Andrew McKenzie is a junior in highschool when a strange incident sweeps the world. In the aftermath Andrew is left confused and unsure what's happening to him as he slowly begins to notice changes.

I never liked school but I did alright when it came to my grades. I would never be at the top of my class but I didn’t care Bs were good enough. Needless to say I wasn’t happy stepping off the bus my first day back at Riverside High School for my junior year. I may not have liked high school but there were worse places I could have gone. All in all I was proud to be an RHS warrior even if I wasn’t very involved in it. Most teenagers spend their high school years joining teams and clubs and going to parties right? Well that wasn’t me.

I was different I had friends and stuff but the partying and the other social group activities just were of no interest to me. No gaming was much higher on my list then anything involving going out on a Friday or Saturday night. I loved to spend hours playing this game or that and competing against others online. I would talk trash and laugh as I killed or defeated people in game loving every minute of it! This was where my passion was and everything else just seemed like a waste of time.

In fact all I could think about was getting home and online as soon as I entered my first class of the day. I took my usual seat in the back and looked out the window as everyone else entered the room. I was off in my own world until I heard my name being called.

“Andrew?…Andrew McKenzie ?” A voice said from the front of the class.

I looked around for a minute and realized it was the teacher. She was a pretty woman in her mid to late thirties I guess and she had her name written across the chalkboard. Ms. Lind.

“Here!” I shouted as I raised my hand.

I saw her check my name off and then I finally took a look around the room. I knew a few of the students but my school was fairly big so there was a lot of strange faces. Luckily I had a friend next to me and we chatted a bit as the teacher continued with the role call. Ryan Baker and I had known each other for years long before high school and I often played with him in certain games. We had our usual conversation about the games we’d heard were coming out and anything we did in a game that was cool in some manner or another. It was a pretty normal day as Ms. Lind started class.

The TV flickered on and the morning announcements started with our principal Mr. Gold. He was an older man with salt and pepper hair probably in his late 40’s or maybe early 50’s but from the few times I’d had to deal directly with him he seemed like a good guy.

“Good morning! Warriors and welcome back!” Like most teachers and faculty Mr. Gold always seemed to enjoy the start of a new school year.

Ryan and I continued to chat in the back of the class as Mr. Gold made the usual announcements of upcoming events and tryouts for this sport and that. I wasn’t paying much attention at all but suddenly I heard a commotion and looked up to the TV. Another teacher had came on with Mr. Gold and whispered something in his ear.

“Uh it seems there is some breaking news so we are going to switch to the local news.”

Mr. Gold stepped off camera and the feed switched over to one of our local channels but instead of being the local news reporters it was actually the national news. A serious looking man sat behind a desk and was in the middle of reporting a breaking story.

“That’s right Susan from the information we are getting it’s uncertain where this massive cloud came from but it seems to be sweeping quickly across the world.” As the news anchor paused the coverage switched to video of a large dusty looking cold sweeping towards some town on the west coast.

“Alright here we have images of the cloud just outside Seattle. As you can see it’s moving quite fast.” The man on TV paused again holding his finger in his ear I assume getting directions from someone off camera.

Everyone in the classroom was silent no chatter and all eyes were locked on the TV. I watched as they kept showing the clip over and over. I tried to read the reports at the bottom of the screen to get more information but it was scrolling too fast and I kept being drawn back to images of this cloud from different places.

“If you are just joining us reports started late in the night of a cloud of unknown origin sweeping across Japan.” This time they cut to a satellite image showing the progress of the cloud and just how large it was. “As you can see the cloud is about a mile wide and stretches from one pole to the other covering the entire span of the globe. Is there anything like this on record Susan?” with that they switch to another camera where a middle age woman with brown hair stood in a business suit in front of the satellite image.

“No…no there’s no record of anything like this Jack and as you can see the cloud is still rushing across the United States. Now we want to let everyone know there has been no damage reported from this cloud as it’s made it’s way across Japan, the Pacific, and the west coast. However we are still recommending anyone outside find shelter and for everyone to remain indoors until the cloud has passed.”

There were a few gasps as we all finally got more information and started to understand what was going on. I could see on the satellite picture that this cloud was now approaching the East coast where we were. I looked out the window wondering how far away it was. I can’t say I was too scared as it didn’t seem to be dangerous but still along with everyone else I was concerned.

“What the hell is it?” Ryan asked to nobody in particular.

All I could do was shrug and it didn’t seem like anyone on the news knew the answer either. By now the TV had gone back to the main news desk and anchor Jack Workmen was interviewing a meteorologist from the national weather service.

“Dr. Sanders is there any explanation for this phenomenon?” On a TV screen next to the news desk was a dark haired man in a blue suit with a graphic below him that said he was Dr. Anthony Sanders - Head of the National Weather Service.

“As of right now we have no explanation. We have no idea where this cloud came from or what is driving it. There seems to be no wind to accompany it and there is no cold front or warm front behind it. Also as of this moment we are unable to identify what the cloud consists of as samples have been impossible to collect.”

Just as the doctor finished his sentence I heard a gasp from one of the girls in my class as she stood pointing out the window. “Here it comes!” She shouted and everyone turned to look out the window. The cloud looked massive it was brownish beige and stretched from the ground all the way as high as I could see. There was no way of avoiding this thing and it was moving fast.

“Alright I know they said it’s not causing damage but just to be safe everyone under your desks now please!” Ms. Lind looked a bit scared herself as she instructed us to take cover.

Climbing under my desk with the rest of my first period class I have to admit seeing something like that coming at me was scary. Even if it hadn’t caused damage anywhere else it was still massive and you couldn’t even see through it. There was a slight roar as the cloud approached and I watched as it hit the side of our school. Suddenly it was pitch black outside and then inside as the lights went out.

There were a couple screams from the class as we sat in the dark under our desks. I listened as the soft roar continued and then suddenly from the window came the blinding light of the sun as the cloud finally passed and just as suddenly as the lights had gone out they came back on. Everyone started talking seemingly all at the same time and I just stared out the window. What was that?

“Dude! Your nose is bleeding.” I heard Ryan say.

I wiped my nose feeling the trickle now and looked at the blood on my fingers.

“Alright is everyone OK?” Ms. Lind asked as she crawled out from under her own desk.

“Uh my nose is bleeding may I go to the bathroom?” I replied holding up my hand and showing the blood.

“Yes yes! Go.” She waved me towards the door as everyone else was straightening themselves up.

Walking down the hall I could see the cloud moving away from the school through the windows on the opposite side. I watched for a bit as it spit out undamaged house after undamaged house along it’s path. It was so thick and dense there was no seeing anything inside the cloud until it had popped out of the back. I pinched my nose trying to control the bleeding and then finally started to clean myself up as I reached the bathroom. It didn’t take long before the bleeding stopped and I wiped the leftover blood away.

“Hey Andrew you in here?” It was Ryan peaking in to check on me.

“Yeah!” I shouted back still cleaning up in front of the mirror.

“Ms. Lind sent me to check on you?” I looked at Ryan in the mirror sticking his head in the door and was just about to answer him when I suddenly didn’t feel OK. I felt sick.

I ran into one of the stalls just in time to threw up into a toilet. I heard Ryan make a noise and knew very well it was never fun hearing someone else get sick. I breathed heavily and after losing it a few more times it seemed like it was over. I flushed the toilet and stepped out of the stall a bit surprised to see Mr. Hackler the freshmen chemistry teacher standing with Ryan.

“Andrew? Are you ok?” He asked standing there a little out of breath. I could tell Ryan was to so I could only assume when I started getting sick Ryan had ran to get him.

“I think so just a little nauseous and dizzy.” I steadied myself and leaned against the sink as Mr. Hackler looked me over.

“Alright well I’m going to call an ambulance the news is saying we should contact the authorities for anything that might be related to that cloud.” He was already dialing before I could stop him so I decided not to fight it.

I looked over at Ryan just kind of standing there unsure what to do. “How many other’s are sick?”

Ryan shook his head. “None.”

Taking a deep breath I turned around and ran some cold water over myself from the sink. I still felt sick to my stomach but not sick enough to rush to the toilet again. I could feel my head spinning a bit and it hurt but again not enough to bring it up. I heard the ambulance as it arrived outside the school and before I knew it the bathroom was full of people. The EMT’s told me to sit down on the gurney and started asking me a bunch of questions. Answering them the best I could they finally decided it was best if I went to the hospital.

After loading me into the ambulance it took us no time to get to the hospital and before I knew it I was in a room by myself. I was feeling a bit better other then a lingering headache so I grabbed the TV remote and turned it on. I watched as the news continued to report about the cloud and where it was. By now it had made it just off the east coast of the US and was heading towards Europe. I flipped through the channels a couple times but couldn’t find any reports of people getting sick after the cloud had passed. Maybe this had nothing to do with the cloud.

A bit shocked by how quickly he arrived the door to my room swung open and in walked a doctor carrying a clipboard. “Hello Andrew I’m Dr. Foster.”

“…uh Hi..hello.” I said as I watched the tall man with the short brown hair and doctor’s coat look over his clipboard. Wow did he look young I thought he couldn’t be more than what 27 or 28? I wondered how he could already be a doctor.

“So I see here you had a nosebleed and became ill after the cloud passed? Anything else or just the nose bleed and nausea?” I could still feel the dull headache as Dr. Foster sat down on a rolling stool across from me and looked me over.

“Yeah I have a little headache too.” Dr. Foster nodded and noted my remark on the clipboard before setting it on the counter.

“Alright well let me take a look at you and we’ll see if we can figure this out OK?” I nodded and Dr. Foster rolled over to me first shining a light in my eyes and then ears before having me lean my head back. Examining my nose he worked very quickly as he went and I was beginning to wonder if he knew what he was doing. With that it seemed he was done and he rolled on his stool back over to where he left the clipboard.

“I think we’re going to run a few tests on you Andrew. The nosebleed, nausea, and headache could have been caused by a sudden pressure drop when the cloud passed. Just to be safe though I’d like to run a blood test and cat scan to cover our bases.” The doctor spoke very quickly and didn’t seem to be concerned which actually made me more concerned. Again I wondered if he knew what he was doing.

I nodded though it didn’t seem Dr. Foster was waiting for my approval as he continued to write on his clipboard. What he was writing i wondered as he stood up and headed towards the door. “Alright the nurse should be in shortly to take a blood sample and take you to the cat scan.”

“Could someone give my mother a call and let her know where I am please?” I asked before he could get away.

“Oh yes I’m sorry I forgot to tell you. The school has already notified your mother and she’s on her way here.” What? He forgot? This fact was really not helping my faith in him at all.

“Ok... uh Thanks.” I shook my head a little as he left and I turned my attention back to the TV. I could only wonder if there had been others who got sick? Was this related to the cloud or was it just really a drop in pressure or something? I shook my head again there was no way it was just a drop in pressure there would have been others in my class with the same symptoms. I continued flipping the channels still nothing about anyone getting sick.

"Andrew!" My mother said a little too loudly as she entered the room. "What in the world is going on? I got a call at work saying to meet you here and they wouldn't tell me what was wrong with you."

I could tell she was a bit panicked as she set her purse down on a counter and started to look me over. “I’m fine mom. I just had a little nose bleed and got sick the doctor thinks it’s from a pressure drop caused by that cloud. Nothing major is broken.”

I could see her relax a little as she stared at me and played with her long blonde hair like she always did when she was nervous. I loved my mother but she could be a little too dramatic at times and in this situation I knew there was no stopping her.

“Those people at your school are such idiots. They wouldn’t tell me anything I was worried out of my mind! I almost crashed twice on the way over here. I called your sister she was in class but she’s on her way.”

I sighed hearing my sister was coming as my mother finally took a breath. One dramatic relative was bad enough but two would be even worse and my sister was just as bad if not worse then my mother. “Why is she coming? I’m fine I told you.”

“She’s your sister and you know her once she heard you were at the hospital there was no stopping her. She probably stopped the class and announced that her little brother was at the hospital before she left knowing her. She always has to make a production out of things and share it with everyone. I’m sure her twitter, facebook, and texts are all lit up with the news.”

I shook my head as my mother continued to ramble and knew very well that her’s were probably just as full with the same topic. My sister and mother were nothing like me. Both were extremely popular and had tons of friends so they were all about social media and sharing everything with said friends. At this point I was certain that everyone that my sister and mother knew also knew about what had happened with me.
My mother continued her rambling mostly about nothing as she dug in her purse for something. I nodded and smiled or shook my head as needed but didn’t really pay much attention. A knock at the door came next and before I could say anything my mother had told them to come in. It was the nurse to draw my blood this time and she was a pretty nurse at that. I couldn’t help but check her out a little as she brought in her cart and sat down beside me.

“Hello, Andrew. I’m Kristen and I’ll be your nurse while you’re here. The doctor ordered some blood work and a cat scan so I’ll be taking care of that for you.” I nodded nervously and did my best to not get caught checking her out. A pretty brunette she had some rather full breasts and a cute butt that filled out the back of her scrubs nicely.

“Here’s your hospital gown I’m going to head out and let you get changed. When you’re done just give the button in the wall behind your bed a push and i’ll come back in to draw some blood.” I looked over the pink and yellow hospital gown frowning a bit.

“Um...don’t you have another color?” I asked.

The pretty nurse laughed a little but shook her head. “Not at the moment no sorry, but don’t worry it’s what we give everyone. Even the big manly men.” I smiled a bit and perhaps stuck out my chest thinking she was calling me a manly man. “So don’t worry they’ll be wearing the same one as you hun.” Suddenly I felt the air get sucked out of my chest realizing she wasn’t saying that at all.

With a bruised ego I went into the bathroom as the nurse left and changed out of the clothes i had been wearing. Slipping on the hospital gown I piled up my clothes and went back out to where my mother was waiting. Suddenly she chuckled and smiled pointing behind me. I turned to see a mirror and my exposed bottom being reflected back at me. Embarrassed I quickly close the back of the gown and sat down in the bed.

“If it makes you feel any better hun you have a cute butt it looks a lot fuller than i would have though have you put on some weight?” I turned an even brighter shade of red as my mother laughed a bit more. “No!” I huffed as made sure to tuck the gown under me before pressing the button to call the nurse back in.

It didn’t take the nurse much time at all to return as my mother stifled her laughter and just smirked at me. “Alright let's draw some blood shall we?” The nurse asked as she tied off my arm and looked for a vein. I squirmed a bit not a fan of needles but trying to act tough in front of the pretty nurse a straightened up and only flinched a little as the needle pierced my skin.

Suddenly I shivered as I heard a voice out in the hall. My sister was here now and just then the door opened. A short blonde like my mother my sister Amanda was always the center of attention growing up. Even the small number of friends I had loved her. Mostly because they were all male and Amanda had always been one of the prettier girls in school. My mother was the same way and I had heard way too often how hot that they both were and been forced to watch friends drool over them.

“Here you are! Finally! I swear I have been all over this place looking for you two. So how is he mom? Have they said anything? Is it really related to that cloud?” The nurse smiled at me as she finished taking my blood and my mother and sister started chatting behind her.

“There we go all done. I’m going to run this to the lab and then i’ll be right back to take you for the cat scan ok?” I nodded as the nurse took my blood and left while my sister and mother stared at me.

“What?” I asked.

“You were looking at her butt!” Amanda said a bit too loudly and then smiled and laughed with my mother. My sister and mother were both great at embarrassing me and I turned red again but just ignored them as the started chatting about random stuff. It felt like I had been in that room a month before the nurse finally returned with a wheelchair to take me to get the cat scan.

Thankfully my mother and sister couldn’t come so they stayed behind and the nurse wheeled me down the hall. Before too long we were a couple floors up and I was climbing on to the table for the scan. The technician explained some things and chatted a bit with me as I was stuck in the machine while it worked. I’d never had a cat scan before so i had no idea how long it took but it felt like hours before we finally finished.

On the way back to the room the nurse stopped and took my weight and height measurements as I struggled not to expose my backside again with the hospital gown. When we finally got back to the room I was a bit surprised to see the doctor there waiting on me with my mother and sister. The look on his face did not make me feel any better he looked confused which is never a good way for a doctor to look.

After I climbed back in bed everyone sat down and the nurse left. I did my best not to look at her and give my sister and mother more fuel for their amusement. Looking over his clipped bored the doctor was quiet at first as we stared at him waiting for him to explain what was going on.

“Well we got your blood tests back and there is something a little unusual. First i want to say that there doesn’t appear to be anything life threatening wrong with you. Your cat scan was fine according to the technician so there’s no issues there.”

A bit relieved I sighed and heard my mother do the same as the doctor said my life wasn’t in danger. “But you said there is something unusual with my blood?”

“Yes… Your hormone levels are off. Your estrogen is high and testosterone is low which could be what is causing your nausea and headache.”

“Wait estrogen? I have high estrogen I didn’t even know men had that isn’t that a female thing?” I asked confused by what he was saying.

“No no. Men have estrogen in their bodies as well it’s just not in the amounts a female would have it. However your estrogen level is much higher than a normal male at the moment. That along with the low testosterone has your body in kind of a shocked state.”

Sitting there on the bed i still didn’t understand what this meant for me but luckily my mother had plenty to ask. “So what does that mean? Does he need to take testosterone?” Shaking his head the doctor smiled at my mother.

“No Ma’am. At the moment we don’t want to flood him with more hormones so we are going to wait and see if his hormone levels normalize on their own.”

Smiling back and playing with her hair i rolled my eyes noticing my mother was flirting a bit with my doctor now. “But can’t high estrogen can cause changes to men’s bodies?”

“Yes it can but it takes high levels for a prolonged period of time. As of right now the only thing it may cause is more emotional.” Turning back to me the doctor looked back at his chart as he spoke. “For the next few days you may be a bit emotional so don’t worry if you moods have drastic swings.”

I took a deep breath a bit relieved again that the only issues I’d have is some mood swings. “So is that it? can i go home now?”

Putting his clipboard down the doctor scooted back to talk to me, my sister, and mother all at the same time. “Normally I would release someone with just high hormone levels. However because of this possibly being related to this cloud incident the government wants all doctors to keep patients with any issued possibly related under observation. So for now i want to at least keep you here till tomorrow and then will run another blood test and see how your hormones are doing at that point.”

With that the doctor stood along with my sister and mother and went to leave. My mother followed him outside where she continued asking questions as the door to my hospital room closed. I’m sure after hearing I was ok her concern was more for having a chance to flirt with a cute doctor more than anything about me at this point.

“Well that’s good.” My sister said as she took the remote to the TV I had left on the bed. Flipping channels she finally settled on one and i laid back in the bed not even watching really. “I wonder where that cloud came from? You’re lucky who knows what was in that thing. A couple days of being a bit emotional sounds like you got of easy. Maybe now you’ll be a bit more understand of me and mom when it’s that time of month.”

Grabbing a pillow I buried my face in it and tried my best to cover my ears as i screamed not wanting to hear any of this from my sister. Laughing Amanda couldn’t help but comment. “Starting already is it?”

The rest of the day and evening went by fairly quickly as I had some lunch and then dinner finally. For a hospital the food was pretty good and once my sister left it was a lot quieter with just my mother. Of course she didn’t stop talking but atleast she didn’t have my sister to bounce back and forth with anymore. Eventually I told her to go home and then it was just me in my room alone.

Flipping on the TV I again scanned through all the news channels looking for anymore information about that cloud or if there had been more cases like mine anywhere else. All I could find was channels showing video of the cloud at different places and reporting that it had apparently disappeared at exactly the same place it had appeared form. It had completely circled the globe once and now it was gone.

A few reporters were live from the search area where the cloud had come and gone but so far no one had been able to find a source. Despite lots of tries all over the globe no one had been able to get a sample of the cloud either. Everyone was baffled they had no idea where it had come from, where it had gone, or what it was made of it was a complete mystery. I continued flipping channels into the night till I finally fell asleep looking for some new information or a report of other’s getting sick like me. There was nothing...

Andrew McKenzie is a junior in highschool when a strange incident sweeps the world. In the aftermath Andrew is left confused and unsure what's happening to him as he slowly begins to notice changes.

“Oh my god!” Suddenly I was awake and my mother was standing at the foot of my bed looking at me. Confused at her outburst I rubbed my eyes.

“What?” I asked my voice breaking unusually high.

Staring at me for once in her life my mother was at a lost for words. “What?” I asked again my voice still a bit itchy and breaking like I was 13 again.I cleared my throat. “Would you say something!”

Finally my mother pointed at me. “You look different...You’re hair it’s...longer and lighter I think and your face is fuller maybe.” Confused I shook my head.

“Nothing is different it’s probably just the light or something.” Sitting up I turned on the light and my mother gasped. “What?” I asked again startled.

Moving closer my mother touched my face and her eyes widened. “Your face is definitely different hun. Your jaw is thinner and your cheeks are much puffier I’m telling you. I’m calling the doctor maybe you’re having an allergic reaction or something.”

Running out the door I heard my mother tell the nurse at the desk to page the doctor as it closed. Half asleep still I climbed out of bed and for some reason everything felt off. The bed felt a bit taller than it did the night before and the floor colder on my bare feet. I went to the mirror and looked at myself in the corner of the room. Blinking to focus my sleepy eyes I was staggered when things finally came into focus.

My fingers touched my face as I examined it myself and I couldn’t believe how it felt. My skin was softer than I remembered it and my mother was right my cheeks were more puffy. She was right about my jaw as well it did look thinner than it had yesterday. I still looked like me just slightly different. Nothing was too extremely altered that people wouldn’t know it was me but when you really looked things stood out. My hair was the most obvious though noticeably longer than when I’d gone to bed and several shades lighter than my normal brown. No wonder it was the first thing my mother noticed even in the dark.

Was this an allergic reaction? I didn’t know what to think when the door opened behind me. “Andrew!” my mother gasped again. I spun around towards her. “What!? What!?” I said in a panic.

“Turn back around.” She said. I did looking at the mirror again trying to see what else she may be talking about. “Your bottom is swollen too Andrew. It’s much bigger than yesterday.”

I turned back to look at my back side in the mirror and again my mother was right. My bottom looked much fuller than just the day before. I had to see what else might be reacting to whatever was happening to me so I darted to the bathroom and tore off the hosptial gown. Looking over my body even more changes popped out. It wasn’t just my butt it was my hips too they seemed to have more fat, my thighs as well, but my waist had slimmed down or so it seemed. I felt weird and off balance as I used the smaller mirror above the sink in the bathroom to look at myself.

Just like my face nothing was too drastic but everything seemed to have changed just a little bit. The hair on my arms, legs, and body seemed lighter and much thinner now, and it wasn’t just the skin on my face that was softer my whole body was the same way. I ran my hands over everything and as they crossed my chest I jumped. “Ow!” Carefully I placed my hands on my chest again and under the skin I could feel two firm bumps behind my nipples.

Whatever these bumps were they made my nipples pretty sensitive and just a little push or poke was painful. Turning this way and that I looked at myself in the mirror. Just like my butt and cheeks my chest seemed swollen with a bit more fat and my nipples seemed puffy and a bit more pronounced. Suddenly a knock came at the bathroom door.

“Andrew? It’s Doctor Foster is everything alright? Your mother said you have some swelling can you come out so I can have a look?” Swallowing I answered him back through the door.

“Yeah give me a minute.” Again my voice broke but slipping back into the hospital gown I made sure everything was covered and opened the door.

For the second time that morning I heard a shocked gasp as someone saw me for the first time. This time the doctor stared at me with a look of shock on his face. “What in the world? Ok I can see what your mother was saying it looks like there may be some swelling in your face and some hair growth certainly.”

“Is it an allergic reaction doctor?” My mother asked as she paced behind him still staring at me.

“It could be yes. We definitely need to run your blood again and see what that tells us. Is there any other swelling besides your face?” Nodding I looked at my mother and then back to the doctor as he waited for me to explain.

“Um... mom can you leave the room please.” I knew asking her to leave wouldn’t go over well but after an argument and the doctor agreeing with me my mother finally left me alone with Doctor Foster. My face bright red with embarrassment I took a deep breath and slipped out of the hospital gown to show the doctor my body.

“From my waist down to my thighs everything seems a bit swollen, but my waist seems smaller, and my skin feels different too much softer than before. ”Pausing I was reluctant about the next bit but taking a deep breath I continued. “Also my chest is sore and swollen too with two bumps behind my nipples that are extremely sensitive.”

Nodding the doctor looked me over and started to examine the different areas. When he finally got to my chest he paused. “You said these lumps are very sensitive is there any pain?”

“Yes when I poked one earlier there was a lot of pain. “Looking at my swollen and pronounced nipples the doctor felt my chest with his fingers asking occasionally if it hurt where he was pressing. I shook my head a few times and then gasped in pain doubling over as he pushed on one of the bumps behind a nipple with his fingers. My eyes watered and a couple tears ran down my face as I held my chest.

“Sorry I know that hurts but I just need to see what might be going on.” Straightening up I took another breath before I let him continue inspecting my chest. “hmmm.” he said as he made notes on his clipboard. “Ok. You can put your gown back on and lay down if you wish I just have one more question for you. Your voice seems to be cracking today is there any pain or soreness in your throat?”

“No it just itches a little.” Even as I answered him my voice broke again. When my voice had dropped during puberty I was always embarrassed by it but it had stopped several years ago. This was different however. This time when it would break instead of going lower it would get higher.

“Alright I think that about does it. Let me get your mother and we can go over what’s next together.”

Slipping the hospital gown back on I got back into the bed feeling very drained already and tearing up still. The pain had gone from where Doctor Foster had pushed a little too hard but I couldn’t help continuing to cry a little for no reason. When my mother returned she came right to my bed and sat down next to me giving me a hug.

“What’s wrong hun? Why are you crying you’ll be ok it’s just some swelling. I’m sure the doctor can give you something for it.” I leaned into my mother as she hugged me and comforted me. I had never been the very emotional type but today it felt good as I wiped my eyes. “There we go dry those tears. Now what’s going on doctor?”

“To be honest I’m not certain yet. I want to run another blood test and I’m adding an ultrasound of your sons chest.” Doctor Foster said while making notes on his clipboard still.

“An ultrasound on his chest? Why what’s wrong with his chest?” My mother looked at me and my cheeks turned red as I turned away a bit too embarrassed to say anything.

“Well along with his hips, butt, and thighs his chest seems to have some swelling, but that doesn’t concern me as much as the hard lumps behind his nipples. They seem to be extremely sensitive so I want to get a look at what’s going on there.”

My mother gasped hearing the word lumps and I could see her first question coming. “It’s not cancer is it?”

“I’m not sure what it is but the ultrasound should give us a better idea along with a new blood test. For now I want Andrew to just relax and I’ll get the nurses going on these tests. As soon as they're ready they’ll come get you.” Putting his pen in the top of his clipboard Doctor Foster smiled. When he looked at me finally I could see why my mother was flirting with him. He was pretty attractive really and had a nice smile. I couldn’t help but smile back feeling my cheeks warm and blush.

Why was a blushing at a smile from a Doctor? I was confused and looked at my mother unable to not notice a slight blush in her cheeks as she too returned Doctor Foster’s smile. I felt really weird and looked back at the mirror in the corner as he left my mother and I alone. “So why did you make me leave, because of this swollen chest?” My mother asked as soon as the door closed.

“I didn’t want my mother to see me naked that’s all.” I squirmed as she joined me looking at my reflection in the mirror.

“Andrew I have seen you naked more times then I can count there’s nothing you should be ashamed of me seeing.” We looked at each other indirectly in the mirror and I just couldn’t bring myself to argue this time. “Now let me see.”

With a sigh I turned and let the hospital gown slide down around my waist. My mother’s eyes widened and she covered her mouth as she stared at my chest. “The doctor said they are painful?” I nodded as she had me turn to one side and then the other. “Only when pressed on they are fine right now.”

Sudden I saw a questioning look in my mother’s eyes as she looked at my chest. “What do they feel like hun? Are they kinda balls and hard behind the nipples?” I couldn’t help but wonder how she knew that as I noded and told her yes. “Hmmm well hopefully the sonogram well tell the doctor what’s going on.” I felt as though suddenly my mother knew something I didn't but I was still too drained to push and find out what.

It didn’t take long for the nurse to show up and draw my blood again. After that I was taken for the sonogram which took way longer then it should have. The lumps behind my nipples sent pain through my entire body and brought me to tears every time they were pressed on or bumped a bit too hard. A couple times I just couldn’t take it and had to stop and catch my breath to recover. Finally I was able to tuff it out though and we headed back to my room. Along the way the nurse stopped and told me she wanted to get my height and weight again.

I asked her why when we had just done that the day before and she told me it was something the doctor had requested. With a shrug I agreed and stepped onto the scale. To my surprise despite the swelling all over my body I had lost about 5 pounds overnight. Even that wasn’t as big a surprise as when she measured my height though. Somehow in less than a day's time I had lost more than a full inch in height.

I understood now why the bed and everything in my room seemed off. They felt taller because I was suddenly shorter. When we returned to the room my mother was waiting and by now my sister had arrived. I told them about the weight loss and the height but neither seemed to care all they wanted to talk about was my chest. My mother had me show my sister the swelling and as they looked at each other again I felt like they knew something I didn’t.

“What? What is it? I saw that look.” I asked staring at the them. Again they looked at one another before Amanda answered me.

“Your chest looks like you have breast buds. Mom told me when I got here and wanted to see if I thought the same thing. She’s right it really does look like breast buds to me. I don’t know what’s going on but if those aren’t breast buds I don’t know what else they could be. They look just like mine did.”

Confused I had no idea what she was talking about. “What are breast buds I asked?

This time my mother leaned in closer and took my hand. “Breast buds are something young girls get when they are developing breasts hun. They make the nipples extremely sensitive and are two lumps that form behind them.”

Now I understood what they were saying and I shook my head “What? You think i’m developing breasts? No way how is that even possible?”

Still holding my hand my mother shook her head. “I don’t know how but the doctor did say your estrogen was high yesterday so maybe that had something to do with it. I’m not even certain that’s what’s happening I just know from experience that it certainly seems like that’s what they are to me. Let’s wait and see what the doctor says though I don’t want to panic you over nothing.

“Too late.” I said stewing a bit as I covered myself and bumped a nipplein the process. Pain shot through my body and I got a knowing look as if they knew the pain from my sister and mother. “That’s...crazy there’s no way. The doctor said it would take high estrogen levels for a long period of time to see any effects. It’s only been a day.”

I could see the concern on my sister and mother’s face not wanting to panic me any more than they had. “Listen I’m sorry we brought it up you’re right the Doctor said it would take a long time. I’m just worried about you and my mind is just racing trying to find answers. Forget what your sister and I said let’s just wait and hear what the doctor thinks.”

Sitting in the bed I glared at the two of them as they whispered to each other now while I flipped on the television. I knew they were still talking about me but I tried to take my mind off of it and started to look for any more reports on the cloud. Again there were plenty of reports but nothing confirmed on what it was or where it came from. By now people had started reporting theories by this scientist or that but none of them seemed right to me.

We sat there all morning my sister and mother chatting amongst themselves as I watched TV and then into the afternoon. The longer it took for the doctor to return the more nervous I got. I had buzzed the nurse a couple times to ask what was taking him so long but the only thing she would say was he’ll come see me when all the tests are back. Why was it taking so long? Yesterday my blood work and cat scan were back in no time at all.

Finally in the late afternoon there was a knock on the door and in walked Doctor Foster. “Sorry it took so long we ran a number of tests on your blood this time.” With a sigh as if he had been having a long day Doctor Foster sat on the little rolling stool again by my bed.

“What’s going on? Did you find anything?” my mother blurted out before I could even say a word.

“To be straight with you yes and no. His blood work still shows elevated estrogen even higher than the levels were yesterday and his testosterone is now at minimum level even for a female. However this shouldn’t be causing the reaction we are seeing this quickly.”

“So it’s not an allergic reaction it’s because of his hormone levels?” My mother asked as I sat there a bit numb and unsure what to ask.

“No it’s definitely not an allergic reaction and we don’t know how but it does seem related to the hormone levels yes. Some of the things happening to him are a lot like what happens with transgender male to females when they take estrogen but like I said that normally takes a long period of time to see these kind of changes.”

“I knew it! His chest those are breast buds aren’t they?” Covering my face i couldn’t believe my mother had just blurted out her theory to a doctor.

“Yes it seems so.” I straightened up and stared at the doctor shocked that he had not shot her down. “Looking at the sonogram and after examining him this would be what we’d expect to see in early breast development for a young girl.”

I was stunned and even though my mother was right I could tell she was to. I was developing breasts after all. My sister was the only one of us able to get a question out. “Well can you stop it or reverse it?”

With a deep breath Doctor Foster look back to me. “We are going to try. The nurses are going to get you on testosterone and an estrogen blocker to try and get his hormone levels back where they should be. However I don’t know what effect it will have on the changes that we’ve already seen. All we can do is wait and see.”

I shook my head tearing and my mother rushed to my side wrapping her arms around me. I had never cried as much in my life as I had in the past day but I couldn’t help it. “There is one other thing. The blood test wasn’t the only reason it took so long for me to get back to you. I have been in and out of video conferences with government health officials all day. Because this may be related to the cloud yesterday they have decided to send a team here to monitor you and your treatment.”

My stomach sank for some reason. “So you’re not going to be treating me anymore?” I asked with my eyes full of tears. My mother gave me a strange look as Doctor Foster shook his head. “No I’m still your primary doctor but I’ll be working with them when they arrive tomorrow. This is a good thing though you're going to have a lot of smart people working to help you now. We have already discussed your case in video conference and this hormone treatment is what the group decided would be the best course of action at the moment”

I felt somewhat better hearing I was now going to have a team working to stop whatever was happening to me so I straightened up and dried my eyes with a tissue my mother had given me. Through my still breaking voice I told Doctor Foster thank you and with a nod and smile headed back to the nurses desk outside my room.

Once he was gone my mother turned to me and fixed my hair. “I’m sure everything will be fine hun. Like he said you have a whole team of doctors now they'll fix this. Look at you though these hormones are making you a mess aren’t they?” I couldn’t help but laugh and smile still wiping my eyes. “Totally. I’ve never cried this much in my life i hate it.”

“That’s the joys of estrogen hun your sister and i have to deal with it all the time but don’t worry I’m sure they’ll get you back to an emotionless manly man soon enough.” My mother laughed at her own joke along with my sister who had to make one of her own. “Oh and by the way watch those teary eyed thank you faces like you gave Doctor Foster. if you were a girl that would have been borderline flirting.” She said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. “You’re on crack I looked at him while I was crying because of these stupid hormones.” My sister smiled and leaned back in her chair. “Well hormones can do weird things and I’m saying is that face and thank you have been used by girls to flirt for a long time.”

“Your sister is right hun. I saw it too and if i didn’t know you i would have thought you were flirting with him a little.” I threw my hands in the air in aggravation as my mother agreed. “Not you too! I don’t like guys! I wasn’t flirting with him!” I shouted a bit too loud and turned red hoping no one outside my room had heard me. On top of everything else it kinda seemed like these hormones were starting to make me as loud and dramatic as my mother and sister. That’s the last thing i need I thought to myself.

“We know you don’t like guys Andrew stop being so dramatic. It’s just the hormones.” Great now my mother was calling me dramatic somehow I had to get a hold of myself. After a bit more teasing from my sister help finally arrived in my struggle to do just that. The nurse knocked on the door with a couple IVs one filled with the estrogen blockers and the other with testosterone. In short order she had them hooked up and I watched as they dripped beside my bed into the tubes now stuck into my arm.

It didn’t take long before there was a reaction but not a good one. Less than an hour after the IVs were started my nausea returned with a vengeance and I held a bucket as I got sick several times. Eventually though despite still being nauseous it stopped probably because of nothing being left in my stomach. I couldn’t eat anything the rest of the night even looking at food made me feel like I was going to be sick again.

My sister eventually went home and when the nightly news came on it was just my mother and I left alone. Prepared this time she had brought some things from home and the nurses had set up a cot for her in my room to spend the night. I didn’t really want her to but she wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

“Hello and welcome to the nightly news I’m Ron Danvers and tonight we have some interesting news about the cloud that swept our globe a little more than a day ago now.” Suddenly I sat up wondering what they had found along with my mother. I turned up the volume on the TV a little as the anchor continued.

“According to government sources there are now several cases spanning the globe of illnesses possibly related to the cloud. Everyone affected showed signs immediately after the cloud passing through their location and are receiving treatment at various medical facilities. So far according to our source all those affected were males between fourteen and eighteen years of age.”

I couldn’t believe it there were others besides myself affected. “None of those affected appear to have life threatening issues and the government says there appears to be no risk of infection by others. In a statement the head of the CDC said and I quote ‘These issues do not appear to be related to any disease and the public is in no danger. Anyone who developed a nose bleed and extreme nausea immediately after the cloud passed is however asked to report to your local medical facility for examination.’ ”

I couldn’t help but wonder what reaction the other’s were having? Were we all the same or was it different for everyone? “So far it seems the number of people having issues related to the cloud is small according to some reports less than 5 cases in the US and as high as 13 in China. The CDC has since dispatched teams of doctors to treat all five cases in the US and have further teams on standby for any further cases that may arise. Stay tuned for more news as we receive it.”

As the TV went to commercial I looked at my mother. “Only four other people in the US? That’s it?”

“It seems so hun but it still doesn’t seem like they are all that certain about anything. Maybe there’s more out there who just haven’t shown symptoms yet.” My mother was right maybe there was more I just couldn’t believe of all the people in the US i was one of only 5 affected by this thing.

By now several other news agencies were reporting basically the same thing. None of them seemed to know what issues any of the 5 were having which made me a little happy that people didn’t know how it was effecting me. The last thing I wanted was everyone knowing I was developing breasts and was an emotional wreck due to high estrogen levels.

I looked over at the IV dripping beside me and I hoped this would stop whatever was happening before it ever got out. Tomorrow the team from the CDC would arrive and if the IVs didn’t work I was certain that they would be able to help me.

It wasn’t long before my mother was asleep. Despite being tired the IV tube stuck into my arm made it hard to get comfortable enough to sleep myself. Eventually though I managed and for the second day in a row I fell asleep at the hospital.

Andrew McKenzie is a junior in highschool when a strange incident sweeps the world. In the aftermath Andrew is left confused and unsure what's happening to him as he slowly begins to notice changes.

I groaned as I started coming out of a deep sleep. I felt weak and everything was a bit fuzzy as I rubbed my eyes. “Ow” I said as I scratched myself with one of my fingernails. Normally I kept my nails trim so I wasn’t used to scratching myself with them and was a bit confused. Taking a breath my chest felt heavy as if something was pressing down on it lightly.

I stirred again and finally opened my eyes this time. I was still early and the room was dark. My mother still sleep on the cot laid on her side with her back to me. Squirming I sat up in bed and couldn’t shake the fuzziness from my head. I yawned and blinked adjusting to the dark the weight on my chest still lingered so I put my hand to it.

“MOM!” I screamed in a panic as I held my chest with both hands now. I started crying and at my startled scream my mother shot up and flicked on the light. It must have been a shock seeing her son holding his breasts for the first time because I watched my mother collapse as she fainted by my bed. I screamed my voice breaking the highest it had yet into an even higher pitched call for help.

In no time several nurses ran into the room and went to aid my mother. I leaned over to look at my mother on the floor and got a face full of light brown hair. My god my hair was even longer today it was almost down to my chin now. Suddenly my own problems returned and as the nurses helped my mother I staggered out of the bed on the other side taking the IV with me.

I felt so weak as I walked over to the mirror staring at some tiny feet I was struggling to believe were mine. I had resisted looking in the mirror as I walked over to it trying to delay the sight of changes I could feel had occurred. “Calm yourself Andrew” my mind told me. “Whatever has happened they can fix it you have a team coming to help you.”

I took a deep breath and finally raised my head. The image in the mirror hit me like a ton of bricks and I felt light-headed. Before I knew it the room went black and I wondered who turned out the lights as I too collapsed to the floor fainting like my mother had.

My head hurt as I started to regain consciousness. I heard the voices of a couple of my nurses and then Doctor Foster talking with my mother and I could feel I was back in bed. “Mom?” I said softly this time as my eyes blinked back to life and focused. “Are you ok?”

“Oh honey I’m fine...Are you ok?” I swallowed my mouth was dry and speaking made my throat itch even more than it had the day before. My mother and doctor foster stood beside my bed looking down at me as she held my hand.

“Unless that was a dream. I don’t think I am.” I couldn’t help it. I started crying harder than I had ever cried in my life. I felt my mother pull me up into a hug and begin to rub my back as she tried to sooth me.

“It’ll be ok. The Doctor Foster is here now they’ll figure something out.” rocking me in her arms I buried my face into my mother’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry Andrew. I don’t know how this happened but the hormone treatment we were giving you obviously didn’t work. We already got more blood work from you and I’ve contacted the team coming from the CDC. They know what’s happened and they’ll be here in a few more hours.” For the first time I could hear a little distress in Doctor Foster’s voice now.

“What’s happening to me!?” I asked sobbing into my mother’s shoulder the whole time.

There was a long pause before Doctor Foster answered me. “I don’t know... This isn’t possible medically. It has to be related to that cloud. I realize these changes are drastic but when the team gets here I promise we’ll do everything we can to help you.”

My stomach sank I felt sick and quickly leaned away from my mother grabbing the bucket I had been given the night before. Having nothing in me from getting sick I only heaved a couple of times with no results this time. Looking up put me face to face with my reflection again in the mirror though.

Who was that? It looked a little like my sister and mother but very little like myself. I could tell I was still in there but it seemed I was fading behind the changes. The length of my hair and size of my chest wasn’t the only thing that had changed last night. I had to look again it was like that urge people get to stare at a car crash. You don’t really want to see the blood and guts but you just can’t help look for it.

I placed my feet under me again. They look so tiny now as I stared at them before taking a breath and walking over to the mirror again. Everything looked smaller or bigger even with the hospital gown still on. I had to see. I didn’t even care who was in the room it was like I was like I was hypnotised by my image in the mirror as I slipped the gown off.

A gasp came from behind me and I could see my mother on the bed covering her mouth in the mirror behind me. Her shock was justified. My hips were even wider today, my waist tighter, and of course my chest. Yesterday I might have had breast buds but today I had breasts. They weren’t huge but they were female. Even my nipples had changed they seemed bigger and the dark area around them definitely was.

My hands hung limply at my side and I could see my fingernails extend past my small thin fingers. No wonder I had scratched myself. They had grown longer than I had ever let them get over night. My hands looked delicate and they weren’t the only thing. My arms lacked definition too. The little bit of muscle I had there before was gone and it was the same through my entire body. No wonder I felt weak I had lost most the muscle that I’d had only a couple of days ago.

It was striking staring at myself in the mirror and it was hard not to see the feminine figure my body now cut. Along with some more small changes to the shape of my face it was getting harder to believe the person in the mirror was male. With tears streaming down my face only one thing made my gender clear and as I stood there naked even it looked smaller in the mirror hanging there between my legs.

After I stood there naked for a bit and in shock unable to look away my mother finally came over and picked up the hospital gown draping it back over me. It wasn’t until that moment that I was finally able to tear myself away from the mirror. Turning around I buried my face in my mother’s shoulder again and I felt her close the hospital in the gown to cover my back side.

We stood there for a moment or two before she finally lead me back to the bed. At some point Doctor Foster had quietly left the room to leave us alone and the two of us now sat there staring at my hand as my mother held it.

Sitting beside the bed my mother was the first to break the silence. She reached up and brushed the hair from my face lifting my head up and met my eyes. “Nothing that has happened or will happen will change how much I love you Andrew. You’re my child and I’m always going to be here for you no matter what. I want you to know that and have no doubt about it.”

My lip quivered and I started crying again as I saw tears roll down her cheeks. “I love you too mom, but did you have to make me cry again?” We both laughed and little then attempted to clean ourselves up.

“Oh god this feels so weird mom. It’s like I’m in someone else’s body but it still feels like mine despite the changes.”

“Believe it or not I know the feeling honey. This probably isn’t what you want to hear but I think every girl feels like that when their body starts changing. I think you guys certainly have it easier during that time. The changes you all go through just aren’t as drastic as what we deal with. I know it’s a lot to deal with but you are kind of getting a taste of that.”

She was right again and seemed to be on a roll lately. I was getting a taste of what a girl goes through and I was not enjoying it. “Let’s hope a taste is all I get and these doctors can find a way to fix this.”

My mother smiled at me. “It may not help hun but for now at least you have a pretty face like your sister. No one would doubt you two are related any more.” I hated to admit it but she was right I looked a lot more like my sister now. Growing up whenever we were together no one ever thought we were brother and sister. So looking even a little like her now was another drastic change. Like she said though it didn’t help me feel any better.

We sat there for the next few hours chatting and for the first time in my life I felt really close to my mother. I could tell how much she loved me and although things were difficult (like every time I looked in the mirror) it made it easier having her there. It’s weird how struggles can bring people closer like that and the one silver lining in this cloud was that it’d done that for my mother and I.

Nurses came in and out checking on us and for the first time since lunch the day before I was able to eat something and keep it down. I don’t know if the food actually was that good or I was just hungry but my mother laughed at the noises I made while enjoying my breakfast. “What? this is so good!” I protested.

“It certainly sounds like it but it’s still hospital food.” Stealing a bit from my tray my mother made a face. “You must be really hungry.”

I shrugged and continued my meal a bit surprised by how fast I filled up. Normally I had a huge appetite and could have cleaned the plate but there was still food left behind this time when the nurse came to collect the tray. Sitting there in the hospital bed I let out a sigh feeling extremely full and then felt the tingle telling me I had to pee.

Climbing from the bed I head to the bathroom hit by the weak feeling again. The loss of a lot of my muscle mass was very noticeable and time I stood up or moved. Gravity seemed heavier so I slowly made my way to the bathroom and feeling drained when I got there I hiked up the gown and sat to pee. I tried to not really look at things but just walking I could feel a difference. My hips seemed massively wide to me now. They weren’t of course. I was no bigger than say my sister but the drastic change had made it feel like I was a cartoon character with giant boobs and a massive ass.

Just as I got back to my bed there was a knock on the door and my sister’s voice from behind it. When she entered I kinda hoped she might faint seeing me so I gave her a big smile. Staring at me her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open but she remained on her feet.

“Wow… I know you said he’d change a lot more but...WOW!” Slowly my sister approached the bed and took it all in while a glared at my mother.

“You warned her? Aww I wanted to see if she’d faint like you did.” My mother gave me a disapproving look. “You fainted too and yes I warned her I think one member of our family in the hospital is enough. The last thing I need is your sister passing out and cracking her head open. Be nice.”

Still staring at me Amanda’s eyes roamed over me and stopped at my chest where the hospital gown now bulged out. “So you have actual breasts now?”

“For now it seems so.” I groaned covering my chest and my sister looked at my mother. “Wow. I know you told me but seeing him in person. This doesn’t seem real.”
I agreed with a nod. “You got that right.”

“How are you? I mean...wow just look at you. How are you dealing with this?” Taken back I was surprised as my sister’s voice quivered and she wiped tears from her eyes.

Seeing her show such concern and start crying started me up again too followed in short order by my mother. “Oh great here I go again. I’m ok Amanda it’s not easy but I’m dealing with it and there’s still hope.” The three of us now crying together my mother took my sister’s hand and pulled her closer to us. I couldn’t help it seeing her standing there crying I reached out and grabbed her pulling her into a hug. Wrapping her arms around me she returned it and we comforted each other for a moment.

I had always loved my sister but we had always been very different people so most of our interactions prior to this were teasing each other. Suddenly that seemed stupid and yet another relationship between a family member and myself changed that morning. Catching our breath we all started cleaning up again with tissues drying our eyes.

“We are going to have to get more tissues if people are going to keep crying around me.” I joked with a smile on my face as my sister and mother laughed a little.

“So do they still hurt like yesterday?” My sister asked pointing at her own breasts.

“I hadn’t thought about it I don’t know.” Taking a breath I placed my hand on one of my breasts and felt it with my fingers. Not actually wanting to look at it my eyes remained straight ahead as I checked. “It doesn’t seem so no.”

“Well at least that’s something?” I nodded agreeing that no longer having that pain was better. I just didn’t know if it was better than not having very female breasts now.

“Oh! I almost forgot!” my sister said suddenly and took the remote to the TV. Between the drama of the morning so far, eating, and talking to my mother I hadn’t turned the TV on yet that day. “The news stations were reporting this morning that all the people infected like you were males and that they all seem to be having the same issues as you.”

“More evidence that the cloud did this. Have any more victims come forward?” I asked as my sister flipped channels and my mother and I listened to what she had heard.

“Yeah two more in the US. Not sure about anywhere else.” Two more in the US so that makes seven. Seven people in the whole country get infected by this thing and I have to be one of them. There had to be more there’s no way I was that unlucky.

Finally my sister found a news channel actually doing an update on the cloud and those affected by it. Confirming everything my sister had said I watched the two reporters speak one of them in a studio and the other in front of a hospital.

“Holy crap!” I said covering my face as I noticed what hospital the female reporter was in front of. “That’s this hospital.”

“Oh my god it is!” My sistered confirmed. “They must have just got her they weren’t out there when I came in. You think they know it’s you being treated?”

“God I hope not...turn it up!” Raising the volume we all grew quiet as the reported spoke.

“Yes Dan I’m standing in front of Crestview hospital just outside of New York. According to authorities one of the 7 people affected by the cloud which passed over our state two days go is currently being treated here. I young male in his teens according to sources in the hospital he has seen several drastic changes to his body as of yesterday.”

I couldn’t believe they were talking about me and this wasn’t a local channel even this was national television. I was numb watching and hoping they didn’t say my name as the camera returned to a split screen of the male anchor in the studio and the field reporter.

“What sort of changes Susan?”

“Well Dan according to our sources he seems to be suffering from breast growth, weight loss, and a general feminizing of his entire body possibly do to elevated female hormone levels as a result of the cloud.”

How did they know so much? This was a nightmare. “Unbelievable. Has the young man been identified yet Susan?”

I gasped as the camera went back to a view outside my hospital with the female report. “Not at this time Dan. Out of respect for the young man and his family as they struggle during this difficult incident the hospital is refusing to release a name.”

“Thank you Susan...Stay tuned for more information on the aftermath of this mysterious cloud.” I let out a sigh of relief as the channel went to commercial. For now I was still just an anonymous victim as my sister expressed it verbally.

“Thank god they don’t know your name yet.” I leaned forward and covered my face with my hands as she flipped channels again.

“It doesn’t matter they will soon enough. Everyone in my class and probably entire school knows it was me taken to the hospital. Not counting everyone from your school you may have told and everyone who reads your facebook or twitter...mom’s too. It’s only a matter of time.”

Frantically my mother and sister both jumped on their phones and started contacting people making sure no one would tell. I couldn’t help but smile seeing how hard they were working to protect me. As they worked I took over flipping channels from my sister. I knew that even if they got everyone they knew to keep quiet it was still getting out. Someone at my school as bound to talk.

Finally just before lunch the team from the CDC arrived and Doctor Foster brought them all in. After meeting them I was examined fully by the group and measured which both were incredibly embarrassing to go through with people I’d only just met. I teared up several times before they were done but for a bunch of doctors they all seemed very understand and compassionate. When they finally finished the head of the team a Doctor Phillips and Doctor Foster stayed behind to talk with me and my family.

“We have some more results from you blood work this time Andrew. Whatever this is isn’t a result of the high estrogen in your system. That’s just a symptom of it. Normally we don’t test DNA for gender but when I saw you this morning I made sure your’s was this time.”

What do you mean test for gender?” I asked. “Why would you do that I’m male you know that you saw me when I came in. I don’t understand why that would be in question just because I look a little more female now?”

“It’s not Andrew.” The older man and head of the CDC doctors told me. Wearing a long white doctor's coat with salt and pepper hair and street clothes underneath he looked at me through his glasses. “Doctor Foster had your previous blood tested as well. The first blood drawn from you two days ago show XY chromosomes indicating male DNA. The second test though showed XXY normally this is called intersexed but it’s not something that can just develop people are born with it or not. Somehow though you gained an extra chromosome yesterday.”

He paused and I could tell he was trying to be gentle but I wanted to know more. “Well what did my blood for today show?”

“The blood from today showed you now have XX chromosomes your DNA is completely female. It was tested several times and the results stayed the same. Needless to say this isn’t possible in modern medicine and neither is the changes you have experienced in such a time period.”

Removing his glasses Doctor Phillips rubbed his eyes. I could tell he’d been up a while and that he was trying to help me. He seemed nice and I didn’t like that what was happening to me was causing other people like Doctors Foster and Phillips stress.

“So what now?” my mother asked when the doctor paused too long.

“Now Ms. Mckenzie we are going to do everything we can to figure out how this happened and what we can do at this point to help your son. However as I said changing a person's chromosomes is beyond our capabilities in this day and age so I’m afraid there isn’t much we can do about what has already happened.”

I swallowed and teared up. “So I’m stuck like this?”

“I’m afraid you are for now. We’re in communication with other teams as far away as Asia dealing with cases somewhat further along the you. From what we know we don’t think this has run its course yet and until it does it wouldn’t be a good idea to start trying to trying to fix what it’s done to you. Once it’s done though we can aid you if you desire in at least reverting your appearance somewhat.”

“Wait.” my mother stopped him. “Reverting his appearance but not fixing what’s been done to his DNA?”

“Yes Ma’am.” Doctor Phillips said keeping it short and clear.

“I think that is something Andrew and I will have to think about first before agreeing with.” I looked at my mother in shock but I didn’t say anything I was still processing that she would think I would want to do everything to change my body back to how it was.

“Of course for now though we would like to run some more tests and scans Andrew. I know you have been through a lot but every bit of information we can get could help us.” I nodded and agreed to the tests wanting to help as much as I could.

Wasting no time as soon as I was done talking with the doctors I was taken for x-rays of my entire body. Then more sonograms of area’s other then my chest. Everywhere I went there were different member of the CDC team that had come in with Doctor Phillips to give me a different test. I felt like a lab rat as the day stretched on until finally I was able to get back to my room.

After three days now stuck in this hospital my room was starting to feel like home and I was glad to see it again along with my sister and mother. I was finally able to eat again and even though I was starving I was unable to finish my food. My height and weight had been taken again earlier and I already knew I was 10 more pounds lighter and now almost three inches shorter then when I arrived. I noticed when I stood now I was almost the same height as my sister despite being taller than her my entire life, and with how little I could eat I was never gaining the weight back I had lost.

After a drama and loaded day it was finally over. As I said goodbye to my sister with a hug she told me she’d see me tomorrow and then head home for the night. My mother was staying with my again which was fine I wanted her there with me and I wanted to talk to her about her comment earlier.

When it was just her and I left in the room I couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Why did you tell the doctor’s we’d have to think about it before I committed to them fixing my body?”

She sighed and took my hand as I sat in bed. “Your body has changed a lot, and I just don’t think you should rush into changing it again when the results are never going to be what you had before. They can’t give you that back all they can do is give you something else.”

“Maybe but at least that something else would be male again. I could never live as a guy the way I am now.” I sighed and knew she was trying to help but I felt like she didn’t understand.

“You’re right you could never live as a guy the way you are now. No one would believe you but you could live as a girl easily and the changes aren’t complete so who knows.” I was shocked at what she was suggesting.

“A girl? What? No. I couldn’t be a girl.” My mother held my hand tighter now with both hands.

“Look into that mirror and tell me people wouldn’t absolutely believe you were a girl just from your appearance. Even your voice has gotten higher. Listen I’m not saying you have to stay this way if you really don’t want to but before you go changing things I think you should at least live in this body a while.”

I didn’t know what to say I looked at the mirror and she was right I would pass as a girl just as easily as she or my sister did everyday. Could I really do that though. I was a guy two days ago before this cloud.

I looked back at my mother and she smiled. “I just want you to have options honey and this is one. It’s probably the easiest one at this point. Your sister and I could help you and you’d pick it up in no time. On the other hand if you do wish to change your body back it won’t be easy. It’ll be a lot of work and a lot of pain to become someone else for a third time. I want you to take your time and decide either way I’m behind you.”

“Thanks mom. I will.” I sat there thinking while my mother excused herself to go down and get a late dinner at the hospital cafeteria. I was surprised by how much my mother’s argument made me doubt things. When it was first brought up by the doctors I was certain I wanted to change back as soon as possible, but now I had doubts. Big ones.

I had a lot to think about and I did so for the rest of the night except for a couple more chats with my mother once she returned from eating. It was getting really late now and I knew I had to sleep. Already my mother and dozed off on her cot, but I was worried. I didn’t know why but these changes seemed to happen over night while I slept. What would change tonight I wondered. I had resigned myself that it was going to happen, but I was still scared to actually sleep. Eventually though I couldn’t fights it. I was just so tired and my eyes were to heavy. I couldn’t resist any longer.

Andrew McKenzie is a junior in highschool when a strange incident sweeps the world. In the aftermath Andrew is left confused and unsure what's happening to him as he slowly begins to notice changes.

Morning again. My fight not to sleep hadn’t worked and I knew what that meant. More changes. How much more could I handle? What had happened to me so far had already been so drastic. I laid there as still as I could possibly be trying to feel my body and if anything about it was different. I couldn’t tell anything. It all seemed the same but was it just phantom pains like when a person loses a limb but can still feel it? I had to know.

Slowly I took a breath and opened my eyes. Sitting beside me my mother was already awake. I shifted my head on the pillow to look at her and she smiled. “Morning honey. How do you feel?”

I was still resisting the urge to move anything other then my neck. I kept my body on lockdown as if I had been strapped in place with my eyes locked on my mother. “Nothing feels...different.” I told her. “How bad is it?”

“Oh honey It’s not bad at all. You look pretty much the same. No where near as drastic as yesterday at least.” Reaching out my mother brushed my hair back over one of my ears and smiled again. “Your hair is longer, and maybe a few more subtle changes to your face.” She paused and I could tell she wasn’t sure about telling me whatever else she’d noticed.

“What else Mom? I’m ready I can take it.” I said pushing her to continue.

“Your chest is bigger. It looks like you’re almost the same size as your sister now if I had to guess. But none of it looks bad. In fact you are quite striking honey.” Smiling my mother stared at me with her caring green eyes as I finally broke myself imposed paralysis.

Sitting up I looked down at my chest and two mounds of flesh stood proudly covered a bit more tightly by the hospital gown today. It was obvious they were no longer anything I’d ever be able to hide. I could feel the weight of them now, but they didn't seem heavy enough that it would be a burden to carry. I tugged on the hospital gown to make them more pronounced and stared at them. I had breasts. I knew what I had yesterday were breasts too but these were... breasts. It may not have been as drastic as developing the small ones but it was still a shock.

“Are you ok hun?” My mother asked gripping my hand tightly.

“I’m ok mom. They just seem huge.”

“Oh no honey they're not. Your sister’s are still bigger I think and they fit you fine. You can’t be much more than a large C or a small D. They look fine trust me.” I sighed as my mother tried to comfort me. I’m not sure knowing my cup size helped though. Whatever size they were to someone who had never had breasts at all they felt massive.

“Are the doctor’s here yet?.” I asked and my mother nodded.

“Their waiting in the hall for you to wake up.” I nodded Doctor Phillips had said they would be here first thing to examine me for any further changes today.

“I think I want to see for myself what else may have changed before they do is that ok?” My mother smiled and nodded.

“It’s your body honey.” She said in a very matter of fact tone.

I took a deep breath. It felt weird just doing that with my new chest, but I didn’t let it stop me and I climbed from the bed. So far so good nothing I could notice at least. I felt stronger today then I had the day before as I crossed over to the mirror looking at myself in it as I did. Yesterday I had to pull my hospital gown tight for anyone to notice I had a chest. Today just walking over and standing it was obvious.

As I stood there in front of the mirror the weight of my hair hit me now. It was down to my shoulders today and full. My face was a bit more shaped like my sister now too but not much more than the day before. Longer hair, a slightly more feminine face, and bigger breasts. I listed them off in my head. I took another breath. If that’s all the changes from overnight then it was by far the least differences between days so far.

I finally tore myself from the mirror a bit afraid to dig deeper. I couldn’t stop now though so I went to the bathroom for a bit of privacy. Locking the door I finally gathered the nerve to remove my gown. “Wow.” I said aloud with my arms to my side and staring at the mirror over the sink. There they were MY breasts. I’d never actually seen breasts in real life just online in pictures. I never thought the first pair I saw for real would be my own.

I turned to get a profile view and suddenly they didn’t seem as massive as I originally felt. My nipples were the more drastic change though, and certainly looked more plump and feminine with a large areola. I turned to the other side and was a bit surprised at a feeling of pride in how nice and shapely they looked. If I was going to have breasts at least they looked nice.

I drew out my breast inspection as long as I could a bit afraid by something I hadn’t noticed today as opposed to something I had the days before. I knew something was missing and I wasn’t sure I wanted to see what had taken it’s place. My penis was so small yesterday but it was still male seemingly the last part about me that was.

I shut my eyes and my hand finally moved from my side. First to my thigh and then further and further inward until it cupped my flat groin. I couldn’t help but shiver as I confirmed my own suspicions it was gone. The last bit of male I had left had retreated in surrender sometime during the night. Just like that today’s changes had gone from minor to major.

It was difficult to process the emptiness. It was strange but it felt open and less restricted than my penis had. I moved my hand from between my legs and finally opened my eyes looking down at it.

“Hello.” I said unsure why was greeting the pink outer lips of my vagina. I felt weird but for now I was done getting to know the new me so I slipped the gown back on and opened the door. My mother waited outside and I wrapped my arms around her.

“So not so bad today?” My mother asked in a hopeful tone.

“Well let’s just say you officially have two daughter’s now mom congratulations.” I started crying a little and she held me tightly.

“Boy or girl you’re always going to be my baby.” My mother told me through tears of her own. Neither of us wanted to let go but eventually we had to and we gathered ourselves. Nervously my mother played with my hair something that seemed to be her new thing. I on the other hand could take my eyes off her. All that I had gone through over the last few days made the way I saw her very different. I loved her before but nothing like I did now and I couldn’t dream of ever wanting a different mother.

“Well they're all waiting out there. Are you ready to deal with this?” Her hand on my shoulders I nodded to my mother and she went to the door. Opening it she stuck her head out. “She's….” My mother stopped as the word came out and covered her mouth. Then looking back at me she made a face as if to say sorry. I couldn’t help but smile at the face she made and I just held my arms out as if to say it’s true I was a she now. My mother nodded understanding without the need for words only as a family member can at times. “She’s ready doctors.”

Standing in front of my bed I greeted Doctor Phillips and Doctor Foster as they entered. “What’s up Docs.” It was a stupid joke but it got a smile from both of them and despite how terrified I was at what had happened to me i was dealing with it.

“Good morning Andrew.” Doctor Phillips said as Doctor Foster waved. “I’m glad to see you aren’t letting this get the best of you. It shows strong a character.”

“A damn strong character and an amazing human being.“ Doctor foster added and I couldn’t help but feel the warmth in my cheeks as I blushed. It was weird how he could do that and the feeling was strange so i did my best to hide it.

“I hate to keep putting you through this Andrew but we really should do another full exam and round of testing. I won’t force you to do either though it’s up to you, and I understand if you say no.” I could see as he spoke Doctor Phillips wasn’t taking any joy in this and truly wanted to help.

“It’s ok. If it helps to figure out how this happened and possibly stop it from happening to others I want to help.” I could see a proud look on my mother’s face as I stood there nervous but ready to get this over with.

Doctor Phillips smiled and promised they would make things as easy as possible on me and then said if I was ready we could begin now. “Do you want me to leave honey?” My mother asked as I went to removed my hospital gown.

“No it’s ok mom. You’re going to see it sooner or later. I’m going to need your help at some point cause I have no idea how this stuff works.” My mother smiled and took a seat as I slipped out of the pink and yellow hospital gown and placed it on the bed.

The two doctors were very respectful and gentle as the examined my body. My mother from her chair was wide eyed seeing the newest changes in my body. Soon I was measured and examined fully and surprisingly it didn’t seem to take that long. I was glad when they told me I could put the hospital gown back on though. I was starting to get a lot more shy about exposing myself as my new body started feeling more like it was mine after all.

“It’s remarkable the extent your body has changed.” Doctor Phillips said writing notes on his clipboard. “The exams we did yesterday show just how deeply the changes go. Bone structure, reproductive system, and vocal cords all showed changes that we had no idea were possible. I suspect from what we saw yesterday that as of today you now have a fully functioning female reproductive system.”

“So it’s not just external? She will menstruate?” I cringed as my other asked a question I really didn’t want to know the answer to.

“Well we have to run some exams again to make sure but yes I suspect so.” I sat on the edge of the bed as my fate was sealed and my mother gave me a sympathetic look.

“Alright eat some breakfast Andrew and the nurses will take you for further exams and tests when you are finished. Also you might want to have your mother accompany you today. We recommend this time you receive a full gynecological exam along with a mammogram and that can be traumatic even for those born female.” I nodded and my mother walked the two doctors out as slide back into the bed and covered my legs.

“Cold?” My mother asked and I nodded. “Well you're not as bulky as you were so I guess that’s not surprising.”

“Less hair too.” I said as she pulled another cover over my legs. Any body hair I had was completely gone now and other then my under arms and groin what was left on my arms and legs was little more than sparse blonde peach fuzz.

“That too.” I mother said with a smile.

I was starving and thankfully it didn’t take the nurses long to bring me my breakfast. Of the three days I had been at the hospital I’d only had three nurses. They were all sweet and every time they’d come check on me they would all tell me how pretty i was now. My mother had as well several times but it was different when someone else did. I knew I was attractive I could tell that looking in the mirror but it still was hard to believe.

“You better call Amanda and tell her to wait until later to come visit mom. Otherwise she’ll be stuck waiting here for us to come back.”

“Oh you’re right. I hope she hasn’t left the house yet. Be right back hun.” I scrunched my face up confused as my mother stepped out of the room to call my sister.

When she returned I asked her why she had gone out in the hall. “Oh I don’t know...I wasn’t thinking I guess.” she told me. I didn’t know why but I wasn’t buying it for some reason she didn’t want me to hear her conversation with my sister.

The nurse returned with a wheelchair after I finished breakfast (half of it still on the tray) and my mother followed us as we were off for another day of testing. It was a lot of the same tests I had the previous day x-rays and sonograms mostly stuff I was used to already. Again my height and weight were down.

“Five foot six inches on the dot.” The nurse announced.

“Well I guess you can’t tease your sister about being short any more hun.” I nodded. I was now the shortest member of our family. It wasn’t by much but enough that I’d be using the step stool in the kitchen to reach the top self like my mother and sister had to.

Up next were the two new tests. I was nervous as I had to stick my breasts into the machine for a mammogram but nothing compared to how I felt with my feet up in the stirrups for my gynecological exam. The doctors were right about it being traumatic I couldn’t help but tear up as the doctor’s fingers moved inside me. Having my mother there was a good idea and I clutched her hand tightly as she smiled at me.

Heading back to my room I was still wiping tears from my eyes as we rolled along. ”Thanks mom I don’t think I could have gotten through that without you.”

“You are stronger than you think honey but I'll always be there when you need me.” Placing her hand on my shoulder my mother again gave me a look of pride and it made what I'd just gone through easier.

Back at my room my sister was waiting with a surprise it was late afternoon now and I was starving. As a nice treat though Amanda had stopped and gotten us all pizza at my favorite shop. I moaned as I enjoyed the amazing taste. It felt like I’d never eaten pizza before in my life.
“God I love you sooo much Manda!” I said between bites.

My mother and sister laughed at me as I made my noises and stuffed my face. I was sad I couldn’t eat like I used to and after a couple pieces I was just too full. “So I’m assuming mom told you what’s new today?”

“You mean that I have a little sister now?” I nodded and she smiled. “Sister or brother you’re still a brat and I guess still I love you.” Coming over to me in the bed Amanda gave me a hug and sat on the bed with me. “She also told me about the girls getting bigger.” Amanda pointed at my chest and I blushed.

“Yeah I guess I'm catching up to you.” I said dryly still not feeling comfortable talking about my breasts.

“Well little sister seeing them I’m glad mom told me to get you another little surprise.” Reaching a hand towards my mother she handed Amanda a bag and gave me a smile. “Now the doctors gave mom your measurements but we weren’t sure on the cup size. Mom said either a C or D so I got one of each.” From the bag my sister pulled two white bras and held them up.

“Bras?” I said questioning

“I got plain white ones I didn’t think you’d want anything too girly.” I swallowed looking them as Amanda set them in my lap.

“I don’t think anything can make a bra less girly.” I said taking one of them in my hand. It looked so intimidating and had no idea where to begin.

“We aren’t trying to pressure you into anything girly hun. I know you’re still working things out but for now you have them so you’ll need to deal with them.” It amused me a bit my mother who had them too couldn’t yet call my breast what they were. I guess we were all still adjusting.

“Alright, how do I do this?” I asked in kind of a breathy sighing voice.

Taking one of the bras my sister began to show me. “Until you get used to it the easiest way is to hook it in the front underneath. Then just spin it around and put your arms through the straps. Easy.”

Taking a deep breath I stared at the bathroom before finally taking the two bras and going in. I tried the smaller one first and struggled to spin it around after I hooked it in the front like my sister suggested.

“Well? How ya doing?” My sister shouted from the other side of the door.

“I got the smaller one on but it seems tight can you tell mom to come here.” I gave up I needed help I couldn’t tell if it was supposed to fit like that or not. My mother knocked lightly on the door so I unlocked it and she joined me in the bathroom.

“Let’s see what we’ve got here. Hmm... It does look tight. Does it feeling like it’s mashing them down?” I nodded and my mother picked up the other bra on the sink counter. “It’s supposed to cradle not mash hun try this one.”

I spun around facing away from my mother as I took the next bra. “Can you unhook it and just hook the next one spinning it took forever.” Laughing my mother nodded and unhooked the small bra before I slipped the next one on and she hooked it. Adjusting my breasts to sit in it felt strange. I still wasn’t used to handling my new body parts.

“That looks better. How does this one feel any mashing?” my mother asked as she adjusted the bra strap where they had twisted.

“No I don’t think so.” I looked down at my breasts as they sat in the bra producing a decent amount of cleavage.

“Good it looks like you’re D cup hun. Now here your sister got you these too. They should fit better then the underwear you’ve been wearing” Presenting me with some white cotton women’s briefs I nodded. Due to a lack of options I had been wearing my old underwear and although they weren’t falling off because of my wider hips now they didn’t fit very well.

“Alright but before I do I really gotta pee mom.” My mother’s eyes widen and she nodded.

“Oh ok well...should I go?” My mother asked unsure what to do.

“No...I don’t know what to do. It’s embarrassing but can you tell me?” I danced around surprised a bit by how suddenly the urge to go had come on trying to hold it. At first I didn't know what it was. The urge came from a different place in my body now as a girl. So until the pressure grew more intense I didn’t figure it out.

“Alright well sit down.” My mother turned her back to give me at least some privacy as I pulled of my old underwear and sat down on the toilet. “Go ahead and reach between your legs and spread yourself open down there after that just let it go.”

I did as I was told and jumped as I started relieving myself. It felt very different from the way it used to but I finished up and as my mother heard she continued her instructions. “Ok when you're done you have to clean yourself hun. It’s not like boys you have to wipe when you go either way, and make sure you go front to back from now on too. You don’t want to get a urinary tract infection.”

When I was done I wadded up a little toilet paper and did as I was told. Flushing the toilet I stood up and picked up the women’s briefs. Sliding them on the hugged my new body in the front and back. The sight of a flat groin was still uneasy to me but the briefs felt much more comfortable than what I had been wearing.

“Alright I'm all done.” I said standing in my new bra and underwear.

Turning around my mother looked me over and smiled. “You have a nice body hun you should be proud. A lot of girls would kill to look like you.” I couldn’t help but squirm unsure how to felt that I now had a nice body for a girl. My mother paused seeing me uneasy. “I’m sorry hun. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Remember I’m ok with whatever you decide to do just give this a try for a while before you make your decision.”

I nodded and slipped back on my hospital gown as we left the bathroom. My sister still sitting on the edge of my bed was waiting eagerly to hear if everything fit as I got back into bed. “Well? she asked looking at me.”

“The D cup fit better than the C. Mom said it shouldn’t mash them like the C did.” Smiling my sister was happy one of them fit and told me she was a D cup too. “So was there any more news about me today?

“Nothing that I saw but there was a lot more reporters outside the hospital when I came in.” As I brought it up my sister took the remote and turned on the TV flipping through the channels. It was the same thing over and over on all the channels. There was still only 7 confirmed cases of what had happened to me in the US. Every channel had reporters outside different hospitals were they were being treated now including mine. Thankfully none of the names of those infected had come out yet though.

Things had changed in the hospital since the leak yesterday though. I now had guards outside my room and one followed me standing outside as I was tested during the day. When I was taken from room to room instead of through the main corridors the nurse took me back ways through restricted access areas today. I wondered if they had found out who leaked the story about me yesterday. Maybe one of the lab techs or a janitor or something.

I only had 3 nurses, Doctor Foster, and now Doctor Phillips and his group actively treating me but with all the tests I had done a lot of travelling through the hospital. By now I had been seen by or interacted with countless others so it could have been any of them. To be honest I didn’t really care. I knew this was all going to get out at some point I just hoped I was ready to deal with it when it did.

A bit surprised a knock came at the door as we all chatted. It was Doctor foster. He smiled as he came in and saw the three of us. “I just wanted to check on my patient before I headed home for the night. Everything ok?”

“I think so, but everything is new to me so it's kind of hard to tell.” Doctor Foster nodded.

“Well all your tests so far are coming back fine. Considering what you have been through you’re in perfect health.” Looking at the television it made me wonder.

“What about the other’s how are they. Do you know anything about them?” I asked interested in hearing how total strangers were coping with the same situation.

“It’s hard to say. We know most the cases in the US have gone the same way as your’s. They're all healthy females at this point. Some of them are dealing with it better than others, but that’s all I can really say.” I nodded. It was selfish but I was glad I wasn’t going through this alone.

“What about outside the US?” My mother asked.

Doctor Foster took a deep breath and shrugged a bit. “We’re in contact with some teams in Asia as Doctor Phillips said but honestly they aren’t sharing much information beyond the basics. No one really knows what’s happening or how. All their doing is observing and testing those affected.”

“So you still don’t know what caused this?” I asked after all the testing I had been through.

“I hate to say it but no we don’t. We have a lot of data now though thanks to you and others and lots of people are looking over it. The smartest people on the planet are studying this so if anybody will figure this out they will.”

I didn’t know if that made me feel better or not. I knew it was all going to be too late for me they had already said as much. The only options I had now was whether to live with they changes or endure more trying to get back something I’d lost. I still didn’t know what i wanted but my mother had convinced me not to act too quickly. I wouldn’t be changing anything once this was all done for at least a little bit, but that scared me. Would I be able to deal with life like this.? Could I be a girl?

After chatting a bit more Doctor Foster left and shortly after my sister followed. I had my mother lay beside me in my bed after everyone left and I laid my head on her chest like I used to when I was young and sick. I felt safe and loved as we watched a movie together. For once in the last few days I let myself not be consumed about what was happening to me. I just relaxed as my mother stroked my hair until I finally fell asleep.

Andrew McKenzie is a junior in highschool when a strange incident sweeps the world. In the aftermath Andrew is left confused and unsure what's happening to him as he slowly begins to notice changes. How we he and his family find the silver lining?

It was hard to sleep with all that was going on. My mind was wandering in so many different directions but sometime during the night I’d managed to doze off. I was trying to be strong for my son, but I was terrified at what toll becoming my daughter had taken on him. She was still asleep for now and thankfully there were no noticeable changes today. I could only hope the worst of this was behind her but I knew there would be more struggles ahead.

For the first time in years I thought about her father. How would he have handled this? He was so happy when Andrew was born. Every Man wants a son but how would he have dealt with his only son becoming his second daughter? It was like something out of a sci-fi novel.

Scott was a good man though I was certain he would have been a good father to Andrew just as he was to Amanda. He loved his little girl and something told me he would have loved this little girl too. Andrew was so young when that drunken asshole took him from us he never got the chance to know him. I wonder what he remember about Scott sometimes. I wanted to tell him everything but I knew it was best that I didn’t. It would only cause him pain now knowing how great the father he lost was. It was better the less her remembered.

Scott took care of us though even in death. Between a large life insurance policy, his inheritance, and the money awarded to us in the civil case against the drunk in the fancy car we were well off.
I was able to buy us a house just outside the city and be a stay at home mom and dad for my kids. The three of us had never wanted for anything, but it still wasn’t a replacement for Scott. I wished he was here now. I didn’t know if I could handle this alone.

Andrew stirred a bit but didn’t wake. We’d fallen asleep in the hospital bed together watching a movie and her head rested on my shoulder. I couldn’t help but stare at her face, and brush her light brown hair away from it. She was just such a beautiful girl now, and I couldn’t stand that face being covered. Despite her beauty though if there was a way to change her back to the boy she was I would spend every dime I had. I knew this wasn’t easy for her how could it be? I hated seeing either of my kids in any kind of pain emotional or physical, and she’d been put through a lot to become this pretty girl.

The doctors had made it clear though. The best they could do was aid her in transitioning back with treatments that would produce nowhere near the results as whatever gave her this pretty face. Yes she could become a boy again but she would never look like she used to, and then there was the pain and trauma it would cause. She’d been spared physical pain by whatever had done this to her, but that would not be the case if she chose to go back. I had to protect her from that.

Andrew had always been a smart and open minded kid. She never judge anyone. I hoped now she would be open minded enough to accept being a girl and not feel like she was somehow less than she was. The gender may have changed but I had to make her realise that wasn’t a bad thing, and then make her see how amazing being a girl could be. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but between his sister and I we had a strong chance.

Andrew stirred again this time raising her head and looking around. “Good morning honey.” I said as she yawned.

“Morning…. Well I don’t feel any different today. Anything change?” I looked her over more closely now that she was awake and then shook my head.

“Nothing I can tell, but I think you better go see for yourself.” I said pointing towards the bathroom.

“Yeah… I have to pee anyway. God why does the urge to go always feel so intense as a girl?” She asked as she walked towards the bathroom with the back of the hospital gown open showing her new panties. Three days in those thing and she hadn’t learned yet to keep the back closed.

“Well I have nothing to compare it to hun but just be careful we can’t hold it as long as guys can. Don't go peeing yourself and don’t forget to wipe!” I said with a bit of amusement at having to potty train my 16 year old.

I waited nervously as she checked for changes and used the bathroom. I could only hope this was over and she wouldn’t find anything. I didn’t know how much longer they were going to keep her here for observations be I was ready to take her home. There was so much we had to do.

While I waited I took my phone from the charger and checked my messages. Beth and Kim had sent me texts again asking for progress reports. I hadn’t told them much other then Andrew was in the hospital and it wasn’t life threatening. After sending them a quick text the he was still fine making sure to use he and not she I posted the same on my facebook wall for the people asking there.

Beth and Kim had been my best friends since Andrew was in grade school I knew sooner or later I'd have to talk to them about what had really happened. I just hoped they weren’t mad about keeping it a secret. Amanda and I had both worked hard to keep our friends that knew Andrew was in the hospital in check. I assumed by now Beth and Kim had put it together that Andrew was the patient on the news from our town, but from what I could tell they were keeping what they knew secret.

Finishing the facebook post Andrew finally returned from the bathroom and sat on the bed with a sigh. Hopefully I smiled at him. “Nothing new?”

“Nope… still the same as yesterday.” I let out a long sigh of relief. I knew the doctors would have to take her for more tests to make sure nothing had happened internally, but at least she could start getting used to her body now without having to adjust to further changes.

“That’s good. Maybe it’s all over.” I said hopeful.“ I need to change and shower call the nurse and order your breakfast. I dug in the bag I’d brought with me the second day Andrew was kept at the hospital and found a change of clothes along with my shampoo and other toiletries. Andrew was looking over the menu the nurse left by her bedside as I went into the bathroom and hopped in the shower.

It had been a long few days and the shower felt great. I was still worried about Andrew but I was proud of the way she was dealing with things. Our relationship had grown closer from this whole thing and I was glad of that despite the reasons behind it. I tried my best when Andrew was growing up to be there for him but he was never really interested. There’s only so much time a boy wants to spend we his mother, and though I tried I could never take the place of a father.

Girl’s were different though and now that we shared that bond I began to hope we’d only get closer. We never shared the same interests before but now who knew how she’d feel? Maybe she’d grow more interested in those things her sister and I shared. Maybe my new daughter and I would become as close as my eldest daughter and I. It already seemed we were on our way in the right direction and that made what had happened to her a bit easier to take.

After drying off brushed my teeth, put on some make-up, and got dressed. Andrew was already eating and moaning away like she had been when she ate lately. It was like everything she tasted was for the first time now and seeing her enjoy something was nice.

“Good?” I asked with a smile and got a nod in return as she ate her egg whites. I worked on drying my hair and put my dirty clothes in the bag before sitting down in the chair beside her. “If they keep you here much longer Amanda will need to bring me some more clothes from home.”

“You don’t have to stay. I think the changes are done so I should be alright tonight.” Andrew said between bites as I shook my head.

“I’m not leaving you here alone. Now eat your food I’m sure the doctors will be here soon.” I said unwilling to go when she might need me.

It was still mid morning when Doctor Phillips and Foster came to check on Andrew. I stood to the side and watched as they examined her today. It made me uncomfortable seeing it today. After three days watching her be examined I didn’t like that she was becoming a lab rat. I wanted to take her home so when I saw the chance I pulled doctor Foster outside into the hall.

“When can I take her home?” I asked bluntly and a bit agitated after watching them inspect my daughter.

“It’s hard to say. We don’t want to release her until we’re sure she through changing. It appears she might be done but we want to make sure. We’ll keep her for one more day if tomorrow she doesn’t show signs of any more changes we’ll let you take her home.” I took a deep breath happy that it wouldn’t be much longer if everything went well.

“Thank you Doctor Foster. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful I just want her to get on with her life.” I said as the young Doctor gave me a smile.

“You’re welcome Mrs. Mckenzie and I understand. I would recommend that she takes a few more weeks off from school though and that you find a therapist for her to talk to once we do release her. I suspect the changes to her body are not the last challenges she’ll have as a result of that cloud.”

I agreed and we rejoined Andrew and Doctor Phillips in the hospital room as the older doctor finished his exam. After going over the tests Andrew was going to receive today the two doctors left to prepare everything and we turned on the TV. Flipping the channels we waited for the nurses to come collect us.

“How are you doing hun? All these tests and exams have to be getting to you?” I asked wondering how my daughter was coping.

“I’m doing ok. I wish it was over. The first few times my body didn’t feel like my own so it was easier to deal with, but the more I get used to it the more difficult it gets.” I watched as she squirm nervously explaining it to me.

“Well hopefully tomorrow is the last time. Doctor Foster said if nothing changes between now and then he’ll let you come home.” Smiling I saw her eyes light up as I told her she may be going home tomorrow and it made me happy. She was as ready as I was to put this behind us.

“God I can’t wait. It feels like I've been here for a year already.” She said visibly excited by the idea.

“You’ve been through a year’s worth of stress and drama hun that’s for sure but we’re almost done I think.” Seeing the end of this phase of her change I could only hope she continued to deal with things as well as she had so far.

It wasn’t much longer until the nurse came and we were off for the tests. It felt like we were stuck in a replay of the previous day as I held Andrew’s hand and helped her through the different tests. It was hard to watch sometimes but we both made it through and even stopped for so lunch this time.

I could tell we had been in the hospital too long at this point as was starting to know some of the staff by name. The security guard that followed us around now was a nice man and even though he knew what had happened to Andrew he didn’t treat him like a freak. I could only hope the rest of the world would be as kind. It made me wonder how the world would react to my son and the other affected by that cloud.

An image flashed in my head of the cloud as I stood in our kitchen watching it over take our house. I had wondered several times since this started if Andrew would have been spared all this had she been at home. Maybe our house would have protected her better then that old school room. I shook my head. There’s no use thinking about that what’s done is done.

Andrew looked at me and took my hand as I walked beside her. “What’s wrong?” she asked me seeing the shake of my head.

“Noting hun.” I told her with a smile as I squeezed her hand.

Finally we made it back to the room and through another day of testing as the sun was setting outside. One more day I thought to myself. One more day and she can come home. The thought made me happy again replacing the thoughts of the cloud and Amanda greeted us as we entered Andrew’s hospital room.

“Hey honey. How was school.” I asked giving her a hug.

“Not bad. Kinda hard to concentrate with all that’s going on though. I keep think about you and Andrew here.” I watched as Amanda and Andrew greet each other with a hug. It made me feel good to see them like that. They had always at odds before but it seemed my relationship with Andrew wasn’t the only one that had changed.

The two of them sat and chatted a bit about the day as I played with me phone. I had already replied two the two people I was most concerned about but now I had time to get to a few more. My thumbs danced on the keys as I reassured this person and that on Andrew’s condition without revealing too much.

When a knock came on the door I was a bit surprised. We weren’t expecting the doctor’s to stop by so soon after the test so I went to answer it. Standing outside was a white haired man in a nice black suit and a smile. “Yes? may I help you?” I asked.

“Hello Mrs. Mckenzie I’m Donald Tillman head of the hospital. I’d like to speak with you and your daughter for a moment if that’s ok.” I tilted my head as he introduced himself presenting his hand wondering why the head of the hospital would be coming to see us.

“Let me check with her and see if she is up to it.” I told him before closing the door and returning to Amanda and Andrew. “The head of the hospital would like to speak with us hun are you ok with that?” Andrew's face wrinkled a bit and I could tell she was a bit confused like I was.

“The head of the hospital? Why does he want to talk to me?” She asked and looked over at the door.

“I don’t know hun but if you aren’t up to it I'll tell him to come back some other time.” I knew she had already met enough doctors and nurses who knew what had happened to her, but I wasn’t sure if she wanted other people seeing the new her yet or not.

“I guess it’s alright.” She said covering up with the blanket on the bed as I went to let Mr. Tillman in.

Opening the door I motioned for him to come in and he gave a big smile as he entered before walking over to Amanda and then Andrew shaking their hands. “Hello Andrew. I’m Donald Tillman I hope our doctors are making you as comfortable as possible under the circumstances?” Very graciously Andrew told him they were and thanked him for all the hospital had done for her so far. I couldn’t have been more proud smiling and watching her handle Mr. Tillman.

“What can we do for you Mr. Tillman?” I finally asked after Amanda introduced herself as well.

“Nothing at all. I’m just here to say I’m truly sorry about the leak that brought the reports here. It turns out that the source as a sonogram tech that examined your daughter the first day she was here. Needless to say he is no longer employed with us.” Showing us a picture of the tech I'd never seen him before but Andrew seemed to know exactly who he was.

“Oh yeah I remember him. Do you know everything he told them about me?” Andrew asked nervously. I could see her playing with her hair twirling it around a finger like her sister would do when she was nervous.

“Yes I had a long talk with him before we let him go. It appears the media knows your name or at least this Susan Lopez does. Apparently she is the one our former tech spoke with.” Andrew shivered hearing they knew her name.

“Why has she used it then?” I asked upset that at any moment Andrew’s name might be all over the television along with what had happened to her.

“I have no idea Ms. Mckenzie. Perhaps they're just doing the right thing and protecting an innocent who’s been put through a lot lately. I true hope that’s the case but I'm afraid there’s nothing the hospital can do about it at this point. However what we can do is take care of all the hospital bills while you were here with us. I know it doesn’t make up for the violation of your privacy but we are deeply sorry for what happened.” Saying his goodbyes Mr. Tillman apologise one last time and closed the door behind him.

I could see the tears in Andrew's eyes so I joined his sister beside her and we both gave her a hug. “It’ll be ok hun. You can get through this.”

“Everyone is going to know what happened to me Mom.” I nodded knowing very well that according to Mr. Tillman at any moment my daughter’s name could be all over the news, and that any privacy she may have had before would be gone.

I didn’t know what to do but staring at my new daughter an idea began to form. “Why don’t we do it on our own terms honey?” I asked as I brushed her hair back again. “Let’s show them how strong and beautiful you are. If your name is going to be out there why don’t we control it and put a face with the name?”

Amanda and Andrew stared at me a bit surprised by my idea. “Are you sure mom? If she does that she’ll never be able hide.” Amanda asked before Andrew could say anything.

“It’s going to be out there either way. We know that now, but with a face… a pretty face put with it maybe people will sympathise more with what’s happened to her. What do you think hun” I said asking Andrew and hoping I wasn’t asking too much of her.

“I think it’s scary but it’s better than someone who doesn’t even know me putting my whole life story out there with no control over it.” I could see determination in her eyes now through the tears. She could handle this and with a face like her’s everyone would love her.

“Was the news crews still outside when you came in Amanda?” I asked wanting to get on this a quickly as possible before the evening news started.

“Yeah tons of them.” She said smiling as she got on board with the idea.

“Good. I want you to go out to them and see if you can find that Susan Lopez or someone who can contact her. Give her my cell phone number and tell her I’m the mother of Andrew Mckenzie.” Nodding as she grabbed her purse Amanda left on her little mission and I took Andrew’s hand.

“We have something to decided hun. What name do you want out to the public?” I knew this would be hard but I also knew a more female name would make things a lot easier on her.

Sighing she leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling for a moment. “Yeah I guess Andrew isn’t a great name for a girl.”

“It doesn’t matter if you want to keep it that’s fine, but I'm not going to lie something more feminine will go over better I think.” I could see her thinking as I waited for her answer.

“You’re right but I have no idea what my name should be. Do you have a name picked out if I had been born a girl?” I nodded with a smile.

“Alexis Madeline Mckenzie.” I announced. It was a beautiful name and one her father had picked before we knew I was having a boy. It was only right that he had a say.

“Alexis Mckenzie.” she said aloud as if trying it out. I sat patiently hoping she liked it. “I could be an Alexis I guess.” She finally said. I couldn’t contain the smile and gave her a big hug.

“You can be anything hun.” I told her just as Amanda returned.

“Alright mom I gave some guy with her news crew the number and he said she’ll give you a call shortly. There are so many news crews out there. Are you sure you want it to be her that Andrew talks to?”

Before I could say anything Andrew corrected her. “Alexis…” he told her. “Mom said that was going to be my name if I had been born a girl so I guess it’s only fair it’s my new name now that I am. Amanda smiled.

“Alexis.” She repeated trying it out the same way her sister did earlier. “I like it. You look like an Alexis too, but what about this Susan Lopez chick? Why her mom?”

“She’s the one we know for certain knows...Alexis’ old name.” I made sure I used the new name we all had to get used to it. “I want to make sure she doesn’t announce it before your sister is ready to do an interview, and the only thing we have to offer her is that she gets to do the interview.”

We all waited nervously for the call as it got closer to the late news. I still wasn’t sure this would work but it was all we could do. Finally and hour later my phone rang. I took a deep breath and then answered it. “Samantha Mckenzie.”

“Hello Mrs. Mckenzie this is Susan Lopez with the Late Night News. I received a message to give you a call. How can I help you tonight?” Her voice sounded different than it did on television it was softer and more kind.

“I’m the mother of Alexis Mckenzie I believe you know her by the name Andrew thanks to a certain hospital employee. First I would like to know what you intended to do with my daughters name?” I kept my voice stern to make it clear I wasn’t happy with how she’d learned about my daughter.

“The public wants to know who your daughter is Ms. Mckenzie. Out of respect we have kept her old name quite for now but we have competitors and at some point we will have to report the news or someone else will.” I hated how sweet she sounded. I wanted to hate her.

“Very well then I have an offer for you. Alexis wants to be the one to tell the world who she is. If you refrain from announcing her name until she is ready she’ll do the interview with you and your station.” My stomach turned nervously hoping she would accept the deal and give us some time.

“I think we can agree to that but it has to be somewhat soon. Like I said we don’t know how long it’ll be before another news organization beats us to it.” I could tell she was excited by the idea.

“One week...One week from today that will hopefully give my daughter time to talk with people she needs to and prepare herself.” It had worked for now Alexis had at least another week out of the public eye.

“Agreed. Thank you for calling me Ms. Mckenzie. I look forward to speaking with you and your daughter again soon.” Still wanting to make it clear I wasn’t happy I hung up without a goodbye.

“It’s done. Their going to keep your name a secret until you’re ready to do the interview.” Alexis let out a long breath and Amanda gave a little cheer. “Now all we have to do is get you out of here...hopefully tomorrow and then we start figuring things out once we’re at home.

“I can’t wait to be home again.” Alexis announced. “So how do we go about changing my name now?”

I hadn’t thought about the act of actually changing her name legally. Normally it took forever but maybe I could get some help. “I’ll ask Doctor Phillips tomorrow if the government can help since this is a special case. If not we’ll just have to do it the normal way, and hope it doesn’t take forever.

I didn’t know what the future held for us but we were dealing with it as it came. I was incredibly proud of how our family was handling this and when Amanda left for the lot I made sure to tell her. It wasn’t just Alexis that was showing how strong and beautiful they were. Amanda had been doing so much for me and her sister and I wanted her to know I noticed.

I needed some air after being cooped up in the hospital so long so I walked with her to her car. It was amazing seeing the crowd of news vans and crews just off the hospital property. The whole world was watching those that had been infected and there was no stopping it now.

By the time I returned to the room Alexis had fallen asleep obviously worn out physically and mentally from the day. I made sure she was covered after I saw her shiver and then finally laid down myself. I hope we can go home tomorrow...

Andrew McKenzie is a junior in highschool when a strange incident sweeps the world. In the aftermath Andrew is left confused and unsure what's happening to him as he slowly begins to notice changes. How we he and his family find the silver lining?

It was early afternoon and finally I’d finished the last of the tests I had gone through the previous few days. For the second day in a row there were no visible changes in my body, but now we were waiting to see what the doctors had to say. They had promised to rush the results as fast as they could and try to get me out of here today. It was getting late though and I was starting to worry.

“You don’t think they’ll keep me overnight again?” I asked my mother was we waited.

“I hope not hun. Doctor foster said you could leave today if all the tests came back without changes. I think they're just making sure. None of them wants your health at risk.” I was so ready to leave I couldn’t sit still and paced the room.

“I have to pee again I announced and headed for the bathroom.” I was nervous and being forced to wait for news was making me have pee more often. I wondered if that was a girl thing? Having to handle my new body parts to pee didn’t help though. It only made me more anxious.

“Well why don’t you take the clothes your sister brought for you, and put them on? That way you’ll be ready to go when they release you.” My mother suggested, and as eager as I was to leave I agreed and took the bundle from my sister.

It still felt weird just using the bathroom. All the feelings were in different places, and after 16 years of standing even sitting felt weird. After I finished I stared at the clothes a bit intimidated. I’d been wearing a panties and during the day a bra for the last couple of days now but this was different. These clothes wouldn’t be hidden. It wasn’t like they were anything extremely girly just a pair of my sisters pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, but they were clothing made for a girl.

I took a breath and slide them on. The light blue bottoms with white clouds and yellow moons covering them were comfy enough as I tied them at the waist, but the top felt tight. It was just a white t-shirt but it clung to my new body. I was used to t-shirts being loose this was not, and it showed off some of my new curves making me a bit uncomfortable.

Despite my reservations I had a lack of options. None of my old stuff fit me anymore so it was either wear what my sister brought or go home holding up the now baggy clothes I wore when I came in. I waded up the hospital gown I had been wearing thankful at least to be out of that and returned to my mother and sister.

“Well those don’t fit too bad.” My mother commented. “We’ll have to go get you some clothes of your own, but for now I think you can make due borrowing simple stuff from your sister.” I nodded and tosses the gown on the bed.

“Her hips are a bit wider than mine, but she should fit into my sweats and stuff.” My sister added as she looked me over. “When we get home I'll give you a couple of things.”
I sat back on the edge of the bed not wanting to lay down again. I was too eager to go and felt as if I would run out the door as soon as I heard I could. We were all making a list of things that had to be done after I got home finally. The first step had already been taken care of.

“Once we get your new birth certificate and records we can get you a new driver’s license. They also suggested just having you get a new one all together instead of getting your old one changed. He said it’d be faster and there would be less questions,” I nodded. It made sense and the less questions I had to answer the happier I would be.

My mother had stayed behind today while I was going through my testing, and while I was gone she had contacted some people in the government Doctor Phillips had put her in contact with. A group had been put together for the 7 victims of the cloud and they were working on adjusting all records related to us. We were all getting new birth certificates showing our new genders along with other pertinent records.

“Does that mean I’ll have to take the test again.” I asked a bit worried. I had barely passed the first time and I wasn’t sure I could do it again.

“Yes it does and maybe if you do better this time I’ll actually think about getting you your own car.” I cringed at the thought, but after a few months of driving to and from school with my mother maybe I was a bit more prepared this time.

Another hour passed and I started worrying that I wasn’t going to be leaving today, but my heart raced as a knock finally came at the door. It was Doctor Foster and Phillips finally and this time they were accompanied by Mr. Tillman the head of the hospital.

“I’m sorry it took so long I know you’re all anxious to take Andrew..” Doctor Phillip paused hearing his mistake.

“It’s ok Doctor at some point we’ve all slipped and used Alexis’ old name today. It’s still new.” My mother told him trying to reassure him he hadn’t done anything her or my sister hadn't done a few times already.

“Well I’m still sorry. Anyway as I was saying we know you’re all ready to leave. The good news is none of the tests show any change so at this point I don’t think we need to keep...Alexis here any longer.” I smiled happy to finally be able to leave and at the fact Doctor Phillips had paused to make sure her used the right name. “However, we would like to see her again at some point soon just to make sure nothing new presents itself, and if anything noticeable happens you should contact us at once.”

“Of course Doctor I have all your information as well as Doctor Foster’s. If anything comes up we’ll be sure to contact you.” My mother said reassuring the doctors.

“Good. I want to say again how impressed we are with how you’ve handled this Alexis. You are very strong and I truly hope you never have to go through anything like this again.” Shaking my hand Doctor Phillips and Doctor Foster said their goodbyes to all of us and I was finally free.

“Mrs. McKenzie there is a large crowd of reporters outside and I assume you don’t wish your daughter talk with them just yet?” Mr. Tillman asked as we all started grabbing our stuff.

“No not yet.” My mother told him shaking her head.

“I didn’t believe so. What I propose then is you bring your car to our loading docks under ground. We’ll bring Alexis down through the service corridor and you can leave from there. We have had our security keep the press away from the road leaving the hospital so you shouldn’t have any trouble. How ever just to be safe a couple of our employees have volunteered to leave the grounds at the same time as you in their own vehicles.” I was impressed he had really thought this out.

“With any luck the reporters will assume you are just hospital employees leaving after work. Being as late as it is it’ll be hard for them to see who’s in the vehicles anyway. If you’d like to bring your car around to the west end of the hospital this sticker will let you pass the guards and access our employee parking near the loading docks.” Handing my mother a sticker she handed it to my sister and Amanda left to get the car.

“If you’ll both follow me I’ll take you down to the docks personally.” With that it was time to finally leave the hospital. Following Mr. Tillman the two security guards that had been outside my room joined us and we head down to meet my sister.

When we reached the docks I couldn’t help but thank the two employees who would be leaving with us and the guards. It wasn’t long before Amanda pulled up in my mother’s Mercedes. I let out a long sigh as I climbed in the back and my mother took the driver’s seat from my sister. Just being out of the hospital I already felt better.

As we left the garage with the other two cars and made it around to the front of the hospital I was shocked by the media presence. My sister had said there were a lot of reports outside but somehow I didn’t think it was going to be as many as there were. I slumped over in the back seat so it didn’t look weird having three people leave in the same car. In the end though there was nothing to worry about and we zoomed right through before heading home.

“You girls want stop for something to take home for dinner?” I was hungry but I really wanted to get home.

“Can we just order some Chinese when we get home mom?” I sat back up and watched as the town sped by. My mother nodded and my sister agreed. She loved Chinese so I knew that would be an easy sell.

I took a deep breath as I stepped out of my mom’s car. It had been a while since I had been outside and it felt good. There was a chill in the air fall was here now and I shivered a bit. Everything looked so beautiful as I looked around our yard. My house seemed welcoming and it was enough to make me tear up.

“Oh honey what’s wrong?” My mother asked as she wrapped an arm around me. I shook my head and wiped my eyes.

“Nothing I’m just glad to see to be home. I’m not sure why I’m crying.” My mother smiled and hugged me a bit tighter.

“Well honey a woman tends to show her emotions a bit easier than men do. I think you’ll learn that’s not a bad thing though. Now let's get you inside before you end up back in the hospital with a cold. Those pajama bottoms are thin and you’re shivering like crazy.” My mother said walking me to the house.

I used to hate the floral smell my mother and sister would fill our house with, but walking through the door it smelt like home. All those scented candle and sprays just made it smell so good. I wasn’t sure if it was because of something that had changed in more or just missing home, but either way I loved it. “Why don't you go relax in the living room hun your sister and I will take care of this stuff.” My mother suggested as she headed upstairs.

I nodded and made my way to the couch in front of the TV, and Collapsing on it I made a loud sigh of relief. I kicked off my huge snickers and then took off a couple pairs of socks I had been forced to wear to keep them from falling off my feet. I’d have to get some new shoes too at some point. None of my old ones would ever fit my small feet now.

It was nice relax and not be the one lugging stuff from the hospital upstairs. Normally anytime something needed to be lifted or carried I was always volunteered, but now I was betting my mother and sister were probably stronger than I was. Finding simple things like that kept me going now. I knew I had to focus on the upside things or I’d lose it.

There wasn’t much on TV so again I ended up searching the news channels to see what was being reported. Thankfully it seemed Susan Lopez was living up to her end of the deal, and as long as no one else threatened to beat her to the punch I hoped she continued to do so. “Anything new? Amanda asked as she joined me on the couch.

“Doesn’t seem like it. You’d think the would have at least found where the cloud came from by now?” I said as the should a map of the area where it had originated.

“Everyone has their theories at school. I’ve heard everything from aliens to nanites gone rogue developed by Japan. What do you think?” She asked giving me a look like I had some special insight.

“I have no idea. It’s certainly beyond anything humans are capable of right now according to the doctors at the hospital, but who’s to say Japan has always been ahead of us on the technologies front. As far as I know either could be true.” I took a deep breath thinking about it and wondering if I'd ever know why this happened to me.

“Alright diner is ordered what are my girls doing?” Mom joined us in the living room taking a seat in the chair beside the couch.

“Not much just talking about what might have made the cloud.” Amanda answered before I could. It was certain somethings would never change and Amanda talking faster than me was one.

“Whatever it was I hope they get whoever was behind it.” It was the first time I had heard my mother sound vengeful and the look in her eyes made it clear she was serious. Her feelings surprised me a bit. From the way she seemed to like me being a girl I would have though maybe she would be grateful this had happened to me. I knew now that she wasn’t.

My mother may like having another daughter now but she didn’t like the way it happened. I wondered how she we deal with it if I chose to not stay a girl. So far I hadn’t made up my mind everything was still too new and I told her I would give things a chance, but being a girl was already very different. I just didn’t know if I could handle it.

After a little TV dinner arrived (and other than the pizza Amanda had brought a couple of days ago) this was my first meal outside the hospital since everything began. It was so incredible the tastes just seemed so new. Whatever had been done to me it seemed like it had changed everything. My tastes, the way things smelt to me, even colors. Everything seemed to taste better, smelt nicer, and pop in such beautiful ways I was hard to describe.

After we finished eating mom had me clear the table. Apparently my new situation didn’t get me out of all household duties. I loaded the dishwasher and threw the empty Chinese containers in the trash before grabbing a drink and heading up to my room. I need some personal time now and I hadn’t been in my own room in days.

It was just as I had left it before going to school on Monday, but everything seemed different. I was still adjusting to my new size but it wasn’t just that. The smell was weird to me like someone else had been living there, and the colors were just so flat. Most the stuff I had was either gray or black and that just seemed strange now. Don’t get me wrong it still felt good to be back but it felt a little like this was someone else’s room now.

I wanted to get my mind off of it so I started up my computer. I had built it myself and it was a beast of a gaming machine. It’d been 5 days since I last played a video game and despite other things changing I still enjoyed that at least. Starting up a first person shooter I often played. I paused for a second looking at my screen name DrewKills98.

I wondered if any of the people from school I normally played with were on. I could use my normal name if they were. They’d join my games and then their would be question once they heard my new voice. Quickly I went to create a new a new screen name and paused. What do I call myself now?

I started going through new names for, and for the second day in a row I had to pick something new to call myself. It took me almost an hour to decide on one. I had searched for ideas and combined this with that until I finally settled on SirensCall. It fit my mood well. I liked the idea of my voice drawing people to their doom. Suckering them in before they were destroyed by a deadly creature with.

With my new name created I put on my headset and went looking for matches. Because of the new account I was fairly low ranked so my early games we easy and people didn’t do much talking. As I ranked up though more and more people would start communicating. I was nervous at first to say much but eventually I started speaking back to people. The reaction was what I expected. There was a lot of people surprised I was a girl play despite my screen name, and there was a lot of people making fun of others when I killed them.

As time passed I began to forget and even enjoy when someone was taunted for being killed by the girl. I quickly learned to mute the perverts that started begging to team up or for my number as soon as they heard my voice. I was having fun and it was nice to find out I could still be a gamer even as a girl.

After creating some new accounts in other games I had similar experiences there but for the most part all of it was enjoyable. I had been going for a while though and my eyes were starting to hurt so I decided to call it quits for the night. When I shut down the game I noticed in my messenger that Ryan was online. Curiosity got the best of me.

“Hey.” I typed and then debated on whether to send it or not for a moment before finally getting the courage.

“Hey! are you home from the hospital?” He replied quickly, and I wondered what he knew or had heard.

I decided it was best to keep it short so I thought about my reply. “Yeah I just got home. Anything happen in school this week?”

“You mean other then everyone in our class being tested by the CDC? Everyone is talking about you. Is what the news said was happening to you true?” he asked and suddenly I realized I wasn’t up to this. I wasn’t ready to tell people who knew me before what had changed now.

“Listen I’m sorry you all got tested. I have to go.” I replied and then closed the messenger before he could say anymore. So the CDC had tested my whole class? I guess that made sense they were all close to someone who’d been infected. I wondered why that hadn’t been reported on the news.

Just as I was closing down my computer there was a knock at the door. “Alexis it’s mom can I come in?

“Sure.” I said loudly and walked over unlocking my door. My mother looked like she was ready for bed as I sat down on mine and she join me.

Wrapping an arm around me I leaned into her and smiled. “Doing alright?” I nodded. “Good I wanted to talk with you about something. I know it’s soon but I think we need to go shopping for your tomorrow. You have to have some new clothes and you can’t just borrow them from your sister.”

I squirmed. The idea of going out in public so soon was a bit scary. “Listen I know this is big but we want to do as much as we can before you do your interview. Right now no one will know who you are. You’ll be just another girl to them.” She added and as I thought about it I agreed. Right now I was just another face in the crowds, but after I did the interview more people would know who I was and what had happened to me.

“Alright I guess so.” I finally agreed and she squeezed me a bit tighter.

“That’s my girl we’ll go when the mall opens in the morning so maybe there won’t be as many people there. If anyone asks why we a getting you so much will just tell them you had a growth spurt. It’s kind of true.” My mother laughed and then gave me a kiss on the forehead before heading off to bed.

I stared at the walls in my room and thought about tomorrow. I didn’t know why but I was excited a little on top of the nerves. I never enjoyed shopping I had always been the in and out type, but going with my mother tomorrow i was more into the idea then i had ever been.

Every Time I noticed something new about myself it was weird and made it feel like I was a very different person now. Had that cloud affected more than my body? Was I still Andrew inside? I couldn’t answer either question yet, and I honestly didn’t know if I ever would be able to.

It was late now though and I was tired so I finally decided to crash for the night. After using the bathroom I striped down to my panties and threw on one of my old t-shirts to sleep in. It was baggy but good enough for a night shirt so I climbed into bed and laid there in the dark. I felt tiny in my old bed now but it was much better then the hospital I'd been in the past week.

My mind wandered all over the place. I had a lot to deal with over the coming week but I decided starting tomorrow I'd take it one day at a time. My life was my own and though I didn’t know where it would end up now I knew where it would begin tomorrow. In my bed at home finally.

Andrew McKenzie is a junior in highschool when a strange incident sweeps the world. In the aftermath Andrew is left confused and unsure what's happening to him as he slowly begins to notice changes. How we he and his family find the silver lining?

The knocking on my door woke me up. It’d taken some time to finally get comfortable last night so it seemed I’d slept late. I had always slept on my stomach before but that was no longer comfortable so I was still struggling with finding a new position. Another knock on my door made me stir again.

“Alexis! Wake up! Mom said breakfast is ready!” It was my sister Amanda and I groaned finally tossing back the covers and answering the door. “Cute nightie…” Amanda laughed as she made fun of my old t-shirt being used to sleep in now. “Anyway here take these. You can wear this to the mall with mom. Now take a shower, get dressed, and get your butt down stairs.”

Closing the door I tossed the clothes Amanda had given me on the bed. I groaned and stretched before stripping down and hopping in my shower. Washing my new body was still any experience but one I was getting the hang of and I had to admit I enjoyed the way the warm water felt against me soft skin. The biggest issue showering now was drying my hair, and it took forever to do so. Hanging down below my shoulders I’d never had hair anywhere near as thick and long as I did now.

I finally gave up and just wrapped a towel around my head like I'd seen my sister and mother do countless times. Picking up the clothes they were nothing special another of my sister’s t-shirts and some work out pants that were stretchy enough to handle my wider hips compared to my sister. Both of them were tight though and getting used to how women’s clothing hugged their bodies more than they way men’s do would definitely be another challenge.

Still all and all it looked like something I'd seen plenty of girls wear after going to the gym or working out. I doubted anyone would find it strange to see someone wearing it at the mall, and that’s exactly what I wanted. Something that wouldn’t stick out. Now all I had to do was deal with how tight it was. Amanda had also given me some socks and a pair of her snickers so I didn't have to wear my old ones again along with twelve pairs of socks to keep them on my feet.

My feet were much smaller now but still larger than my sisters though. Her snickers squeezed my feet, but it wasn’t painful they were just a little small. Another deep breath and I tossed the towel I had wrapped around my hair in the hamper of my bathroom before heading downstairs.

“Morning hun. There’s pancakes and sausage on the table. As soon as you’re done eating we’ll head to the mall.” My mother announced as I entered the kitchen. I told her thanks and then grabbed a glass and some orange juice from the fridge before joining Amanda in the breakfast nook beside the kitchen. I could help but notice how beautiful of a Sunday it was outside as the sunshine poured in the windows around the table.

“You going to the mall with us Manda?” I asked as I fixed my plated a bit down on some sausage.

“No I wanted to but I can’t. I still have to read some books for one of my classes. I’m way behind.” Amanda sighed and pointed to a stack of books beside her.

“How are you behind already it’s only the first week of classes?” I asked between the delicious bites of pancakes I was stuffing in my face.

“Well there was this little thing where my brother became my sister that kind of distracted me, but it’s also college Lexy they don’t waste time assigning work.” Hearing her use a new nickname for me took me a bit off guard.

“Lexy?” I questioned.

“What? It’s not like there’s a lot of choices in nicknames for Alexis. It’s the best I could come up with. Deal with it.” Smirking she stuck her tongue out at me as mom finally came in and joined us with a cup of coffee.

“You not eating mom?” I asked noticing she didn’t make a plate.

“I already did lazy bones. It’s almost eleven hun you and your sister took forever to get up.” I was a bit shocked it was that late. I hadn’t looked at the clock and normally if I slept that late before I always felt awful. Not today though I felt fantastic other then the butterflies in my stomach when I thought about going shopping.

“Sorry. Still getting used to sleeping on my back all the time.” I announced continuing my meal and pouring some syrup on my pancakes.

“You’ll get used to it. Maybe we’ll get you a new bed though you’ve had that one a while and you’re supposed to replace them every 7 years. That should help you sleep better.” I nodded agreeing. My bed had started feeling lumpy and even before all this I was starting to think it was time for a change.

“Yeah. I think I might want to redecorate my room all together if that’s ok.” I asked before finishing off my orange juice.

“Oh really? Is this because of what happened?” My mother asked a bit suspicious some reason.

“No I had been thinking about it before school started, but... I don’t know it just seems like the right time to change things up.” I announced

“Well it’s your room. If that’s what you want its fine with me, but just in case you change your mind we’ll keep your old stuff in storage.” I nodded agreeing and finally finished my breakfast. I might have been drawing it out longer then I needed to feeling the butterflies flutter more and more in my stomach as our trip to the mall grew closer. I was done now though and there was no way to stall any longer.

“All done?” My mother asked as I took my last bite.

“I guess so.” I said wiping my mouth with a napkin.

“Good put your dish in the sink and I’ll go get my stuff.” We stood up together and leaned over giving Amanda a hug not really sure why as she sat at the table beside me reading one of her books. I think she was as surprised as I was but she smiled and returned it.

“See you later Manda.” I added as I headed to the kitchen with my plate.

“Have fun with mom, and I want a fashion show when you get home.” Amanda announced before returning to her reading.

I met my mother by the front door and reaching into her purse she handed me a brush. “Here honey you hair's a mess you can brush it in the car. We’ll pick you up some brushes while we're out, and you need to learn to use them after waking up or washing your hair now. Otherwise your hair is going to be a knotted mess, and you’re too pretty for that.”

I took the brush and nodded. Soon I was going to need to need to start making a list off all the things I was going to have to learn. I did as I was told though and on the way to the mall I brushed my hair out in the car. It wasn’t long before we were parking in front of the mall entrance, and I sat staring at the people going in and out.

“You ready?” My mother asked looking over at me and taking the brush as I handed it back. I took a deep breath and nodded not really sure if it was true. She placed the brush back in her purse and we both headed into the mall.

It was my first time in public really and deep inside me I felt as though everyone would be staring at the guy wearing girls clothes. I knew it didn’t make sense to everyone else I looked like a girl, but I couldn’t help it. I looked around at the other people nervously. No one was staring and other than a few smiles when I made eye contact with someone everyone was busy with their own tasks.

The mall nearest our house was fairly large and had a lot of stores. If I had come alone I would have had no clue where to start, but my mother did. I followed close behind her until Finally she entered a store as a guy I had never been in. It sold only women’s clothing and there was a lot of choices.

“Go look around. See if you find anything you like. I’ll pick some stuff out and then you can try it on.” My mother told my while she thumbed through a clothing rack.

I wandered around a bit feeling like I was somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be, and having no clue what I was looking for. I slide hangers this way and that looking at tops before moving onto the next rack. It was clear I was lost so I guess it was no surprise when one of the girls that worked there approached me.

“Can I help you find anything?” The pretty red head asked. She couldn’t have been much older than me and wore a name tag the said Katie. Her hair wasn’t natural red it was more a bright dyed red color, and it fit her really well. She was about my size probably someone I would have drooled over a week ago. I didn’t feel that at the moment though. I was nervous and though I knew she was pretty it didn’t seem to have any effect of me.

“I’m just looking for some clothes.” I said softly trying not to make eye contact.

“Alright, well you look like you’re about the same size as me so I'm guessing about a size six?” I nodded my mother had told me my sizes before we left. The one good thing about all the measuring the doctors had done at the hospital is there was no need to figure that out now. My mother knew exactly what size I was.

Katie dug through a few things and then held a light blue top and a pair of jeans up in front of me. “This would look cute on you. Here have a look in the mirror.” Following her she lead me over to one of the large mirrors in the store and held the outfit in front of me. The top was a bit more frilly around the collar then I would have liked but she was right it’d probably look cute on me.

“Yeah that looks cute.” I said with a nod and Katie smiled.

“Here go try it on. See if it fits.” I knew from what my mother had told me on the way to the mall that despite something saying it was my size that it still might not fit. She had said to make sure I try everything on because I might be a six in one brand and an eight in another.

Taking the top and pants Katie showed me to the changing room and I paused for a moment outside. This was definitely somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be a week ago but I reminded myself I was a girl now and followed her in. Thankfully there were several free stalls so I went into one and changed into the outfit. It fit well from what I could tell. The jeans were tight but it was the same with all girl’s clothing I'd worn.

“Let’s see how it looks.“ Katie called from outside the stall. Unlocking the door I stepped out and stood in front of the mirrors in the changing room. Katie smiled behind me. “Oh that’s super cute. Those pants make your butt look to die for.” I spun and looked at my bottom in the mirror. Regardless of how I felt about it I knew the cloud had given me a curvy body and my butt did look good in the jeans.

“So do you go to Riverside?” Suddenly my heart sank. Did she recognize me somehow?

“Uh...yeah. I’m a junior.” I said nervously and trying to avoid eye contact.

“I’m a senior! Wow I can’t believe I’ve never seen you around.” I glance at her trying to see if I remember her from anywhere. Thankfully our high school was fairly big and it was hard to know everyone. I was certain I'd never seen her before, and it was apparent she didn’t recognize me after all.

“Yeah. Same here. I’m sure I'd remember that red hair it’s awesome.” Katie smiled and nodded.

“I love it! Makes me feel like a badass.” She laugh and I couldn’t help but join her. It was the first time I'd laugh since I changed and the giggle I now maybe was a lot different from how I laughed before.

“There you are!” My mother said entering the change room with a bunch of clothes. “Oh you found something yourself. That’s cute.” She exclaimed as she joined us in front of the mirrors.

“Wow you two are buying out the store.” Katie said seeing the arm full of clothes my mother had. “Well let me officially introduce myself I’m Katie!” Holding out her hand to my mother she took it and they shook hands.

“I’m Samantha and this is my daughter Alexis it’s very nice to meet you.” My mother gave me a surprised look and I shrugged as I shook Katie’s hand as well.

“It’s nice to meet you both. Alexis and I just realized we go to the same school.” I saw my mother’s eyes widen and a bit of nervousness show on her for once. “I can’t believe we’ve never met before but if you two need any help I’m your girl just let me know. It looks like your mother has great taste Alexis so I'll leave you two alone so you can try that stuff on.”

My mother smiled at me as Katie left and she sat down the clothing she’d picked out. “She was nice. A new friend?”

I shrugged and my mother’s smile just grew larger. Handing me some of the clothes she had pick we started going through her pile. Eventually I lost count of the number of things I had tried on, but after a while we had a bunch of stuff that fit and that we liked. It felt weird wearing them but I had even agreed on a couple skirts and dresses. Mostly I stuck to approve pants and tops though.

“Well I think we have a good start to your new wardrobe. Let’s pay for this stuff and then we’ll see what we can find at some other stores.” Gathering up the clothes we had picked my mother headed towards the cash register Katie was manning.

“Love your taste.” Katie announced as she was ringing up our purchases.

“My daughter is a little fashionista.” My mother smiled and I cringed.

“Well don’t be a stranger at school Alexis. I’m always looking for friends with good taste in clothes.” I didn’t say anything nodding slightly and smiling at Katie. Once my mother finished paying we grabbed our bags and said good bye heading out of the store. I finally noticed we had spent a couple of hours in the store, and it surprised me a little.

Normally I hated shopping but today it hadn’t seemed like it had been as long as it had, and I even enjoyed it a little. We took our purchases to the car so we didn’t have to carry them around with us and then headed back in for round two.

This time my mom went right for the shoe store and it didn’t take anywhere near as long as the last store. In short order I had some new sneakers, flats, and even a pair of wedges. I had to admit I like the height the wedges gave me back. I still wasn’t as tall as I used to be before but it was an improvement.

At the shoe store picking out stuff I noticed that my color choices surprised me a little. I hadn’t really thought about it with the clothes but I was liking the way bright colors looked more now. I had even picked some pink and purple tops earlier. My new sneakers even had some pink in them now too and they were a lot more comfortable than Amanda’s.

As we were checking out at the shoes store my mother handed me some sun glasses they had on display by the counter. They were the big frames with dark lenses that were popular with girls these days, and seeing them in the mirror I liked them enough to agree to them. As before once we finished shopping for shoes we took the bags to the car and then returned to the mall.

It seemed we were done with the big stuff and now we just grabbed this and that as we looked around from different store. At one store we grabbed socks and a bunch of new under along with matching bras, and then at another my mother picked out a brush set for me. Thankfully at the store we got the brushes form we’d also found a hairdryer something I desperately needed, and while there my mother had also managed to get me to agree to curling and straightening irons.

As the day went on we just kept repeating our process of loading up on purchases and then unloading them at the care before returning. I was enjoying myself more than I ever had shopping but I was starting to get tired of it now so I whined a bit as we started going back again.

“Oh come up only a couple more things the mall closes at five anyway.” My mother said noticing my reluctance. I sighed and agree and this time was a bit surprised that she walked into the electronics store this time. My excitement rose as I saw her approach the cellphones.

“Ok hun I have a deal for you. I know you have been wanting your own phone for a while. So I'll get you one, but the next two stops we make you have to go along with.” I stared at the phones. She was right I had wanted a phone for a while, but I wasn’t sure what she had in mind. It didn’t take me long to agree though I was too excited not to, and whatever it was she wanted next I’m sure it would be permanent.

Smiling ear to ear I played with my new phone following my mother to whatever she had planned. Entering another department I was confused for a second. She bribed me with a phone to get me to agree to more clothes? Finally I figured it out though as she approached the cosmetics counter and one of the make-up artists.

“Hello, I'd like to have my daughter’s colors done and maybe you can give her some tips on make-up?” My jaw hung open in shock as I stared at my mother and she just smiled. “You agreed.” she said and my stomach filled with butterflies as the make-up artist lead me to a chair.

I shivered in the chair as the woman worked trying out this brand and that until she found something that fit my skin. Doing my eyes and lips she offered tips and demonstrated things in the mirror as I sat there silent. When she was done my mother nodded and smiled approval. I had never felt more girly in my life leaving with make-up on my face. Not only had my mother had my make-up done she’d also bought me a bunch along with brushes and a light mirror.

“Listen stop being so dramatic it’ll wash off and I just want you to have your own stuff just in case. Most girls your age have been playing with make-up their whole life, but you don’t have to use it. You have it now so ignore it or play with it in private. You don’t even have to tell me.” I pouted like a little kid as my mother pleaded her case and wondered where she was taking me next.

If I was prepared for the make-up our next stop was an even bigger surprise. My mother had a plan all along. Start off easy with clothes and save the most girly things for the end of the day after a bribe. Standing outside of a jewelry shop I watched as a young girl got her ears pierced and then look at my mother.

“A girl your age not having her ears pierced stands out hun and I know you don’t want that. I know it seems like a permanent things but it’s not. Wear the studs for a while and if you're really hate them just take them out. The holes will close up on their own.” Leading me over to the lady doing piercings my mother gripped my by the arm, and it was a good thing she did because I felt like running.

“Really earring though come on mom!” I tried desperately to talk my way out of it.

“Alexis Madeline McKenzie you agreed.” Ouch I'd only had my new middle name for a couple of days and my mother had already used it on me. I sighed and covered my eyes with my hands as her ears pierced sat in the chair, and then heard the lady behind me laugh.

“She not a fan of needles?” the woman asked cleaning my first earlobe with alcohol.

“Not really. I’ve been trying to get her to get her ears pierced for years, but she’s been too scared.” My mother was lying of course but the lady laughed again. “I had to bribe her with a phone to get her to finally agree with it today.

“Oh so worth it then. A new phone for a little pinch? I’d take that deal any day. Plus I promise it won’t hurt much, and a pretty girl like you should have her ears pierced the boys will love it.” I shivered again and then heard the piercing gun snap followed by a pinch on my ear. Shortly after the same happened on the other side and then I was handed a mirror.

Two diamond studs stuck through my ear lobes now in the mirror, and along with the make-up my face felt like it had completely changed again. Even with my reservations I couldn’t help but like it a little though. I continued to surprise myself with the things that I didn’t just absolutely hate. I never would have thought I would like the way I looked with make-up or earrings but now that they were their maybe I did.

I was still confused as we finally left the mall for the last time, and even though I had doubts I wasn’t going to admit to my mother that her trick might have worked. I buried my face in my new phone as a consolation prize sitting in the passenger seat on the ride home. My mother’s back seat was packed with bags and the sun was starting to set as we finally pulled back in the driveway of our home.

Turning off the care my mother took my hand as I went to get out of the car. “Are you that mad with me?” She asked. “I didn’t want to upset you. I was just trying to get you to maybe open up to some new things hun.”

I sighed. “I know mom. I’m not mad. I just didn’t know if I was ready to go this girly.”

“And how do you feel now?” she asked staring at me with hope in her green eyes.

“I don’t hate it. I still don’t know if make-up and all this is my thing, but I’m glad you had me do it...And I really like my new phone.” I told her smiling and giving her a hug.

“That’s good enough for me now let’s unload the car so I can make us some dinner.” Grabbing bags we began taking load after load in and up to my room. Amanda squealed seeing me in make-up and raved about how much she loved it before pitching in and giving us a hand. Between the three of us it didn’t take long and once we were done my went to start working on dinner.

Upstairs Amanda and I worked on unpacking all the clothes and putting them away. Other than a few of my old t-shirts all my old clothes went into bags and storage as my closet filled with a more feminine selection. The t-shirts I kept to sleep in and maybe a bit to remind myself who I used to be.

Modeling a few things for my sister she seemed to approve of our haul and threatened to steal some of it. I hadn’t planned on opening the make-up and other things like that we’d gotten be Amanda was having that. Opening it all up she put it all away in my bathroom and disposed of the empty boxes. No returning it now I thought, but I was pretty sure your couldn’t return make-up anyway.

It had been another long day and the rest of the evening was spent eating the dinner my mother had cooked, and Amanda gushing over my make-up and earrings. We she was finally done I retreated back upstairs and slipped into some of my new comfier clothes. It was nice to have my own stuff again and to be able to lounge around in one of my old baggy t-shirts and some short we’d gotten at one of our many stops during the day.

Moving to my computer I played a few games still enjoying being the girl killing and beating all the guys. I wasn’t used to being the center of attention but like today online in games it seemed as soon as I spoke I was. Everyone wanted to chat and play with me. I knew it was just because I was a girl and they were horny boys but it didn’t seem to bother me.

When I finally got tired enough I quit my games for the night and finally headed to the bathroom and started removing the make-up. My mother had gotten me some make-up remover wipes and as I took one I looked at myself in the mirror and paused. Maybe the make-up wasn’t so bad after all, and maybe like my mother said I’d play with my own when I was alone after all.

Once my faces was clean and washed I threw on some moisturizer something my mother and the make-up artist had suggested. Tying up my hair with some of my new hair ties I was glad to have them now just to keep my hair out of my face when I slept. Falling into bed I crawled under the covers finally and closed my eyes. That night I had nowhere near the trouble I'd had the night before falling asleep.