbors, Genesis thought. They were throwing the best party ever, and they weren't gonna let up anytime soon.

Charlotte finally showed up at 8:15 PM. When she came in the door, Genesis promptly hugged her. "Hi Charlotte," said Genesis.

"Hi," said Charlotte. "This is an awesome party."

"Thanks," said Genesis. "It was Ramona's idea."

Charlotte looked around at the people bopping to the music, eating food, and slipping into the bathroom to make out. "Do your parents know about this?" Charlotte asked.

"No," said Genesis. "But hey, at least me and Ramona aren't fighting each other. We're actually having fun at this party."

"Oh yeah," Charlotte agreed. She looked over at Ramona, who was using the karaoke machine to belt out a rather good rendition of Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend." Ramona looked to be having the time of her life, singing the song with great gusto.

When she'd sang the final "No way/no way/hey hey!" line, Ramona looked over at Genesis. "Hey Genesis!" she called. "How about you have a turn?"

"Me?" Genesis was surprised, but she wasn't about to pass it up. "Sure!"

"Alright!" said Ramona. "Let's hear it for my stepsister Genesis!" She handed the microphone to Genesis.

Genesis thought for a moment, not sure what she was going to sing. But the next song on the karaoke machine was Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero." Genesis felt her stomach jump when she saw it. When she was Gene, he hadn't been the biggest fan of Tay Tay, but now...well, it looked like she had no choice. So when she heard the first few notes, she started to sing.

I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser
Midnights become my afternoons
When my depression works the graveyard shift
All of the people I've ghosted just stand there in the room

To Genesis' surprise, the lyrics flowed really well off her tongue. She felt even more empowered when some of the other people started singing along with her. By the time she got to the chorus, Genesis was singing at the top of her lungs with the rest of the partygoers. When she'd finished the song, Genesis raised her hands as everyone cheered.

"That was awesome!" Ramona said. Then she did something Genesis never would've expected. She hugged her.

No way, Genesis thought. Ramona Dunby was actually hugging her! But she was feeling so exhilarated, she didn't bother trying to break free. She hugged Ramona back and pretended like their rivalry had never happened.

Unfortunately, her euphoria was short-lived. Right when Ramona let go of Genesis, Genesis felt her phone vibrating. She pulled it out and, with a jolt of dread, saw that it was her father. "Quick! Stop the music!" she cried.

"What's wrong?" Charlotte asked.

"My dad's calling me," said Genesis.

"Don't answer!" Ramona protested, her voice filled with panic.

"I have to!" said Genesis. "Or else it'll look suspicious! So everyone, shut up!"

Quick as a wink, everyone froze in their tracks. Even Harry Carson, who'd been about to take a bite of pizza, froze before he could put the pizza in his mouth. Charlotte hastily reached over and unplugged the karaoke machine. Once it was completely silent, Genesis answered her phone. "Hey Dad," she said in the calmest voice she could muster.

"Hey Genesis," said Reginald from the other end of the phone. "How's it going at home?"

"It's going great." Genesis frantically tried to think of a cover-up, but then her eyes fell on the piece of pizza hovering outside Harry's mouth. "Me and Ramona went out and got pizza."

"Oh, you did?"

"Yeah. You know her friend's brother works at Domino's, so we decided to go there."

"Nice," said Reginald. "What are you doing now?"

"We're...watching a movie," said Genesis.

"What movie?"

"Uh..." Genesis looked over at Ramona and mouthed "What movie?"

"How should I know?" Ramona said in an undertone.

"The Hunger Games," Genesis blurted out. She wasn't sure why she answered that. It was just the first thing that popped into her head.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Earlier I saw an ad for a new movie coming out in a couple months, so I decided I-uh, we-might as well watch the old ones again."

"That sounds fun," said Reginald.

"What about you?" Genesis asked. "How'd your meetings go?"

"Pretty well," said Reginald. "Paulette's still at her meeting, but I'm back at our hotel now. We're both gonna go to our conference first thing tomorrow, though."

"Cool," said Genesis. "Well...I should probably let you go now. You've gotta get your sleep for that conference."

Reginald laughed. "Sure thing," he said. "Have fun!"

"I will."

"I love you."

"Love you too, Dad. Bye." Genesis hung up, then let out a sigh of relief. "That...was...close," she said.

For a few seconds, there was still tension lingering in their air. The tension was broken when Ramona said "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's start back up again!" And with that, there was an earsplitting roar as everyone immediately started partying again. And Harry Carson took the chance to finally stuff his piece of pizza into his mouth.

***

The party kept going strong until 12:30 AM. That was when the people started to clear out. By 1:00 in the morning, Genesis, Ramona, Charlotte, and Modesty were the only ones left.

"Wow," said Charlotte. "That was quite a party."

"I know," said Ramona. "I told you it would be awesome."

"So...should we leave now?" Charlotte asked.

"If you're ready to go, then it's okay," said Genesis.

"No, I can stay a little longer," said Modesty. She glanced at the back door and had an idea flash into her mind. "Your house has a pool out back, right?"

"Right."

Modesty lowered her voice, then asked "Want to go skinny dipping?"

Ramona smiled mischievously. "Sure," she said. "You?"

Genesis was surprised by this turn of events, but she nodded.

"I'm in too," said Charlotte.

"Alright then," said Ramona. She and the other three girls went outside and took off the pool cover. Then they all looked at each other with an awkward "Who's going to undress first?" silence.

Since Modesty was the one who'd suggested it, she decided to go first. She took off her shirt and shorts, then went for her underwear. Once she was fully naked, she walked up onto the diving board and jumped off. Modesty splashed into the pool, then came up for air. "Whoo-hoo!" she exclaimed. "Who's next?"

"Me," said Ramona. Genesis felt a little uncomfortable watching her stepsister of all people strip down to her naked body, but she seemed so confident about it, she didn't give it much thought. The nude Ramona did not go off the diving board, and instead jumped in right from the pool deck.

Charlotte went next. Genesis had seen her in her underwear quite a few times in the cheerleader changing room, but seeing Charlotte actually take off her bra and underwear was something different. Her boobs looked so much rounder, and her ass seemed to jiggle even more. If Genesis was still Gene, he would definitely have wanted some of that hairy pussy Charlotte was flaunting.

"Cannonball!" Charlotte bellowed. She bounced off the diving board, curled into a cannonball position, and splashed into the water.

"Alright," said Genesis. "My turn." She took off her shirt and put it down on the pool deck. She slid down her shorts, then laid them down with her shirt. Then she reached back and unclipped her bra. She slowly slid the bra down her arms and stuck out her chest for Ramona, Charlotte, and Modesty to see.

"Nice boobs!" Charlotte complimented.

"I know," Genesis said with a smile. She took both sides of her panties and pulled them down. She immediately felt a breeze on her vagina, but she didn't care. This was the time to flaunt her hot, sexy, feminine body. She proudly marched up to the end of the diving board and dove into the water. She relished the feeling of being completely, fully naked and swimming in the pool. Oh man, it felt so good. Becoming a girl had been worth it just for this.

Genesis came up and swam up to join Ramona, Charlotte, and Modesty. "Having fun?" Ramona asked.

"Yeah," Genesis answered.

"I told you it was a good idea," said Modesty.

"I've never even gone skinny dipping before," said Charlotte. "I thought it would be awkward, but no! It's really fun!"

Ramona smiled at Genesis. "You glad we threw this party?" she asked.

"Yes," Genesis said with complete sincerity. "I really am."

"I told you it would be worth it," Ramona said with a wink.

As she continued swimming naked in the pool, Genesis could not stop smiling. She was doing the unthinkable-actually having fun with Ramona! A week ago, she wouldn't have thought such a thing was possible, but here it was coming true. Maybe Reginald was right. Maybe Genesis and Ramona really weren't so incompatible. Genesis was just having so much fun, she couldn't seem to think about anything else-not even Mirna.

To be continued...

The next morning, Genesis woke to the sound of her phone buzzing. She opened her eyes and sat up. After Charlotte and Modesty had left last night, Genesis had simply felt too tired to go back to her bedroom, so she just crashed onto the couch to sleep. But when she opened the notification on her phone, she got a nasty surprise. It was a text message from her father, and it read:

My conference for today was cancelled at the last minute, so Paulette and I are gonna come home. We'll be there in an hour and a half.

"Gah!" Genesis cried. She got up and looked around. Only now did she realize just how badly they'd trashed the house. All over the living room, there were half-eaten pieces of pizza, stray potato chips, crumpled-up napkins, and used paper plates. There were even a couple puddles of soda someone had spilled. "Oh my goodness..."

"Genesis!" Ramona cried as she burst out of her bedroom. "Did you get-"

"Yes, my dad texted me," said Genesis. In spite of the panic building inside her chest, Genesis smirked slightly at the look on horror on her stepsister's face. "You're gonna be in so much trouble."

"Me?" said Ramona. "You helped me set up the party, remember? And when your dad called, you lied to him about what we were doing! You're just as much to blame as I am!"

Genesis bit her lip. She knew Ramona was right. "You do the kitchen," she said. "I'll get the living room."

"Got it." Ramona bolted off to start straightening out the kitchen while Genesis started on the living room. She got some plastic garbage bags and frantically started throwing all the garbage into them. Gathering all the pieces of garbage turned out to be much harder than she thought. Ramona's friends had stuck their trash in practically every nook and cranny they could find-between the couch cushions, under the rug, and on the bookcase's shelves. Once she'd gotten all the big pieces of garbage, Genesis got out the vacuum and started vacuuming the living room. She ran it over the floor as fast as she could, knowing that the clock was ticking until her and Ramona's parents got home, and it would all be over.

As they continued cleaning the house, Genesis and Ramona found that it wasn't easy to erase all the evidence of the party. At one point, Genesis took a bathroom break, and she found a couple of used condoms in the sink. "Really, people?" she groaned. But that wasn't the worst of it. Over in the kitchen, Ramona found that someone had broken a bunch of glasses and hid the pieces under one of the kitchen table chairs. So she had to get a broom to sweep it all up.

Once they'd straightened out the furniture and picked up all the garbage, Genesis and Ramona went outside to stuff all the garbage bags into the trash bin. The two of them loaded the garbage bags in one by one and packed them in as tightly as they could. "Is today garbage day?" Genesis asked as she was pushing down with her full weight.

"No, I don't think so," Ramona answered. "I think the garbagemen come tomorrow."

Genesis looked through the window at the clock in the kitchen. It was now 11:20, and her dad had sent her the text at around 10:00. "We're just gonna have to hope our parents don't open the garbage bin till then," she said.

Genesis and Ramona went back inside and did one last sweep. Yes, everything looked good. They'd gotten rid of all the trash, and everything had been set back up to how it was before Reginald and Paulette had left yesterday. "Okay," said Ramona. "I think we're all good."

"Well, at least we had fun at the party," said Genesis.

Ramona smiled. "Yes, we did," she said.

Genesis went down the hall to her bedroom so she could finally relax. But she faltered when she heard someone thumping around. "Ramona?" she asked. "Was that you?"

No answer.

Genesis heard the thumping again, and this time she was able to pinpoint where it had come from-her parents' bedroom. She threw open the door and saw the sight of her life. Danny Fisher and Jenna Marshall were both lying in Genesis' parents' bed, neither of them wearing any clothes.

"What the fuck?" Genesis asked.

Danny looked up at Genesis and awkwardly smiled. "Oh...hi," he said.

"Get out of here!" said Genesis. "Get out of here, now!"

"We're sorry," said Jenna. "We snuck in here to have sex last night, and then we fell asleep..."

"Our parents are gonna be home any minute!" said Genesis. "Get your clothes on and get out of here!"

Danny and Jenna both got out of the bed and quickly redressed. Genesis ushered them out down the hallway and into the living room. "What the-" Ramona said when she saw them.

"A couple stragglers," said Genesis.

Just then, they heard a car door slam from out front.

"Go out the back!" Genesis urged. She frantically escorted Danny and Jenna out the back door, then locked it behind them. She heard the key turning in the front door's lock, and she felt her stomach jump. Not wanting to look suspicious, Genesis darted over to the couch and flopped down on it, pulling out her phone and entering the unlock code.

Reginald and Paulette opened the front door and stepped into their house. "Hey guys," said Reginald. "How are you?"

"We're great!" Genesis blurted out.

"It sounds like you two had some good quality time last night," said Paulette.

"Yes, we did," said Ramona.

Genesis glanced at the house's back door, wondering if Danny and Jenna had gotten out of the backyard yet. "Wait a minute," she said. She got up and went up to look out the back window. To her relief, she didn't see any sign of the stragglers she'd booted out of the house. Guess they'd made it out quick.

"What's wrong?" Reginald asked.

Uh-oh. Genesis didn't have a good excuse for why she was looking out the back window. "Uh..."

"I think she's checking..." Ramona started.

"The pool cover!" said Genesis.

"What?" said Reginald.

"Me and Ramona went swimming last night," said Genesis. It was easy to say it, because it wasn't exactly a lie. "And I just remembered I forgot to put the pool cover back on."

"But I put it back on," said Ramona-which, again, was true.

"Nice," said Paulette. "Glad you guys had fun while we were gone."

"Oh yeah," said Genesis. "We had lots of fun."

"Well, we'd better start unpacking," said Reginald. "But we'll talk to you later."

Once their parents were out of earshot, Genesis sat down with Ramona. "That was too close," she said in an undertone.

"Too close," Ramona agreed.

"Do you think they'll still find out?" Genesis asked.

"I hope not," said Ramona. "But remember: if my mom or your dad asks you, just deny it."

Genesis nodded. But she was still worried. If there was one thing she knew, it was that secrets had a way of getting out.

To be continued...

Genesis' first gynecologist appointment was on October 20, 2023, a week after Ramona's party. After school, Genesis got in the car with Reginald to drive to the gynecologist's office. On the way, Genesis didn't know what to think. As Gene, he'd had plenty of doctor appointments, and he'd built up a pretty good rapport with his doctor. But now Gene was Genesis, and she was going to a doctor that was especially meant for women. Considering she probably wouldn't be a woman for much longer anyway, something about it just didn't seem right.

Before long, Reginald and Genesis came to the office of Dr. Casey Sikes, PhD. "Don't worry, Genesis," said Reginald. "There's nothing scary or awkward about this. It'll be like when you go to Dr. Philips."

Genesis took a deep breath. "You're right," she said in an attempt to convince herself. "It'll be okay."

Genesis went inside with her father to check in. The facility's nurse directed Genesis to the medical room and told her to wait there. As Genesis sat in the patient's chair, she couldn't help noticing the stirrups on either side of the chair. She had a pretty good idea of what those stirrups were for, and the thought made her uncomfortable. After the whole thing with Wallace Mendoza, she didn't feel at all comfortable letting someone poke around with her private parts. On top of that, since she was seventeen years old, the gynecologist might find it strange that Genesis was only having problems with her period now, and that would lead to tricky questions about her encounter with Mirna. In spite of what Reginald had said, she dreaded the moment when the gynecologist came in to see her.

After a few minutes, the door was opened by a doctor who, much to Genesis' surprise, was female. She was about Genesis' parents' age, with wave blonde hair and a deep tan. "Good afternoon," the doctor said, greeting Genesis with a smile. "Are you Genesis Rookwood?"

"Yes."

"I'm Dr. Sikes," said the doctor. "I'll be your gynecologist."

Phew, Genesis thought. If it was a woman, then that would make things less awkward.

"So I read your medical transcripts," said Dr. Sikes. "You're 17 years old, yes?"

"Yes. But I'll be turning 18 in November."

Dr. Sikes nodded. "And it seems you haven't been to a gynecologist before," she said. "I take it you haven't had any problems with your reproductive system?"

Here it was. Exactly what Genesis was worried about. "No," said Genesis. "Not until now."

"Your stepmom called the office," said Dr. Sikes. "She said the reason for you booking an appointment was because you were having painful periods. Is that true?"

"Yes," said Genesis. "That's not normal, is it?"

"Of course it is," said Dr. Sikes. "Almost all women have pain during their period."

"I know, but...it's never been this bad before," said Genesis. "The last couple periods I've had have been unbearable. A couple weeks ago I was on my school's cheerleading squad, and we were performing at a football game when I had my period, and it made me start throwing up all over the field."

"Ooh," Dr. Sikes said, cringing with sympathy. "That must've been embarrassing."

"It was," said Genesis. "But should I be worried?"

"No," said Dr. Sikes. "Our bodies are always changing-especially at your age. A lot of women go from being able to tolerate their periods with ease to being rendered immobile during their monthly visit. What you're experiencing is a common occurrence."

"Oh." Genesis felt relieved, but she still had questions. "So...what can I do about it?"

"I can prescribe a medication for you," said Dr. Sikes. "You can pick it up at your pharmacy."

"Thank you," said Genesis. She looked at her chair's stirrups and asked "Is there...anything else you need to do?"

"No," said Dr. Sikes. She followed Genesis' gaze and realized what she was thinking. "I'm not going to do a pelvic exam, if that's what you're wondering. You're not quite at the age where it's recommended to have regular pelvic exams."

"Whew," said Genesis.

"Were you dreading having me looking at your vagina?" Dr. Sikes asked with a smile.

Somehow, Genesis found herself smiling too. "Yes," she admitted.

"It's okay," said Dr. Sikes. "A lot of girls-and even grown women-feel a little uncomfortable about that. But it's part of staying healthy. And the more visits you have with me or another gynecologist, the more comfortable you'll feel."

"That's good to know," said Genesis.

"Just think of Barbie," said Dr. Sikes.

"What-Barbie?"

"You know the Barbie movie that came out this summer?"

"Oh yeah, I didn't see it," said Genesis. "My dad and I saw Oppenheimer instead."

"Oh," said Dr. Sikes. "Well...you should probably watch the movie if you get the chance. Then you'll understand."

"I think I will," said Genesis.

"Let me know what you think of it next time," said Dr. Sikes. "I think you'll get a lot more out of it than you think."

"Really?"

"Of course. It really shows how you shouldn't be ashamed to be a woman. Being a woman is much more than just an afterthought to men. Us women-we have a strong, powerful spirit to us that men lack. I know you have it in you. And you should be proud of it."

Genesis smiled. "Thanks, Dr. Sikes," she said. "Thanks so much."

"It's my absolute pleasure," said Dr. Sikes. "I'll look forward to our next appointment."

Genesis walked out of the gynecologist's office feeling much better than she had going in. In fact, she was starting to chide herself for dreading it.

***

Unfortunately, Genesis' euphoria at how well her appointment with Dr. Sikes went didn't last long. For when she got home, her stepmom had a nasty surprise in store.

"Genesis, come into your room," said Paulette.

Genesis followed her stepmom into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. Once they were alone, Paulette looked at Genesis accusingly. "This afternoon, I was putting away some of your clean clothes," she said, "And I found this in your underwear drawer." She opened Genesis' underwear drawer and pulled out a piece of paper. When Genesis read it, she almost had a heart attack.

Hey Genesis,
I'll bet you're even hotter in bed. ;)
-Adam Severson

"Can you tell me what this is?" Paulette asked.

Oh no. Genesis' mind was spinning. Adam Severson was one of the party guests that Ramona had invited over last Friday. The only explanation was that he'd snuck into Genesis' room and slipped that note into her underwear drawer. But she couldn't tell that to Paulette. Could she? After everything Ramona had done to Gene/Genesis over the years, Genesis would've LOVED to see her get grounded. Since Ramona was the one who orchestrated the party, she definitely deserved to be punished.

But then Genesis remembered what Ramona had said about how she'd contributed-and lied to her father. If Ramona went down, Genesis would go down with her. She couldn't spill the beans to Paulette or Reginald. But what could she do now that evidence had turned up?

"It's...a note," said Genesis. "From a lovesick boy."

"And how did it get into your underwear drawer?"

"I don't know," said Genesis. "Maybe me or Ramona had him over, and he got into my room while I wasn't looking?"

"And when would that have been?" Paulette asked.

Genesis tried to keep a straight face while she thought quickly. "Probably a long time ago," she blurted out.

"A long time ago?"

"Yes," said Genesis. "Maybe before I turned into a girl?"

Paulette's accusatory expression morphed into one of confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Think about it," said Genesis. "When Mirna cast her memory-altering spell, it changed the whole world around us. It switched out everything in my bedroom for girly stuff, and it changed the information on my school ID and birth certificate and all that. It even rewrote people's memories. So maybe, in this new version of history, Adam Severson came over at some point before and left that note? And we just didn't find it until now?"

"Well, I haven't tried to rearrange your underwear drawer to fit everything until now..." said Paulette.

"There you go," said Genesis.

Paulette was silent for a count of five. "Alright," she said. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt this time." And with that, she left.

A minute later, Ramona came into Genesis' bedroom. "Did you just...cover for me?" she asked in an undertone.

Genesis swallowed. "Yes," she said. "Your mom found something in my underwear drawer, and..."

"I know, I heard you," said Ramona. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but...I owe you big-time."

"Really?" The way Genesis saw it, she was saving her own skin just as much as Ramona's. But the fact that her stepsister had come in to thank her and not insult her...

"Yes. You just did me a huge favor." Ramona thought for a moment before saying "I was just going out to go to the mall with Modesty. Want to tag along?"

Genesis' jaw dropped. "Sure," she said.

***

Genesis and Ramona met up with Modesty at the mall-the same one where Gene had gone to confront Cassy, and then Mirna had turned him into Genesis. However, Genesis was feeling much too peppy and upbeat to go back to the bookstore to see Mirna. She was having too much fun with Ramona and Modesty. The three girls spent several hours going through the mall and browsing clothes, necklaces, and even cell phones, since Ramona's phone was getting pretty old. Genesis ended up getting herself a new tank top and a pair of short shorts that looked really sexy on her. She wanted to get a leather jacket, but it was too expensive.

After a while, the three of them went to get dinner from the mall's food court. While Genesis and Ramona got in line for the sandwiches, Modesty went off to take a bathroom break. But in the line for the sandwiches, Genesis was surprised to see Cassy in front of her.

"What the-Genesis?" Cassy said when she saw her.

"Cassy!" said Genesis. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on my lunch break," Cassy answered. "Are you shopping here with your sister?"

"Stepsister," Genesis corrected. "But yes."

"Oh. Well, I was meaning to tell you, but I haven't had the chance. Mirna's out of town."

"What?"

"Yeah, she's going on a trip to the Bahamas," said Cassy. "She'll be gone for two weeks. So she won't be able to change you back until then."

Genesis felt a twinge of annoyance. "What's her deal?" she said. "Is Mirna avoiding me?"

"I don't know," said Cassy. "She told me she didn't feel the time was right to change you back just yet."

"Why not? I've already learned my lesson about sexually harassing girls. Right?"

"Have you? If she were to change you back to Gene, would you keep being a womanizer and trying to bed every girl you met?"

Genesis hesitated. Her kneejerk reaction would've been "no," but the rational part of her had doubts. The womanizing lifestyle that Gene had lived...that was all he'd known when he was a boy. Could he really change his ways if given the chance? Looking back, Genesis felt like what she'd done in the past was in his nature. From the things that had happened to him when he was young, it made sense that he'd turn out the way he did. So was there any guarantee that she'd retain the lessons she learned from being a girl?

Cassy read the look on Genesis' face and slowly nodded. "You're not sure," she said. "Then Mirna's probably not gonna change you back quite yet." Then she turned and left, making Genesis feel even worse than when Paulette had found that note.

"Hey," Ramona said in an effort to cheer up Genesis. "At least you're getting a handle on being a girl. You'll be able to survive until Mirna does decide to change you back."

Genesis forced a smile. "You're right," she said. "Hopefully I'll be able to figure things out..."

To be continued...

A month ago, Genesis would've scoffed at the idea of being on good terms with Ramona. But after Genesis covered for Ramona, Ramona started acting a lot more civil with Genesis. She helped her out with a homework assignment, she sat down to watch TV with Genesis one night, and she went for five straight days without insulting Genesis at all. It almost seemed unthinkable. It was as if they were putting their longtime rivalry behind them.

The following week at school, Genesis was walking down the hall thinking about all this when she ran into Charlotte. "Hey Genesis," said Charlotte.

"Hi Charlotte," said Genesis.

"Did your parents find out about the party?" Charlotte asked.

"Thank heaven, no," said Genesis. "We had a close call when my stepmom found a love note in my underwear drawer, but I threw her off the scent."

Charlotte crinkled her nose. "A love note in your underwear drawer?"

"I know, it's weird."

"And my dad wonders why I haven't got a boyfriend," said Charlotte. Changing the subject, she said "I heard you and Ramona are getting along better now."

"Yeah, we are," said Genesis. "I think it's because we've ended up covering for each other about the whole party thing, and that's made it easier to put aside our differences."

Charlotte nodded. "It's kind of funny, how people like Ramona still have a nicer side buried underneath everything," she said. "But then again, Ramona used to be nice all the time when she and I were younger."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Ramona and her mom were always nice with me. But Ramona's dad...not so much."

"Oh." Genesis had never cared to find out more about Ramona's past. She'd been so fixated on what a bitch Ramona was, she'd refused to accept the idea that there might be a reason why she'd turned out the way she did. But now she was feeling genuinely curious. "What did her dad do?"

Charlotte looked at Genesis quizzically. "I thought you knew?" she asked.

"Not all the details," said Genesis.

"Well, he was very strict and controlling with her and her mom," Charlotte explained. "He'd threaten to beat Ramona if she didn't act like what he thought a 'proper young lady' would look like. At first it was just that-threats-but then he started to actually get physical with them. Ramona was there to see it one day when her mom was arguing with her dad about whether they should transfer her to a different school, and he hit her so hard he gave her a black eye."

"Ooh," said Genesis. "Why didn't her mom call the police?"

"Because Ramona's dad was involved with the mafia," Charlotte answered. "If Ramona or her mother reported him to the authorities, he'd have his friends in the mafia come after them. But it went too far one day when Ramona came home from school and saw her mother passed out on the floor from a fight with her dad. Ramona just couldn't take it anymore, so she picked up the phone and called 911. Then the police came and took her dad to prison."

"And the mafia came after Ramona and her mom," Genesis guessed.

"No, they didn't," said Charlotte. "The police started treading a wider circle around them for protection. But that whole ordeal really scarred Ramona. I remember after it happened, she was a totally different person. She was really distant with everyone at school-even me. That was why we grew apart. But sometime between then and now, she developed a bitchy personality."

"Because her dad was always breathing down her neck," Genesis assumed. "The way she turned the cheer squad into a dictatorship-that must've been borne from her trauma."

Charlotte nodded. "It's like my mom always told me," she said. "Bullies always come from hard backgrounds."

After hearing Charlotte's story, Genesis didn't know what to say. She was now seeing Ramona in a whole new light. And she felt like she owed her an apology when she next saw her.

***

Since Ramona had cheer practice after school, she didn't get home until 6:00 that evening. Genesis was in her bedroom looking at her phone when she heard Ramona come in. This is it, she thought. This is my chance. She got up and opened her bedroom door, finding herself face-to-face with Ramona. "Oh-hi Genesis," said Ramona.

"Hey Ramona," said Genesis. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good," said Ramona. Reading the look on her stepsister's face, she frowned. "Are you okay?"

"How about you come inside?" Genesis suggested. "Then we'll talk."

Ramona reluctantly followed Genesis inside her bedroom. "What's wrong?"

"I ran into Charlotte at school today," said Genesis. "And she told me some things about you and your dad."

"She did?"

"Yes. About him and...you know."

Ramona's brow furrowed. "I thought your dad told you everything," she said.

"Not everything," said Genesis. "I kind of didn't let him. But Charlotte told me about what happened when you were little, and you came home and found that your dad knocked out your mom."

Ramona broke eye contact with Genesis. Genesis had the impression she was reliving the worst moment of her life. "Yes, that did happen," she said. "Up till then, I was too frightened by my dad to try calling 911. But at that point, I just couldn't stop myself. I knew something had to be done."

"Yet it still scarred you."

"Yes, it did. Sometimes I still have nightmares about it."

Genesis exhaled deeply. "I just wanted to talk to you about it because...I never realized how scary your childhood really was until now. And I kind of feel bad for not realizing it sooner."

"It's okay," said Ramona. "I guess I haven't given you a lot of reasons to like me."

"Oh, you think?"

Ramona cracked a smile. "Well, part of why I've been so mean to you is because I thought you were a total guy-slut."

"Which I kind of was."

"True."

"But now that I know what led to you turning out the way you did..."

Ramona nodded. "You don't have anything like that, do you?"

"Like what?"

"Any kind of...trauma?"

"Well...I did have some issues with my mom growing up," said Genesis. "Did your mom, or my dad, ever tell you?"

"Not entirely," Ramona admitted.

"Well, when I was little, my parents divorced, and my mom ended up getting custody of me," Genesis explained. "At first I was happy, but then my mom started being really neglectful towards me. It felt like she didn't really care about me-she was just having a kid to have a kid. Then she was killed in a school shooting, and I was sent back to my dad. He told me that my mom had been a golddigger, and she only kept me around so she'd have to pay less money on her tax forms."

"What a horrible mom."

Genesis nodded. "That wasn't something I truly grasped until I got older," she said. "Come to think of it, that was around the time I started acting like a hornball."

"Because of what happened with your mom," Ramona guessed. "It led you to see women as...not worthy of your respect."

Genesis stared at Ramona. Even though she'd correctly guessed what had happened, Genesis hadn't realized it until she heard it put into words. "Yeah," she said. "That and because I had biological urges that almost all guys have."

"But you're learning now, aren't you?" said Ramona. "That women aren't so bad?"

"Of course," said Genesis. "Now that I am one."

"Then maybe Mirna will change you back soon."

"I sure hope so," said Genesis.

Ramona felt her phone buzz. "Modesty's texting me," she said. "I've got to go."

"Okay," said Genesis. "But hey...good talk."

"Good talk," said Ramona.

To be continued...

Since things were shaping up for the better, that naturally meant something had to go wrong.

It all started Tuesday morning when Genesis was leaving her Homeroom class with Mr. Aaron and heading to her Physics class. She was passing some of the lockers when she saw Ramona and Modesty being approached by a boy. At first Genesis didn't recognize him, but then she realized it was Adam Severson-the guy who'd snuck that note into Genesis' underwear drawer during Ramona's party! She involuntarily glared at him, wishing she could go up and punch him.

"What-oh, hi Genesis!" Adam said when he saw Genesis.

"Hey," Genesis said venomously. "I got your note. No, I'm not interested." Not even bothering to wait for a response, she turned and left Adam behind. A part of her kind of regretted not advocating for herself like that when Wallace tried to hit on her, but whatever. It wasn't a big deal.

Or so she thought.

***

Two periods later, Genesis was in her English class when another girl named Janie came up to her. "Hey Genesis," said Janie, "Are you really lesbian?"

"What? No!" said Genesis. "Where'd you hear that?"

"I overheard someone talking about it," said Janie. "And then I realized, Charlotte Shetty was your date to Homecoming."

"It wasn't a date. We were just friends."

"Well...okay," said Janie.

At first, Genesis shrugged it off as just another weird thing, but then at the end of class, she bumped into Greg Bingham. "Oh...hi," he said awkwardly. Glancing at Genesis' tank top, he blurted out "Nice shirt."

"Thanks."

Greg grinned. "I know you're lesbian, but..."

"What? No, I'm not lesbian," said Genesis. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"

To Genesis' horror, Greg Bingham was not the last person who thought she was lesbian. For the rest of the day, people kept coming up and asking if she was really homosexual. Even when she went through the hallways, people started to shy away from her as if she'd tested positive for COVID. "What the hell is happening?" Genesis said to herself. Where had this lesbian rumor started, and who had started it?

Genesis got her answer at the end of the school day. She was going out to meet Ramona at her car when she came across Charlotte talking to Harry Carson. "Genesis!" said Charlotte.

"Charlotte!" said Genesis. "Have you heard the rumors?"

"Yes, I have," said Charlotte. "Everyone thinks you're secretly a lesbian."

"I'm not," said Genesis. "Do people think you're lesbian too, because you went to Homecoming with me?"

"Some people, yes," said Charlotte. "But I'm straight."

"I was just asking her about it," said Harry. "I heard it in Third Period today, but I didn't know if it was true."

"Where'd you hear it from?"

"Adam Severson."

Genesis' jaw dropped. "What?"

"Yeah. Apparently he was talking to your stepsister this morning, and she told him you were lesbian. He seemed pretty sad, because he'd had a crush on you for months."

"No..." Genesis couldn't believe what she was hearing. She'd thought she'd mended fences with Ramona. After they'd opened up to each other about their respective traumas, she thought the days of Ramona trying to sabotage her were over. But then she had to go and backstab her by spreading a bogus rumor about her.

"Listen, I don't really believe it," Harry said quickly. He saw the look in Genesis' eye, and he didn't want to make her even angrier. "Charlotte told me she wasn't lesbian, and you weren't lesbian, so-"

"Excuse me a minute," said Genesis.

"Genesis, wait!" said Charlotte. She got up and followed Genesis as she stormed off to go find her stepsister. Fortunately (or unfortunately?), Ramona was right where Genesis expected-waiting out by her car.

"Hey..." Ramona started to say, but trailed off when she saw how livid Genesis was. "Uh...Genesis?"

"Ramona," Genesis said through clenched teeth. Somehow she felt even angrier than she'd felt during her fight with Ramona after the Homecoming football game. "Do you have any idea what you've put me through today?"

"Genesis, I'm sorry," said Ramona. "I didn't mean for that to happen-"

"You went and told Adam that I was lesbian, and then he started going around spreading the rumor. And now everyone's treating me like I'm some kind of freak!"

"Genesis, please!" Ramona defended. "I can explain-"

"No, you can't! I know what I need to know!" Genesis screamed. "You've been pretending to be nice to me for weeks now, but now you decide to bring me down again! I'm a social outcast now because of you!"

"For heaven's sake!" said Ramona. "I was trying to throw Adam off your scent! He was talking to me because he wanted to see if he could find a way to get you to like him back. I told him he was wasting his time, I told him you weren't interested, but he wouldn't listen. So I told him you were lesbian because I thought that would make him lose interest."

By now, Genesis was so angry she could hardly speak. "So you lied," she said. "You lied and made me look bad. I cannot believe you, Ramona. Right when I thought you were gonna change, you showed your true colors."

"I'm sorry!" Ramona repeated. "Maybe if we talk to someone, maybe it'll help..."

"I don't need your 'help!'" said Genesis. "I don't care what my dad says. You, Ramona Dunby, are NOT my sister. You're still just a self-centered, heartless, life-ruining bitch. Wait, scratch that. Bitch is not the right word. You...you're a..." She said what was perhaps the most insulting word in the English language, right up there with the F-bomb. When she said it, Charlotte gasped in alarm. The word will not be repeated here, but any well-versed reader should get the idea.

Genesis half-expected Ramona to start screaming back at her. But instead, she wilted in shock and hurt. "Genesis..."

"Don't talk to me. We are done!" And with that, Genesis turned and stormed off. She didn't care how far away her house was from the school. She was NOT going to be riding in the car with the world's worst person. No. No fucking way. And in any case, home wasn't her true destination anyway. She was heading somewhere a little more...important.

***

Okay, Genesis told herself. This is it. She should be back by now, so get a grip. Just go up to her and tell her what happened, and then maybe-just maybe-she'll change you back and fix all this.

Heart hammering, Genesis entered the mall and made a beeline for the bookstore. Cassy had said Mirna would be out of town for two weeks, but that two weeks was up now. Surely Mirna would be back to work at the mall bookstore. But when Genesis rounded the corner, she got a nasty surprise. In front of the bookstore, a group of paramedics were loading a person onto a stretcher. When Genesis looked closer, she realized it was Mirna!

"Get out of the way!" Genesis said as she rushed through the crowd of people in the mall. She ran up to the side of the stretcher, hoping that Mirna was still conscious.

"Excuse me!" one of the paramedics said when he saw Genesis. "What are you doing?"

"I know her!" Genesis said, nodding at Mirna. "What happened to her?"

"There was a robber who came into the store and pulled a gun on her," said the paramedic. "When she refused to give him the money from the register, he shot her before she could do anything else."

"What?" Genesis' heart sank. Mirna was a witch, wasn't she? Couldn't she have used her magic to protect herself from an armed robber? Like, she could've made his gun disappear, or turn him into a mouse, or something?

"We think we're losing her," said another paramedic. Indeed, the front of Mirna's shirt was drenched in blood. "But if we-"

Genesis ignored him and bent down before Mirna. "Mirna," said Genesis. "Speak to me!"

Mirna weakly looked up at Genesis. "Genesis?" she asked.

"Mirna, you have to change me back right now."

"Still eager to be a man again, are you?" said Mirna. "Cassy told me you felt like you'd learned your lesson. It seems now that that is not so..."

"You don't understand!" said Genesis. "My bitch of a stepsister just started a rumor at school, and now everyone thinks I'm a lesbian freak! You have got to reset everything to how it was before! It's gone way too far at this point!"

"G-Genesis," Mirna said with what seemed like the last of her energy. "Come closer. What I'm about to tell you...it's very important."

Genesis leaned in to hear what Mirna had to say. Mirna tried to form her final set of words, but it was no use. Her voice quickly went silent, and she stopped breathing. Genesis looked her right in the eyes, and saw that the light had left them. Mirna was dead.

"No," Genesis gasped. For the first time that day, she was at a complete loss for words. Mirna was the one who'd turned her into a girl with the promise that she'd eventually change her back. But now that she was dead, and her magic apparently didn't die with her, Gene's transformation into Genesis would be permanent. There would be no going back to her old life. She'd be stuck as a girl for the rest of her days. Everything that had gone wrong since her transformation-the boys catcalling her, her ruined reputation at school, and her rivalry with Ramona being worse than ever-could no longer be undone. Genesis now had a very miserable life ahead of her.

"Sorry, Miss," one of the paramedics said, shaking his head slowly. "It's too late."

"I know," said Genesis. Already, tears were forming in her eyes. "I know..."

To be continued...

Genesis barely remembered going home from the mall. All she remembered was the shock she was in. Mirna had been murdered. She wouldn't be able to reset everything to the way it was. Genesis would be stuck as a woman for the rest of her life. By the time she got home, she was right on the verge of crying. She didn't even bother talking to her dad or stepmom. She just went straight to her room, flopped down on her bed, and started crying. She cried nonstop for half an hour, feeling really sorry for herself. Her life had hit a low point that she doubted she could get up from. Genesis didn't care that it was a school night and that she had homework to do. She didn't care that her stepmom was making potato soup and biscuits for dinner. All she wanted to do was stay in her room for the rest of the night and cry until Death took her home.

***

Somehow or other, Genesis managed to get up and ready for school the next morning. Since she couldn't stand to ride to school with Ramona, she texted Charlotte and asked if she could hitch a ride with her. Thankfully, Charlotte said yes.

Charlotte pulled up in front of Genesis' house just a few minutes later. Genesis got her backpack and went out to meet her friend. "Hey," Charlotte said when Genesis got into her car. "You feeling okay?"

"No," Genesis admitted.

"You're still sad about yesterday?" Charlotte asked.

Genesis nodded.

"You know, Ramona was really upset too," said Charlotte. "After you left, I talked to her for a bit."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She feels bad for starting that rumor about you."

"Ramona never feels bad about anything," Genesis replied.

"Well, she did now," said Charlotte. "And she felt really hurt by...you know."

Genesis cringed, remembering the words she'd used to insult Ramona. Looking back, yeah, they were some pretty powerful slurs, but...this was Ramona they were talking about. She deserved it....didn't she?

When Genesis didn't say anything, Charlotte added "Ramona really didn't mean to hurt you. She was just trying to get rid of Adam. She didn't want you to end up in another situation like the one with Wallace."

"Well, she did hurt me," said Genesis. "She's forever ruined my reputation at school."

"Just give it a few weeks," said Charlotte. "It'll all blow over. One time I had a guy pull up my skirt, and everyone forgot about it really quick."

"I hope you're right," said Genesis.

***

Not surprisingly, the rest of the people at school hadn't forgotten about the whole lesbian thing just yet. When Genesis got to school and went through the halls, people still shied away from her and whispered behind her back. It hurt Genesis to see it, but she just tried not to pay attention to it. She just went about her business and got her textbooks and binders from her locker. Then she made a detour to the bathroom, since she had to pee and had neglected to do so before she left.

Genesis went into the girls' bathroom, locked herself inside a stall, and then sat down on the toilet. While she was letting loose her pee, she heard a couple more girls come in. At first she didn't pay attention to their voices, but then she realized one of them was crying. "We won't even be able to go to the regionals," the crying girl sobbed. "Ally and Amanda have a family obligation, and now that Ellen Crow has quit, we don't have enough cheerleaders to go to regionals!"

With a start, Genesis realized Ramona was the crying girl.

"Hey, it's okay," the other girl, who Genesis recognized as Modesty, said. "You can find more people to recruit."

"No, I can't," Ramona sobbed. "I've asked around, and no one wants to join the squad. So everything I've worked for-everything-was for nothing. I won't have any chance at all of winning regionals, and I might not even get to do cheerleading in college!" And with that, she burst into another round of tears.

"Oh, Ramona," Modesty said as she hugged her friend. At least, Genesis assumed she was hugging her, from the way she saw her feet step forward. "I would love to join the squad, but I'm already in the girls' basketball team, so I can't."

"I know," said Ramona. "I understand." But she was still crying when the two of them left.

To her surprise, Genesis felt awful. Charlotte had told her Ramona had been hurt by their argument yesterday, but now she'd had something else on top of that. She'd lost a bunch of her cheer squad members, and she wouldn't be able to take her squad to the regional championships, which she'd been wanting more than anything. Having spent time on the squad herself, Genesis had seen how much it meant to her. And now she wouldn't be getting it. But what could Genesis do? She'd already quit the cheerleading squad, and after the things she'd said to Ramona yesterday, she wouldn't have been surprised if Ramona wouldn't let her back on the squad. Then again, what was the point in trying to do something good for Ramona? Sooner or later she'd show her true colors again, and they'd be in even more drama.

After Genesis had left the stall and washed her hands, she went to Homeroom with her mind a blur. She felt really shaken up by what she'd overheard, and she didn't know what to do next. By the time she got to Mr. Aaron's class, she was walking on autopilot like an emotionless zombie.

"Hey!" Genesis heard someone say.

"What?"

It turned out the speaker was Mr. Aaron. "Genesis," he said. "I asked how you're doing."

"Oh. I'm...not good," said Genesis.

"Really? Why?"

Genesis sighed. "It's Ramona," she said. "I had a big fight with her yesterday. About that rumor she started about me."

"Rumor?"

"She told Adam Severson that I was lesbian, and then he started telling everyone else," said Genesis. "And when I confronted her about it, I...said some things."

"Ooh," said Mr. Aaron. "That's rough."

"I just can't believe it," said Genesis. "We were just starting to get along better, and then she has to go and ruin it by trashing my reputation at school."

"I don't think she meant to hurt you," said Mr. Aaron. "It sounds like she was just trying to get rid of a boy you weren't interested in."

"That's what she said," said Genesis. "But now I just...I don't think we can ever recover from this."

"You will. It's what siblings do."

Genesis sighed. She was so tired of everyone insisting Ramona was her sister even though she wasn't. "Ramona isn't my sibling," she said. "She's just some stuck-up bitch whose mom was dumb enough to marry my dad."

"Which makes her your stepsister," said Mr. Aaron.

"So? We've never liked each other at all. What's the point in trying to reconcile with her?"

Mr. Aaron leaned in like he always did when he wanted to make an important point. "Genesis, let me tell you something that my grandpa told me when I was your age," he said. "Siblings, even stepsiblings, are important. Unlike your parents, or your spouse, or your own kids, your siblings are with you for your entire life. If you have a good relationship with your brothers, or sisters, that'll do you a lot of good in the long run."

When Genesis didn't respond, Mr. Aaron continued. "Let me tell you a story. When I was nine years old, my father died of lung cancer. For several years, it was just my mother and I. But then, when I was in middle school, my mother found a new husband. And her new husband had a son named David, who became my new stepbrother. At first it was awkward, having another kid in the house who was suddenly my 'brother.' But, over time, we put aside our differences and became good friends. Even now, David and I see each other almost every month. Sometimes he drives me a little crazy, but we're still on good terms. In fact, my kids say Uncle David is their favorite relative. So just think of how much better it'll be down the road if you fix your relationship with Ramona."

Genesis sighed. "You're right," she said.

Mr. Aaron smiled approvingly. "That's the spirit," he said. "Now, how are you going to apologize to Ramona?"

There was only one way Genesis could think of.

***

Ramona stood before what was left of her cheer squad. "Guys, I'm very sorry to say this," she said, "But we will not be going to regionals this year."

"What?" said Talia.

"I know. It-it really pains me to say this," said Ramona. "But since we're one member short, they won't let us compete."

"I'm sorry, Ramona," said Charlotte. And she really meant it.

"And since we can't go to regionals, this means..." Ramona started to get choked up. "This means we won't have a chance of winning the regionals."

"Yes you will," said a new voice. Every head turned to see Genesis walking into the gym, wearing her old cheer uniform that she hadn't gotten rid of for some reason.

"What-Genesis?" Ramona asked.

"I heard you're short a member," she said. "And I want to rejoin."

"What?" said Charlotte. "Can she do that?"

"Yes, she can," said Mrs. Wilson.

Ramona was so shocked, she could hardly speak. "Genesis...I thought..."

"I'm sorry, Ramona," said Genesis. "I'm really sorry about yesterday."

"But you said..."

"Mr. Aaron talked some sense into me," said Genesis. "And I know how important winning the regionals is to you, and that you need another member of your cheer squad. So now I'm rejoining."

Minutes before, Ramona had been on the verge of crying, but now she was shedding tears of joy. "Oh, thank you, Genesis," she said, hugging her stepsister. "Thank you so much."

"It's what sisters do, isn't it?" said Genesis.

Mrs. Wilson smiled. "That's very sweet of you," she said. "But we've started doing some more cheer routines since you left. You're gonna have to learn them all now."

"That's okay," said Genesis. "I'm ready."

To be concluded...

The regionals were held in December, right before Christmas Break. In the two months leading up to it, Genesis trained hard with Ramona, Charlotte, Talia, and the rest of the cheerleaders. Over time, Genesis learned the routines that Ramona and Mrs. Wilson had planned out. Her nerves were amounting about the regionals, but she was doing pretty well in practice. It helped that Ramona had basically abandoned her old bitchy persona, and was now much more encouraging. Everyone on the squad appreciated the now-positive influence she was bringing.

Before Genesis knew it, December had come, and it was Friday the 22, the day before the regionals. Genesis and Ramona had one more cheer practice after school before going home, where their parents were waiting. Reginald and Paulette knew how hyped up their daughters were about the regionals, and they'd prepared a special dinner just for them. Paulette made her famous meat loaf, and Reginald made a huge pot of mashed potatoes. Genesis and Ramona deeply appreciated this.

"So are you excited about tomorrow?" Paulette asked as they started digging into their food.

"Of course!" said Ramona. "This is what I've been preparing for the whole school year. I've choreographed the best cheer routine this school has ever seen. Everyone knows it inside and out, and we're more than ready to perform it tomorrow. Right, Genesis?"

"Right," said Genesis.

"Awesome," Reginald said with a smile. "It's a little early to say this, but I'm proud of you. You've worked really hard, and you're doing really well. I know you'll do well at the regionals tomorrow."

"I just hope we win," said Ramona. "I've been dreaming of winning the regionals ever since I started cheerleading."

Paulette took a swig of water before speaking. "There was something else we wanted to tell you, too," she said.

"What is it?"

"Reginald and I...we're very glad to see that you've put aside your differences," said Paulette. "We're glad we're all becoming a happier family, but now we're gonna make it a little bigger."

"Bigger?" Genesis asked. "What do you mean?"

"I'm pregnant," said Paulette.

For a second, Genesis just stared at her stepmom like she was waiting to hear the punchline of a bad joke. Then she exclaimed "You're pregnant? You're having another baby?"

"Yes," Paulette said with a smile. "You and Ramona are gonna be big sisters!"

"Do you know the gender yet?" Ramona asked.

"No," said Paulette. "I'm only two months pregnant. But the baby's due in early June."

"Oh my gosh," said Genesis. The news of new life in the world was wholesome enough, but to think that now she'd have an actual, biological sibling-a half-sibling, no less-brought her even more joy.

Ramona looked at Genesis. "I can't believe this," she said. "You and I...we're gonna have an actual sister! One that's actually related to both of us by blood!"

"We thought you'd be happy about that," said Reginald.

"Well, we're gonna be great big sisters," said Genesis. "And that's a promise."

***

The next day was the cheer regionals. Genesis, Ramona, Charlotte, Talia, and the rest of the cheerleaders from Eastern Plains High all gathered early to do some warm-up exercises. Reginald and Paulette came to support their daughters, naturally, but there were some other people from school too, such as Modesty Lyn.

When the regionals officially started, the Eastern Plains High cheerleaders had to wait and watch while some of the other schools' cheer squads did their routines. As Genesis watched, she had to admit some of them were pretty impressive. So much that it made her doubt whether her squad would actually win. It wasn't the first time she'd had this feeling. When she was in elementary school as Gene, he would work really hard on his school projects in the hope that he'd get a good grade. However, when Gene got to school and saw what his classmates had whipped up, his project suddenly looked like a joke. This was kind of how Genesis felt watching the other cheer squads do their routines.

"Hey," Charlotte said when she saw the look on Genesis' face.

"What?"

"Don't worry about our competition. Just focus on doing the routine that we've practiced."

Genesis exhaled deeply. "You're right," she said.

Just then, one of the judges called "Next up is the Eastern Plains Tigers!"

"That's us!" Ramona squealed.

Genesis felt a rush of adrenaline as she took her pom-poms and went out into the performing area with the rest of her squad. They got into their starting positions and got ready. Ramona stood up front and faced the judges. "Hello, Metal Spider County," Ramona declared. "We are the Eastern Plains Tigers!" She raised her pom-poms, and the rest of the cheerleaders came up on either side of her and started dancing with their own pom-poms. They all jumped, kicked, and waved their arms in the routine they'd practiced for months-just like they'd planned.

After a bit of dancing, the cheerleaders all grouped together and formed a human trampoline to send Genesis flying into the air. When Genesis was launched upward, she waved her arms and legs out and cheered "Go tigers!" After she'd landed in the net of everyone else's arms, they all disbanded to do more cartwheels and dancing. It was a complex routine that lasted almost two and a half minutes. Then, when it was over, they formed up to create an even bigger pyramid than they had at the Homecoming football game. Genesis and Charlotte came on top of the pyramid to hold up Ramona, who held out and shook her pom-poms while bellowing "GO TIGERS!"

When they'd finished their routine, everyone in the stands-and even some of the judges-gave them a round of applause. "Amazing job, Eastern Plains Tigers," one of the judges said.

"Go, Ramona!" Modesty called from the stands.

"Thank you, everyone," said Ramona. "Thank you..."

***

It was another hour before the rest of the competing cheer squads had performed their routines. Once the last routine was completed, the judges took some time to do some voting. While the judges voted, the cheerleaders were allowed to go get lunch from any of the nearby food joints. Genesis, Ramona, and Charlotte ended up going to Starbucks on the corner to get their food.

While they ate, Ramona told Genesis and Charlotte "You both did great out there."

"Thanks," said Genesis. "You did really well too."

"Do you think the judges will pick us as their winners?" Charlotte asked.

"I hope so," said Ramona.

Just then, someone new entered the store. It was Cassy. "Hey guys," she said. "Victory party?"

"Victory? We haven't even won yet."

"You still did really well," said Cassy. "I was watching."

"Oh," said Genesis. "I...didn't even know you were gonna come."

Cassy shrugged. "I came because I was hoping to finally get to talk to you."

Genesis' heart dropped. Ever since Mirna's death, she'd been avoiding Cassy. Not that she was mad at her or anything, but she didn't even know what she'd say to her. "What is it?"

"You haven't asked me about...you know."

"Mirna?"

Cassy nodded.

"I know what happened to her," said Genesis. "I was there."

"Who's Mirna?" Charlotte asked.

"She's my boss," said Cassy. "She..." She trailed off when she looked at Charlotte. "You don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

Genesis and Ramona exchanged glances. "News flash," said Ramona, "Genesis wasn't always Genesis."

"What?"

"I used to be a guy named Gene," said Genesis. "But Mirna's a witch, and she turned me into Genesis and did a mass memory-altering spell so everyone remembers me as a girl."

Charlotte's jaw dropped. "So that explains it," she said.

"Explains what?"

"This whole school year, you've been acting different. At first I didn't think it was a big deal, but now I understand."

"Yeah, it was hard to adjust to life as a girl," said Genesis.

"And that's why I wanted to talk to you," said Cassy. "It's my fault. I'm the one who told Mirna about you sexually harassing me, and-"

"No, it's not your fault," said Genesis. "It's my fault. And in hindsight, I think Mirna was right. I have learned a big lesson."

"But you can't be changed back now," said Cassy.

"I know," said Genesis.

"Hey, it's not so bad," said Ramona. "You've gotten pretty used to being a girl by now, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I kind of have," Genesis admitted.

"And I must say, you're a much better person than Gene ever was."

"Why are you talking about Gene like he's a completely different person from me?" Genesis asked.

Ramona shrugged. "Who knows? At this point, maybe he is."

Slowly, Genesis realized Ramona was right. After everything that happened...did her old life really matter anymore? She'd put her selfish, womanizing ways behind her, and she'd made a good friend in Charlotte. On top of that, she'd forged a much better relationship with her stepsister than ever before. Maybe this new life really was better for Genesis.

"Hey," said Charlotte. "You're a good girl, Genesis. You shouldn't be ashamed of that."

Genesis smiled. "You're right," she said. "You guys have been so good to me these last few months. I don't think I could've transitioned without you."

"It's what girls do," said Charlotte. "We help each other out."

***

After they were done at Starbucks, Genesis, Ramona, Charlotte, and Cassy went back to where the regionals were being judged. Genesis, Ramona, and Charlotte got back together with their squad to await the announcements of the winners.

"We've seen a lot of amazing performances today," the chief judge said to the assembled crowd. "But now we honor the top three performers. In third place, we have the Harvey Junior High Cobras." The crowd cheered as a cheerleader captain in a green and black uniform came up to get her trophy. "Then, in second place, we have the Rounded High Vikings." There was another loud cheer as a cheerleader captain dressed in white and gray came to get her trophy.

Everyone held their breath as the judge addressed the crowd again. "And now, in first place, we have..." He paused for dramatic effect. "The Easter Plains High Tigers!"

If there was cheering before, it was nothing compared to this. "We won!" Ramona exclaimed. "We won!"

"No way! We did it!" said Talia.

Genesis and Charlotte followed Ramona as she went up to get her trophy handed to her. "Congratulations, Eastern Plains Tigers," said the chief judge. "You're Ramona Dunby, yes?"

"Yes."

"Is there anything you'd like to say as I give you this trophy?"

Ramona gladly took the trophy and faced her squad. "I want to thank everyone who supported me in my journey to make it to regionals," she said. "My parents, and my friends, and my teachers. But most of all, I want to thank my squad. Every single one of them showed devotion and ability deserving of this trophy!"

Genesis, Charlotte, and the rest of the Eastern Plains cheerleaders cheered. But Ramona wasn't done yet. "Most of all, I wanted to thank my amazing sister Genesis. If she hadn't joined the squad, then we would never have been able to come to regionals. Let's give it up for Genesis!"

"Yay, Genesis!" said Charlotte. Before she knew it, all of her squadmates were chanting Genesis' name. "Genesis, Genesis, Genesis!"

Genesis felt an immense rush of affection for Ramona. She approached her and pulled her into a deep hug. "Oh, I love you, Ramona," she said.

"I love you too, Genesis," said Ramona.

It may have been the best moment of Genesis' life.

The End!

***

And so ends The Most Extreme Punishment. I might not have had a very consistent upload schedule for this story's chapters, but I'm glad I was able to finish it in the end. To those of you who've stuck with me through this journey...thank you so much. Like Ramona, I appreciate all of you. ;)

And, as always, please feel free to tell me what you thought of this story. If there's one thing I enjoy more than writing these serials, it's hearing what my readers think.