This story takes place in my Burke's Virus universe which
was introduced in A Plague of Changes and continued in A
Touch of the Bug.
After the Bug
By Morpheus
I grimaced as I heaved my load, a heavy steal pole. I
would have wiped the sweat from my eyes, but both hands
were needed to hold the pole. It was big, heavy and
awkward. As annoying as this was, it was nothing new to me.
In fact, it was just another day at work.
My name is Jim Brody and I was a 6 foot 1, well
muscled construction worker. I had a bit of a beer gut and
tended to forget to shave every once in awhile, but I was
still a pretty handsome guy... or at least I liked to think
so and my wife Brenda seemed to agree.
Once I dropped the pole off where I needed to, I
paused to wipe the sweat out of my eyes and take a little
breather. It was late in the day and I was usually a bit
tired by then, but for some reason, it was really hitting
me harder than normal. I was feeling sore and achy all
over.
"You're getting old Jim," I told myself with a sigh,
though the truth was that I was only 39. Still, that was
plenty old enough to feel all the aches and pangs of aging.
Especially when you worked in a physically demanding job as
mine.
When my shift was over a short while later, a couple
of the guys and I went out for a few beers before I finally
started for home. I'd thought that a cold beer was just
what I needed to relax after a hard day, but unfortunately,
my stomach disagreed. By that time, I was beginning to feel
kinda sick and the beer just wasn't sitting well down
there. In fact, I was even starting to think that I was
going to hurl. So instead of humiliating myself in front of
my buddies, I chose the lesser evil of leaving my beer
unfinished when I left.
The moment I stepped through the door at home, I was
suddenly hit with all the familiar sounds of my family.
Mostly, yelling and screaming across the house. And it came
not only from my kids, but from Brenda screaming for them
to stop arguing.
"Hi dad," my 15 year old Jack called out to me as he
ran past.
His sister, 16 and a half year old Megan came past
just seconds later, yelling at Jack about something or
other and seeming to ignore me entirely. I shrugged, just
being thankful that she wasn't on the phone for once.
"Will you two settle down!" Brenda's voice rang from
the next room.
"What's for dinner?" I asked as I stepped in.
Brenda paused from the stove long enough to give me a
quick kiss that seemed to contain more habit than passion.
"Meatloaf..."
"My favorite," I lied, having learned from 18 years
of marriage that telling her I'd rather have a steak was
not a good idea.
While we sat down to eat, Megan complained almost
nonstop about some other girl down the street and about
some boy she liked but who didn't like her. It was pretty
normal conversation. I just gave a few grunts and nods
every once in awhile to pretend I was listening, pretty
much the same thing that I did with her mother.
Jack barely said a word during dinner, gulping down
everything so fast that I wasn't sure that he even chewed.
Brenda made a few comments about Jack having a hollow leg
or something to store all he ate, but I proudly reminded
her that he was just a growing boy.
However, my own appetite just wasn't up to its normal
level. In fact, I was barely able to eat much of anything
because I was so nauseous.
"Are you all right?" Brenda asked me, not for the
first time shortly after we'd finished with dinner. She was
looking a bit concerned.
"Just tired is all," I told her, letting out a loud
yawn.
Jack piped in, "You look like shit dad..."
"Jack!" Brenda gasped at his language. Personally, I
didn't see what the big deal was since it was just a word,
and one that could be heard just about anywhere. But Brenda
could be a little funny about things like that.
I grunted, "I think I'm gonna hit the sack early." I
let out another yawn before adding, "It's gonna be a busy
day tomorrow..."
With that, I said goodnight to Brenda and the kids,
then started for bed. I winced slightly as I undressed,
feeling each and every one of the aches. Jack might have
pointed out that I looked like shit, but I sure as hell
felt like it. So it was with great relief that I crawled
into bed, hoping that I'd feel better in the morning.
---
I awoke in the morning to the most annoying sound in
the world... or at least the second most annoying sound
next to screaming babies... or possibly the third if you
considered fingernails on a chalk board. Of course, I meant
the horrible sound that could only come from an alarm clock
when the last thing that you want is to get up.
At first, I just groaned, then tried to cover my head
with a pillow. Finally though, I reached over and turned it
off, obviously to the relief of Brenda who hadn't enjoyed
being woken up either.
"Damn," I groaned, still lying in bed, feeling far
too tired to get up.
Though I'd hoped that a good night sleep would have
been all I needed to feel better, it appeared that the
opposite had happened. I felt even worse than I did when
I'd gone to bed. My whole body ached and I felt nauseous
and tired. I closed my eyes... just for a moment... or at
least I'd thought it was just a moment.
"Get up," I awoke again to Brenda shaking me, "You're
late for work..."
I groaned, not liking the interruption at all. With a
grimace, I opened my eyes and sat up, feeling horrible as I
did so. However, I firmly reminded myself that a man
couldn't let a little sickness keep him from doing what
needed to be done. Such as going to work.
After a minute though, Brenda came over and stared at
me, a look of surprise on her face. She gave a deep frown,
then ran her hand over my cheek, continuing to give me a
strange look.
"Oh dear," Brenda gasped out as she took several
steps back. At my blank look, she told me, "I... I think
you have the Bug."
I froze at that. The Bug. Burke's Biomorphic Virus as
it was more accurately known, was not something that I
generally considered a good thing to catch. It was a
strange virus that had appeared out of nowhere some years
back, though no one knew where or how, yet it transformed
just about anyone who caught it. It could change them...
anywhere from just making their hair grow a bit longer, to
turning them into someone completely different. No, hearing
that I might have the Bug was not good news.
"You're kidding," I responded, not too confidently. I
felt weak and sore, symptoms that I'd frequently heard
attributed to the Bug. And I seriously doubted that Brenda
would suggest something like that without good reason. But
then again, I tried telling myself without much hope, it
could just be the flu.
"Your hair," Brenda rushed out, "It's longer... And
your arm hair..."
I looked down at my arm hair, surprised to see that
it was almost entirely gone. Normally, my arms were covered
with enough hair that I might be mistaken for a gorilla,
but now the hair was sparse and my arms fairly smooth.
Definitely not a good sign if I was looking for it not to
be the Bug.
With that, I hurried to the bathroom and stood in
front of the mirror, carefully looking my features over. Of
course, I knew that the Bug usually worked over a couple
days to a week, but I thought that I should see something
if that was what I had. Of course, most times the Bug only
gives smaller changes so I wouldn't notice much anyway.
Then I saw that Brenda was right. My chestnut brown
hair looked at least a shade darker, not to mention nearly
an inch longer. It was almost as if all the hair that had
disappeared from my arms had suddenly been added to the
hair on my head.
"God Damn," I cursed, not at all happy with the
thought of having the Bug.
Unfortunately, the Bug was not a rare disease. In
fact, it was one of the more common ones, almost as common
as the flu. It wasn't at all unusual for people to catch it
again about every year or so. Though until that moment, I'd
been fortunate enough never to have caught it at all.
"Are you alright?" Brenda asked, the concern evident
on her face.
"Just great," I grumbled back, staggering back to the
bedroom and reaching for my pants. I felt like shit but I
still had to get to work. Bills don't pay themselves, sick
or not. Unfortunately, my legs didn't want to cooperate and
they suddenly seemed to turn to rubber.
"You can't go to work like that," Brenda firmly
insisted, pushing me back towards the bed, "Not with the
Bug. You sleep in and I'll call to let them know that you
won't be in..." I started to argue, but she wouldn't have
any of that and I was soon back in bed.
I spent most of the day in bed, napping off and on.
While I was awake, I couldn't help worrying about the Bug,
and what I'd heard it could do. Just about everyone got it
at one time or another, but it was still scary.
There was a real good chance that it would only
change me a little bit, like my eye color or something. But
it could do more than that, making me get fat... or get
older. And though it wasn't quite as common, the Bug
sometimes changed people so completely that they looked
like completely different people.
Later that night, Jack came in to see me. It was the
first time that either of my kids had come in, at least
while I was awake and knew about it. Jack stood at the door
for a minute, looking rather worried. Of course, I
remembered that he'd had the Bug just the year before and
had been sick for nearly a week. Fortunately, all he'd
gotten from his bout with it was that he'd developed a nice
splattering of freckles on his nose and cheeks.
"You okay dad?" Jack asked me, then added, "Man you
look bad..."
"Not as bad as I feel," I chuckled weakly.
We sat together for several minutes, neither of us
really saying much. Finally, Jack left... only to be
replaced by Megan, who said even less than he had and left
within several minutes.
When I got up the next morning, I felt just as crappy
as the day before. And as I made my way to the bathroom, I
couldn't help noticing that my shorts were pretty loose on
me. I grimaced at that, not liking what it might mean. It
was obvious that I wasn't going to get off with just a few
freckles like Jack had.
"Damn Bug," I grumbled to myself, wondering just how
the hell I was being changed.
Though I had originally intended to just take a piss
and go back to bed, I stopped in front of the bathroom
mirror first. I just had to know. My eyes widened at my
reflection and all I could do was stare at it in disbelief.
Like the day before, my hair had grown longer, by
several inches, as well as had become a bit darker still.
My eyes, normally brown had turned a dark gray. There
wasn't a hint of a 5 o'clock shadow, even though I hadn't
shaved in several days.
I blinked, then muttered, "Shit!" And that was only
my face.
The rest of my body had changed as well, and not for
the better. Well, except for my waist, which was noticeably
lacking my normal spare tire. However, all of my body hair
was missing, and my arms and legs seemed thinner as well.
Without looking into the mirror again, I finished my
business and returned to bed, knowing that Brenda would
bring me breakfast a little later. And it was with a
strange sort of resignation as I pulled the blankets back
over myself, knowing that whatever was going to happen to
me was going to, regardless of what I did. A part of that
though may just have been that I was too damn sick and
tired to care at the moment.
The second day of my being out with the Bug was
pretty much like the first. I didn't do much of anything
except stay in bed, sleeping off and on while Brenda
checked up on me. I even watched a bit of TV.
Of course, the changes continued, becoming more
obvious as the day progressed. And by that night, I was
beginning to suspect what the Bug was turning me
into...even though I didn't want to admit it. However, I
couldn't deny all the clues, no matter how much I wanted
to.
I had shrunk several inches, which wasn't noticeable
while in bed, but definitely was when I stood next to
Brenda. My whole body had shrunk in other was as well,
becoming thinner and less muscular. Then of course, there
was my reflection. My hair had continued to get longer and
darker, now coming down to my shoulders, while my face had
become noticeably younger, not to mention softer...
almost... feminine.
By late the next day, I looked much younger, in my
early twenties or possibly even late teens. I not only
looked younger...but almost girlie as well. And it wasn't
just my longer hair and more feminine looking face. My
whole body was thinner, without all the muscle that I'd
built up over decades of hard work.
However, what troubled me most was the fact that my
chest had been feeling extremely tender, even swollen. Add
that to the fact that my testicles had shrunken and pulled
up into my body while my dick was about the size of a
little boy's... and this offered a bit of proof for my
suspicions from the night before.
"No way," I complained bitterly, not for the first
time.
Brenda hadn't said anything about my changes, nor had
I. She'd only looked at my sympathetically, while the kids
had been avoiding me for the most part. They obviously
didn't know how to take the fact that the Bug was doing a
heavy change on me. Of course, I didn't know how to take it
either.
"It's been six years," I complained to Brenda,
thinking about how long the Bug had been around, "You'd
think that they'd have a cure by now. Or some kinda
vaccine..." However, I knew that neither of those existed.
Or at least if they did, it sure as hell wasn't public
knowledge.
"You're..." Brenda gulped as she looked me over, her
expression pretty uncomfortable, "When are you going to
stop changing..."
I just wished I knew. However, I was pretty sure that
the Bug wasn't through with me yet. From the changes I'd
already gotten, I had a good idea of what direction they
were taking... like it or not, and I had a feeling that
they weren't going to stop until they had finished.
The next morning, I awoke to find that my fears had
been confirmed even more... as if they hadn't been enough
already. And as strange as it was, I wasn't surprised.
Unhappy, but not surprised. I had been half expecting
something like that since the day before.
During the night, my chest had become swollen... much
more so than the slight swelling that I'd noticed
previously. In fact, my chest now pushed out into two very
noticeable bumps. And with a single glance, there was no
doubt that they were tits. Boobs... or breasts as Brenda
called them.
"Damn," I grimaced as I nervously poked at my chest.
They felt so... strange. I scowled much deeper,
knowing that I should have been yelling and screaming about
this humiliation, but it wasn't like it was a big surprise
or anything. That and the fact that I still felt too tired
for something like that. So instead, I hurried to the
bathroom to relieve myself.
"God damn Bug," I muttered to myself, repeating the
mantra that I'd used countless times over the last few
days.
When I looked in the bathroom mirror, I let out a
gasp. My reflection had changed yet again since the last
time that I'd seen it. It had become even softer... more
feminine. I looked much more like a girl than a guy now,
especially with my new tits.
Letting out a deep sigh, I spat, "Damn," though
without as much force as I had used previously. That was
due mostly to the fact that I'd been watching it slowly
happen... and had plenty of time to get used to the idea.
Not that it made me like it any better.
As it was though, the changes were coming to their
end. At least I was pretty sure that they were. My body was
mostly female now, with only the tiniest trace of my
manhood down below. I looked like maybe an 18 or 19 year
old girl, twenty years younger than I actually was. No,
there couldn't be much left for the Bug to change. Not much
at all.
"Damn," I repeated, this time more tiredly than
anything else.
With that, I turned and went to the kitchen for a
quick bite to eat. I was still feeling like shit, but I had
enough energy to move around the house a bit. Then again, I
expected that I'd be back in bed in about an hour and
collapsed from exhaustion. The Bug was like that.
"Um... hi dad," Jack greeted me uncomfortably. Jack
stared at me for a moment, then quickly turned his head,
being overly obvious about the fact that he was trying not
to stare at me.
"Morning," I muttered back, my voice sounding like a
girl's... even to my own ears.
Breakfast was quiet and uncomfortable on both of our
parts. I cringed in shame, feeling humiliated at what I was
becoming... at what I already was. How could I let my son
see me changing into a girl? However, it wasn't like I had
much choice.
Once I finished eating, I muttered a quick good-bye
to Jack, then started back to my bedroom, to the one place
that had almost become a haven of security for me. At least
there, I didn't have to face my kids... didn't have to let
them see me...
Then I nearly ran into Brenda, who stood and stared
at me in silence. "Oh my God," she whispered, quickly
averting her eyes. I just winced, feeling another surge of
shame run through me.
"It'll be over soon," I told her, though I'm sure
that it wasn't necessary.
Brenda just nodded weakly. She'd been through the Bug
herself several years earlier. However, she'd just gotten
away with it turning her auburn hair into a strawberry
blonde. Of course, one trip to the hair salon and she was
pretty much back to normal.
But me... It wasn't going to be that easy. Of that I
had no doubt. This wasn't like a few freckles, or a change
in hair color which could easily be changed back. What the
Bug did to me... and was still doing, was much more
serious.
After a minute, I went past Brenda and returned to
the bedroom. I told myself that it was because my legs were
shaky...that they were beginning to feel like Jello again.
But I couldn't really lie to myself. I was hiding... hiding
from my own family. Hiding from the shame of having to face
them.
---
I awoke with a faint grunt, grimacing at the sunlight
in my eyes. I turned to avoid it, but the damage had
already been done. I'd come out of my nice restful sleep
and couldn't quite get back to it, though I did try for
another half hour.
When I finally sat up, it was with a realization. A
realization that the aches and pains were all gone. I took
a deep breath, not feeling any of the illness and
discomfort that came along with the pain. In fact, the only
real discomfort that I felt was with my own body, which
just didn't feel quite right.
"It's over," I stated aloud, my feminine voice
reminding me what it was that all those days under the
suffering of the Bug had done to me. Not that I truly
needed any further reminders.
Though I was briefly tempted to just climb back under
the covers and try pretending that everything was normal, I
knew that it wasn't. I was gonna have to face this sooner
or later and decided that I might as well get it out of the
way.
I grunted unnecessarily as I climbed out of bed,
delighted at the complete lack of aches and pains. Even the
normal aches and pains that I'd felt before the Bug.
Strangely enough, I felt... great. I felt more healthy and
energetic than I'd felt in years. No... more than just
years.
"At least there's one good thing," I told myself as I
stood up and stretched, feeling strangely limber too.
Of course, a quick look down at myself showed that I
hadn't changed too drastically from the day before. I had
just continued changing in that direction just a little bit
more. Filling out the details so to speak.
Then I looked between my legs and winced, though it
was exactly the sight that I had expected. Little Jim was
gone. I'd lost my dick... my pride and joy. And in its
place was a girl's glory. That was not at all unexpected
though. In fact, I had said 'good-bye' to the tiny little
nub of nothing which had been all that remained of my dick
the night before. When I'd gone to bed early, I knew that
it would be the last time I'd see it. I hated being right.
After nearly a minute, I turned my attention to the
rest of my body, running my smooth feminine fingers over my
perfectly smooth skin. My skin now seemed a little
darker... having a faint tan over it all. Of course, that
had slowly appeared over the last several days as well, so
was not quite new.
My hands slowly went to my tits, which seemed just a
little larger than they had been the night before. They
were a little rounder... and the nipples were just a bit
wider. They were definitely tits... and as strange as it
seemed, they were mine.
I looked over my body for several more minutes,
taking in all the changes that had happened during those
miserable days, seeing how they had finally all come
together. I had a feeling that I would be seeing those
changes for some time to come. Then finally, I went to the
bathroom mirror to see them from that perspective.
"Damn," I muttered as I stared at my reflection.
My reflection wasn't much different from the day
before. The final changes over the night had been subtler
ones, finishing up what was already close to being done. So
the fact that stared back at me was not unexpected, though
it did have a different impact. This time, it dawned on me
that this very face would be staring back at me from the
mirror every morning from then on.
"Double damn."
The face that stared back from the mirror was that of
a teenage girl, about 16 or so. Around the same age as
Megan. She had tanned skin, long black hair and large dark
eyes. And she was also very pretty.
"The same age as my daughter," I winced as I said it.
I'd always thought that it would be great to be a little
younger again, but this was too much.
I could hardly believe that this was me... that I
looked like I could be one of my daughter's classmates.
There was a knot in the pit of my stomach as I thought
about it. Somehow, I had a hard time believing that I'd
ever get used to seeing her in the mirror.
Then I let out a deep sigh, muttering, "Damn
Burke's."
The only consolation that I had was that I wasn't the
first person that this had happened to. I sure as hell
wasn't the first person to be drastically changed by the
Bug, nor would I be the last. Extreme changes like this
weren't exactly real common, but they weren't really too
uncommon either.
"I can't believe I had a sex change," I growled out,
thinking that I'd probably be able to get used to being
younger, but being a girl... Never.
Then again, I silently reminded myself, there were
lots of other people who'd gone through the Bug and gotten
used to it. There were even all sorts of shrinks and
support groups that specialized in helping people with
extreme changes to adapt. In fact, Brenda had even hinted
vaguely about something of the sort the day before.
I stared at myself for a little longer, wondering
what my family would think about what the Bug had done to
me...and fearing it. I didn't want them to see me like
that... To see me weak. To se me as a girl. I was filled
with shame at the very thought.
"No," I growled to myself, "You might not look like a
man anymore, but you can damn well act like one."
With that, I took a deep breath, becoming determined
to face my family, no matter how much I might not want to.
I silently put on Brenda's robe, finding that it was a
decent fit, when normally it would have been far too small.
Then after waiting yet another minute, I left the sanctuary
of my bedroom.
Megan sat in the living room, talking to one of her
friends on the phone. I groaned slightly, though wasn't
surprised. She was killing me on the phone bill. She looked
up at me and paled slightly.
"I've got to go," Megan quickly told whichever friend
was on the other end, "Talk to you later." Then she turned
to me, staring for a long minute before gasping, "Wow
dad... you look..."
"Strange?" I asked with a frown. When Megan nodded, I
sighed, "But not as strange as I feel..."
"You're like... really a girl?" Megan asked
hesitantly. I hadn't seen her too much while I'd been sick
with the Bug.
I rolled my eyes, then looked down at where my chest
pushed out, "Yep... it sure seems so."
"Oh," she responded, staring at me. "You look like
you're the same age as me..."
All I could do was grunt at that, "I know."
After a few more minutes, I went and got myself some
breakfast. Megan followed after me, apparently unable to
get over my changes. She stared and chattered away, while I
started to tune some of her more inane comments out.
"Where's your mother?" I asked Megan after awhile.
With a shrug, Megan told me, "She went to work..."
I just nodded at that. Brenda had taken several days
off in order to take care of me while I was out with the
Bug, but I guessed she couldn't afford to take any more.
Not that I blamed her at all, though I did feel a little
disappointed that she wasn't there now.
A short while later, Jack came out of his bedroom and
stared at me silently for a minute before grabbing
something to eat. He'd apparently seen enough of what I was
going to look like the day before that he didn't feel the
urge to stare quite as much as Megan, and he was trying to
pretend that everything was normal. However, he wasn't
pretending all that well and I kept catching him staring
when he didn't think I was looking.
Before long, I decided that there were some things
that I was going to have to do. I quickly located the tape
measure and measured myself up against the wall, finding
that I was now 5 foot 6. I had lost 7 inches in height, as
well as a whole lot of mass. Of course that wasn't
surprising, but it was still somewhat shocking at the same
time. I was now 2 inches shorter than my own wife.
While I was doing all that, Megan watched me
curiously, while Jack excused himself to rush back to his
room. I was making him uncomfortable, even if he wouldn't
admit it. And to be honest, I was uncomfortable being
around him as well. How could I be a good male role model
when the Bug had done that to me?
Once Jack was gone, Megan gave me another careful
look, then surprised me by suddenly reaching for my rope
and pulling it open... at least enough to reveal my new
tits.
"What are you doing?" I snapped as I pulled the robe
closed again, blushing horribly in embarrassment.
"You look like maybe a C cup," Megan told me, "Or
maybe just a large B..." I blinked at that and she
continued, almost with a pout, "You're bigger than me..."
"Just great," I groaned, feeling even more
embarrassed about my situation because of that. The last
thing that a father wants to hear is that he has bigger
breasts than his own daughter. That just isn't right. "Do
you mind?" I complained.
After this, I went back to my bedroom, telling myself
that I'd already faced my family... or at least Megan and
Jack. Because of that, I couldn't be running away. Yet
somehow, a part of me felt as though I was.
---
I sat on the edge of my bed for a long time, staring
down at myself in silence. My body... it looked so
different... felt so different. Everything about my body
was almost alien, and for the first time, I was feeling
well enough to really notice that.
As horrified as I had been by the realization that I
had turned into a teenage girl before, the true immensity
of what had happened was only just beginning to sink in. I
was a girl... and would probably be one for the rest of my
life. The Bug might wear off after a few days... but its
effects wouldn't. I'd be stuck with them unless some day
the Bug changed me again.
"I wouldn't count on it," I muttered bitterly,
knowing that the odds of getting another drastic change...
and then one back into a guy were pretty slim. And even if
by some miracle it did happen, it probably wouldn't happen
for years and years. I was realistic enough to know that I
shouldn't hold my breath.
All I could do was think about what I'd lost. I'd
lost my size, my strength... my manhood. How could I face
my kids like I was? My wife? How could they respect me? I
didn't know.
But after several more minutes, I took a deep breath
and firmly told myself, "Take it like a man." I might be
stuck looking like a girl, but that didn't mean that I was
going to whine and cry like one. "Just take one thing at a
time..."
With my reaffirmed decision to be practical, I knew
that the first thing I needed to take care of was a shower.
I'd been in bed for days and had kind of forgotten that
sort of thing. So new body or not, I definitely needed one.
A minute later, I stood naked in the bathroom,
forcing myself to keep from looking in the mirror. It
wasn't easy. Not when all I really wanted to do was stare
at the strange reflection, though somehow I managed to keep
from doing that.
I was equally determined to keep my mind on business
while I washed up, but I didn't succeed quite as well in
that department. My whole body felt strange, with all sorts
of new curves and crevices that I'd never possessed before.
And as I washed my smooth skin, I couldn't help pausing,
going over certain parts a bit slower than others.
Shampooing my hair proved a bit different from normal
as well, though I'd never thought of it until that moment.
Instead of the small dab of shampoo that I usually used, I
required a full handful just to get all my hair.
And once I was done with my hair, I found myself
going back over my delicate smooth skin again. It felt so
soft... so sensitive. Like everything else about my new
body, I could barely believe that it was mine.
As I climbed out of the tub and started to dry myself
off, I became lost in how sensitive my new skin was. And my
nipples... They were as hard as rocks, feeling sort of like
a couple of tiny pricks that just happened to be located in
the wrong spot.
Then I caught sight of myself in the mirror again.
Damn, I was a hot little thing. Hell, I was really
beginning to turn myself on. But then I suddenly froze,
filled with a surge of mixed emotions.
"My God," I gasped in sudden shame, "She's just a
teenager..."
For moment, I felt dirty... like I was some kind of
pedophile or something. I mean, the girl I was getting
horny for was the same age as my own daughter.
With a grimace, I snapped, "Get a hold of yourself.
THAT'S YOU!"
And besides, I added in silent rationalization, she
was the legal age of consent. Of course, that didn't mean
I'd be willing to accept that excuse if I caught some guy
with Megan... But hey, that was different.
Once I'd calmed down a bit more and got away from the
mirror, I realized that I had yet another problem that I
would have to deal with. Clothes. My own were now too large
for me, leaving me with very few other choices at the
moment. Then, to my simultaneous relief and humiliation,
Megan came up with the solution of offering to let me wear
some of hers for awhile.
I stood in Megan's bedroom, wearing Brenda's robe
once again and scowling as my daughter dug through her
closets, pulling out one item after another. I'd already
vetoed a few things as being WAY too revealing... or just
embarrassing. Some of them were bad enough seeing on my own
daughter, but I sure as hell wasn't going to put them on
myself.
"Dad," Megan let out an exasperated sigh as she
rolled her eyes, "You've got to wear something..."
"I think I know that," I snorted, then pointed out,
"And that's why I want to wear something. And that..." I
pointed at a particularly revealing item, "Looks more like
nothing. Hell, I've got more fabric in my handkerchief..."
It wasn't technically true, but it was the way I felt.
Eventually Megan found some clothes that I agreed to
wear, albeit somewhat reluctantly. However, it wasn't like
I had a whole lot of choice in clothes... and I suspected
that I would have been reluctant to wear anything even the
least bit feminine.
"You'll look great in this," Megan told me, which was
what I half feared.
The clothes that Megan provided consisted of a pair
of slacks, which I thought were much preferable to those
tight pants that seemed real popular with girls her age,
and a sweater which did a bit to hide my new curves. Megan
had told me that I'd regret it since it was summer, but I
figured that being a bit warm was better than being
embarrassed.
Thankfully, Megan's bras were too small to fit me and
Brenda's wouldn't fit either. That meant that I had a great
excuse not to even have to try one on, though Megan kept
making noises about how I'd need to get some.
"That reminds me," I told Megan once I was fully
dressed and we were walking through the living room, "I
suppose I'm going to have to go shopping today for some
clothes of my own to wear."
Just then, Jack started laughing, "You've only just
turned into a girl and you're already talking about going
shopping..."
"Ha ha," Megan responded sarcastically.
Jack just grinned more, "I KNEW it had to be
genetic..."
I just glared at my son, "Watch it boy..." I was not
all that thrilled about having to go waste my day looking
for clothes, though honestly, I could see Jack's point. I'd
probably be laughing too if it hadn't been happening to me.
Jack was still watching me with an odd expression
that seemed half amusement and half discomfort, though he
was quiet for the moment. Not that it lasted long though as
he and Megan were soon in the middle of an argument.
Since the clothing situation had been taken care of
for the moment and the kids were busy, I decided that it
was time to think about other practicalities. I frowned
deeply as I went for the phone, definitely not wanting to
make that call but knowing that I needed to.
I called my doctor and arranged to get an appointment
for a physical. Fortunately, there had been a cancellation
so that I was actually able to get in later that afternoon.
That was mixed news since I wasn't sure I wanted to face
the physical just then, but at least I wouldn't have to
have it hanging over my head for long.
When it was time to go about an hour later, Jack
disappeared into his room while Megan decided to come
along. I wasn't really comfortable with having her around
for the physical, though I'd probably need her help when I
went shopping afterwards. I didn't know the first thing
about women's clothes.
Before we could actually go anywhere though, I spent
several minutes in my truck, adjusting the seat and all the
mirrors. I cursed at this reminder of my new smaller size,
then glared at Megan who was doing all she could just to
keep from breaking up laughing.
"You try getting shorter," I grumbled.
Once we arrived at the doctor's office, Megan got
comfortable in waiting room with a magazine that had
probably been printed before the Bug appeared. She had
hinted that she wanted to come along in with me, though I
firmly put my foot down at that. I was dreading this enough
as it was and didn't want the added embarrassment of my
daughter watching.
The physical went a little quicker than I expected,
though at the time it seemed to take forever. I grimaced as
the doctor poked and prodded me, even taking a blood
sample. However, that was all nothing compared to what came
next. That almost made me feel like I'd been kidnapped by
aliens and taken aboard a UFO. The exam was very cold and
extremely uncomfortable. And all I could say was that
afterwards, I had a hell of a lot more sympathy for
Brenda's gynecology visits.
After the doctor had finished, he sat there staring
at me for a moment, as if trying to decide exactly what to
say. Finally, he just came out and told me, "The results
from the blood test won't be back for awhile, but you
appear to be a perfectly healthy teenage girl."
"A real girl?" I asked quietly, then cursed myself
for the stupid question.
The doctor nodded, looking serious. "I'm afraid so.
I've checked everything other than your chromosomes and can
tell you that your physical body is now completely female."
He paused for a moment before adding, "With all that
entails."
I blinked at that, feeling a sinking sensation in my
stomach. I definitely didn't like the sound of that.
"Everything?" I suddenly thought of what Jack had said
earlier and wondered if maybe I'd start feeling some sort
of compulsion to go shopping or something.
"Well," at this point he became a little
uncomfortable, "I can't say for certain, but most... women
in your situation... that is former men who just recovered
from the Burke's Biomorphic Virus start their periods a
month after their transformation, though there are cases
where they start immediately."
"Oh shit," I gasped, not having really considered
that aspect of my transformation.
"If you don't start your period within the next two
days," he told me, "You will probably be safe for about a
month."
Then while I was just sitting there in stunned
silence, the doctor continued, going on about how I could
now get pregnant and would have to learn feminine hygiene
stuff. He even handed me a pamphlet, which I didn't really
bother looking at just yet.
"A period," I muttered, "I can't get a damn
period..."
The doctor gave me a somewhat sympathetic look, then
handed me a card. "This is the number for a good counselor,
in case you have a hard time adjusting or just want someone
to talk to..."
I nodded at that as I accepted the card. A shrink. I
wasn't too surprised. Ever since the Bug had shown up, the
shrinks had been getting a lot of business from people
who'd gone through drastic changes like I had... and I
guess from their friends and family. Not that I had any
intention of going to see a shrink myself.
"How'd it go?" Megan asked me as soon as I stepped
back into the waiting room.
"It went," I grumbled, not wanting to talk about it.
It had been humiliating.
A minute later, we were back in my truck and heading
to a place that I'd always avoided as if my life depended
on it. As hard as it was to believe, I was willingly going
clothes shopping.
It was bad enough even walking into the women's
clothing section of the store, but I nearly passed out of
embarrassment when Megan lead me straight to the
unmentionables department. I was surrounded by panties and
bras, with a weight in the pit of my stomach as I realized
that I was going to have to wear this kind of stuff.
"Don't look so gloomy dad," Megan told me with a roll
of her eyes, "They're just clothes. Now we just need to get
your measurements..."
The saleswoman came over and helped take my
measurements, much to my further embarrassment. She didn't
seem all that surprised by my situation when Megan
explained, apparently getting a number of customers who'd
undergone changes of one sort or another due to the Bug and
needed to be measured for size.
Once we had the measurements done, I had thought that
all I needed to do next was just grab some clothes off the
shelf and run. However, Megan had other ideas... and I
ended up spending a lot longer going through clothes than I
would have imagined. Finally, I had to put my foot down and
say I was done, or Megan might have kept me there all day
long.
"I bet you thought this was just like playing with
your Barbies," I spat out as we left the store with several
bags in each of our hands, all of them for me.
"I don't play with dolls," Megan snorted as if
offended.
I just nodded my head at that, not wanting to push it
any further. However, it had been my experience that every
girl... well, every real girl, likes playing with dolls.
Whether they're 5 years old or 35, women like playing
dressup... especially with other people.
After we had stopped off for a few more things that I
was going to need for my altered body, some of them
hopefully not for a month, Megan and I finally went home. I
was just relieved that the day was over and I could finally
relax.
But even as we got home and stepped out of the truck,
Megan complained, "You should have at least tried the
skirt... or the high heels..." I just grimaced, thankful
that I'd put my foot down and insisted on somewhat more
practical clothes... jeans and T-shirts. And not the really
tight ones either.
With a shrug, I started for the door, the paused as I
noticed my next door neighbor Barney standing in his yard
and staring at me. He was a big guy, about 6 foot 4 and
nearly as hairy as a bear. There was a strange look on his
face as he watched me. A look of envy.
Barney was one of those people who felt like they
were born the wrong sex and that he should have been born a
woman instead. When the Bug had first appeared, it must
have seemed like a godsend to him. A chance to finally get
turned into the woman that he always wanted to be. But
ironically, when Barney did get a big infection of the Bug,
instead of becoming a woman... he got even bigger and more
masculine than before. But I guess that's Murphy's law for
you.
As I waved at Barney, he blushed and quickly looked
away. It was obvious that someone, probably Brenda or the
kids, had told him about me and the Bug. And I could just
imagine just how hard it had to be for him, seeing me get
exactly what he'd been longing for. As far as I was
concerned, I'd gladly trade Bug changes with him in a
moment... if that were possible.
It was just a short while later that Brenda got home
from work. She stared at me for a minute after she came in
the door, paling slightly and then rushing into the kitchen
to make dinner without saying a word. I frowned, feeling
somewhat hurt, though I didn't push the issue. I guessed
that I wasn't the only one who had to get used to this
whole situation.
Dinner passed without much comment from Brenda,
except for a few polite but distant words. It was an
uncomfortable meal, though oddly enough, Megan seemed even
more eager to talk with me than normal. I guessed the fact
that I looked more like a girl she'd go to school with than
her dad made it easier to talk with me.
Brenda continued to act distant towards me for the
rest of the night, with Jack alternating between staring at
me and avoiding me. I guess I was pretty embarrassing to
have as a dad at the moment. I sure as hell wasn't the
figure of manhood that I had been before.
When it was finally time for the kids to get going to
bed, I decided that I might as well go to bed as well. I
had only just recovered from the Bug and it had been a
rather busy day for me. However, as I started for my bed,
Brenda protested.
"I don't think that's such a good idea," Brenda
firmly told me, giving me a strange look. "I'm not
comfortable with sleeping in the same bed with another
woman."
"But I'm not a woman," I protested, standing my full
height and trying to push my chest out. Unfortunately, that
didn't quite have the effect I was used to. "I'm Jim."
Brenda rolled her eyes slightly, "Just the same, I'd
prefer it if you slept in the spare bedroom... Just for
now..."
I glared at Brenda, but it was obvious that she'd
made up her mind, and I well knew after nearly two decades
of marriage that arguing with her now would be next to
pointless. I'd get a more reasonable response from a damn
brick wall. So with a deep sigh, I went to our guest
bedroom instead.
Even though it wasn't the first time, I felt
extremely strange as I undressed and stood there naked. I
frowned, staring down at my body, feeling a bit turned on
at the sight but ashamed as well. It was a strange mix of
feelings that shot through me, making me briefly wonder,
though only for a moment, if I should talk to a shrink.
"Damn," I sighed, slowly looking over my body again,
running my hands over my soft skin and muttering, "It's all
yours now Jimmy boy. Might as well get used to it."
After another minute, I turned off the light and
climbed into bed, though my hands continued to slowly roam
over my skin, almost as though they had minds of their own.
To my surprise, my body was beginning to respond... My new
equipment was getting wet and my nipples were poking out.
It was with some reluctance that I stopped, feeling a bit
too uncomfortable to continue at the moment. And as
difficult as it was, I let myself slowly drift to sleep.
---
The next morning, I felt surprisingly awake and
refreshed, which I supposed shouldn't have been a surprise
since my body was now that of a healthy teenager. Even as I
climbed out of bed, I almost immediately had more energy
than I normally did after my second cup of coffee.
"At least there's something good about this whole
thing," I told myself with a wry grin.
Though I still wasn't all that comfortable with the
fact that I now possessed the body of a teenage girl, I
knew that I couldn't just hide. I had things that I had to
do, whether I was embarrassed about what I looked like or
not. My vacation was over and it was time to go back to
work.
After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, I
hurried off to the work site. I frowned as I started
walking towards my buddies, feeling extremely nervous and
self-conscious. As it was, I could feel their eyes on me...
taking my measure, not as a man but as a woman. It was NOT
a feeling that I liked.
"Whatcha want?" My boss Darek asked me, obviously
wondering what a teenage girl was doing on a construction
site.
"It's me," I growled, "Jim..."
I was about to explain that it had been the Bug that
had done that to me, but Darek gasped, "Your wife called
and said you'd had the Bug..."
"Unfortunately," I muttered bitterly.
Darek just stared at me for a minute, an uncertain
expression on his face. Some of the other's were watching
as well, while a couple of them were just staring at me. It
took all I had to ignore them.
Finally, Darek snorted, calling out loudly, "You're
not being paid to stand around gawking. Now get your asses
to work..."
With that, I turned and started to get to work.
Unfortunately, I quickly discovered that I was nowhere near
as strong as I had been and could barely even budge some of
the items that I used to carry around the work site. It was
frustrating to no end, especially when some of the other
guys saw me and started laughing.
And it wasn't just lifting things. I found that there
were a lot of parts of my job which I had taken for
granted, but which I just couldn't seem to do with my new
smaller body. I couldn't work the jack hammer for one, nor
could I really handle some of the other heavier tools.
Throughout the day, I was embarrassed time after time
as I was unable do my normal job, and humiliated when some
of my buddies... or at least guys I'd thought were my
buddies, started making snide comments. One of them even
pinched my ass, and I probably would have kicked his if he
wasn't now three times my size.
Then, there was Janet. She was a fairly large woman,
and I'd given her a hard time when she joined our crew a
couple years earlier, at least until she proved that she
could handle the job. Now, she was one of the worst to me,
apparently seeing this as some sort of chance for payback.
By the time my shift was only half over, I was
already feeling about as tired as I normally did after a
full day's work. My new body lacked not only my old
strength, but my old endurance too. However, it was not the
being tired that bothered me most, it was all the built up
frustration that had developed... not to mention
embarrassment.
"I can't believe they're treating me like that," I
growled to myself, thinking how one guy I'd gotten drunk
with more than a few times had whistled at me. And Jerrod
had even had the nerve to try asking me out on a date. It
took every once of willpower that I had to just give him
the finger and walk away rather than punching. Fortunately,
I'd never been one to get into fights I knew that I had no
chance of winning.
Finally, Darek pulled me off to the side. "I'm sorry
Jim," he started out, a grim expression on his face. He
went on for a couple minutes about how sorry he was that he
had to do it, but it all boiled down to the fact that I was
a distraction on the work site now, and I was getting
underfoot more than actually getting anything done. "I
can't have you on the site anymore... I'm sorry..."
For a moment, I stared at Darek, burning with anger.
He was my friend... so how could he do that to me? How
could he fire me? Of course, there were laws that protected
people who got changed from the Bug from being fired
because of it... unless they could no longer do the job.
And unfortunately, I was forced to admit that I couldn't.
As much as I hated it... I couldn't really blame Darek.
"I understand," I finally told him in a quiet voice
before leaving.
Once I was sitting in my truck, I cursed and punched
at the steering wheel for nearly a minute, feeling tears
beginning to come to my eyes. I grimaced, telling myself
that they weren't tears... but I didn't believe it. My body
was betraying me the same way everything else was since the
Bug changed me.
"Fucking Bug," I growled out bitterly, wondering how
many other people's lives that horrible virus had ruined.
Then I took off, driving home as quickly as I could.
I was burning with rage, frustration and embarrassment, but
struggling to keep it all in check. And just as I was
beginning to calm down, that prick Murphy struck again.
There were cop lights flashing behind me.
When I'd pulled over, the cop came up to my window
and told me that I was speeding. I grimaced at that,
showing him my license and registration. However, his eyes
widened at the sight of my license, reminding me at that
moment that I no longer exactly matched my picture.
"I just got over the Bug," I explained to the
somewhat skeptical cop.
He stared at me carefully, then at my license, asking
me several questions like my birthday, height and address.
Finally, he nodded slightly, "All right, I'll let you go
with a warning this time." Then he frowned, "But you're
going to have to get this updated and SOON. You can't be
driving with an out of date license..."
"I was just on my way to take care of that," I lied
to him, not having thought that until he'd mentioned it.
A minute later, I was on my way again, but this time
I was heading for the DMV. I figured that the cop was right
and I really should take care of that as soon as possible.
Without a license that matched, I was effectively without
legal ID... which could cause some problems.
But unfortunately, once I got to the DMV, I found
that they couldn't just update my license like that. Not
without my birth certificate, social security and some
witness who could swear that I was who I claimed to be.
Apparently, teens trying to get adult licenses by claiming
to be adults who'd been changed by the Bug was getting
fairly common.
I cursed all the way home, wondering what else could
possibly go wrong. But at the same time, I dreaded having
to find out. That bastard Murphy and his fucked up law
really seemed out to get me.
After I got home, I went to my bedroom and locked
myself inside, lying down to take a nice long nap. I wasn't
tired and didn't go to sleep, but just sitting there by
myself let me slowly calm down.
"Life sucks," I firmly told myself, not for the first
time, "Deal with it and move on."
Taking a deep breath, I left the safety of my
bedroom, standing outside the door with my hands on my
hips... silently daring the world to throw the worst at me.
I could handle it. No crying and whimpering about it for
me, I silently resolved. I was going to take it like a man.
When I looked around the house, Brenda was gone...
still at work herself, while Megan had disappeared as well.
Probably out with her friends, though I didn't know for
sure. However, Jack was in the driveway, practicing throws
at the basketball hoop.
I watched Jack for a couple minutes, then decided to
go join him. He gave me a weak smile, staring at my chest
for a moment before he suddenly turned away in
embarrassment. Hell, I was embarrassed too but determined
not to let the boy see.
"So... um... how was your day?" Jack asked.
"Shitty," I responded with a shrug.
With that, I snatched the ball out of Jack's hand,
grinning as I stepped back and tossed it towards the hoop.
It seemed a little further away than normal, but my aim was
still good enough that I was able to get the ball through
the hoop.
"Good shot," Jack grinned, grabbing the ball and
asking, "How bout a game of horse..."
Within minutes, we were lost in playing ball, with my
problems drifting to the back of my mind. Jack seemed
hesitant at first, but quickly got over that once he saw
that I was beginning to outscore him. And before long, he
was almost acting as though I was just the same as
always... much to my relief.
"Great game dad," Jack told me after we had finished.
I just smiled, feeling rather pleased with myself, "I
guess your old man still has it..."
Jack just stared at me, then burst out laughing,
"Yeah... old man... right."
With an even bigger smile, I gave Jack a hug... at
least until he pulled back in embarrassment a few seconds
later. It was great to know that even with everything that
was going on, I still had my kids.
---
It was the day after I'd gotten laid off and I was
sitting around the house, feeling simultaneously bored and
antsy at the same time. I no longer had a job to go to, nor
did I have the excuse of being sick. All in all, it was
pretty depressing.
Then, Megan decided to do something about that by
coming up behind me, "Hey dad... you need a haircut... and
a style." She looked at me critically, while I rolled my
eyes, "Maybe a manicure and a makeover..."
"My hair's fine," I grumbled, feeling embarrassed by
that kind of attention.
However, Megan wasn't going to let it go. "No way. It
looks like a mess... I mean, it just grew out and you
haven't done anything with it..."
Megan kept at it for over ten minutes, pushing and
pushing until I finally agreed to go get my hair cut...
just to get some peace and quiet if nothing else. She was a
bit like her mother that way.
As left the house though, I reluctantly handed Megan
the keys, "You drive..."
Of course, I could have done the driving, even with
my license out of date... but I didn't want to take the
chance in case I got pulled over again. I'd mentioned
wanting to go take care of that the night before after
Brenda had gotten home from work, but she'd told me that
she was too tired. So, I was going to have to wait a little
to get my license updated.
By the time we got to the salon, I thought that Megan
was going to jump out of her skin with excitement. I never
understood this thing that all females... or at least all
true females seemed to have with playing dress up... be it
with dolls, pets, kids or other people.
"No makeover," I growled out as Megan started to get
carried away, "And I don't want anything fancy or
feminine... In fact," I growled, "Just cut it all short..."
"No way," Megan gasped almost in horror, as did the
woman who was awaiting instructions, "You've got gorgeous
hair..."
At first, I insisted on getting it cut short, but
once again, Megan started going on. She told me how great a
shame it would be to cut it off... and lots of other
things, though she did score a point when she said it would
be sort of like giving up. I wasn't no quitter. And in the
end, I agreed to at least try the long hair for a little
longer to see if I'd get used to it.
"Long hair it is," the barber... or whatever she was
finally sighed, obviously relieved that we'd stopped
arguing about it.
While she got to work on my hair, I just remained
where I was, feeling a bit impatient. It seemed like she
was doing a whole lot, just to give me a bit of a trim.
However, I was determined to remain patient... no matter
how hard it was.
Of course, while I was there, someone else grabbed at
my hands and started working on my nails. I gave Megan a
glare, but she grinned back at me, obviously having made
some arrangements beyond what I'd wanted. But again,
reminded myself to just grin and bear it.
Once it had all been finished up, I was startled to
see just how different my hair looked, even though it was
still about the same length. I suddenly looked even more
like a girl who could have been in Megan's class, though
fortunately, they'd avoided going too far with the hair
styling. As it was, it was still a bit more than I was
comfortable with. However, as far as I was concerned, the
manicured nails were definitely going too far, though I
wasn't going to give my daughter the satisfaction of making
a big deal of it.
But once I saw the bill, my intentions to play calm
went out the window. "WHAT the HELL?" I gasped in shock,
"That much for a damn hair cut..."
"DAD!" Megan gasped, grabbing my arm, "You're
embarrassing me..."
I grumbled about it, unable to understand how a
simple hair cut could cost such a ridiculous amount. It
made no sense. But of course, I did pay it... even if Megan
was embarrassed by my complaining.
"Money doesn't grow on trees," I pointed out after
we'd left, "And It's not like I've got another job yet..."
Megan rolled her eyes, "Jeez dad, it's just a salon
visit..." Then she paused, looking at me and suddenly
adding, "You know... it's kinda funny calling you dad when
you look like... like that." She blushed.
"I guess," I sighed, having noticed the odd looks we
got from people who'd overheard her calling me that.
Then she abruptly asked, "Have you thought about an
altername yet?"
I frowned at that, not wanting to admit that I
actually had. An altername was sort of a legalized
nickname, used by people who'd been pretty drastically
altered by the Bug. Specifically, by people who'd changed
sexes and weren't exactly comfortable going by their old
names. I'd already realized that it might be a bit silly
for people to be calling me Jim, looking like I currently
did.
"Maybe Jane," I sighed. It was short, simple... and
most importantly, not too frilly or feminine. If I had to
go by a girl's name... which wasn't technically required,
though would make things easier, I figured that this one
would do.
After a long minute with Megan looking somewhat
uncomfortable, she hesitantly asked, "Do... do you mind if
I call you that?" Then she rushed out, "I mean it's weird
calling you dad like that..."
I stared at Megan, feeling a bit hurt at that
request. It was as though she were trying to separate
herself from me, as if she was embarrassed by what I was
and didn't have to admit that I was really her dad.
However, it did make a bit of sense, and when I looked into
her eyes, I saw something there that reassured me a little
bit.
"All right," I responded slowly, hardly able to
believe that I was saying that, "You can call me Jane." But
I just had to add, "But you'd better remember that it's
still your old dad in here..."
"I won't forget dad... Jane," Megan grinned as she
suddenly threw her arms around me in a hug.
Once we broke apart and climbed into the truck, Megan
suggested that we go to the beach for awhile. The beach was
on a lake and provided a great place to cool off during the
summer, as well as for kids to hang out. I'd been there
with Brenda and the kids plenty of times, and since it was
a fairly warm day out, I nodded my agreement.
As soon as we arrived at the beach though, Megan
reached behind the seat and grabbed her gym bag, surprising
me when she pulled out a couple towels, but not nearly as
much as when she pulled out several swim suits. Girl's swim
suits.
"You just happened to have brought swim suits," I
commented wryly.
Megan looked a bit embarrassed, then urged, "C'mon...
you need to relax... Have some fun..."
I stared at the swimsuits for a moment before
absolutely refusing. I told Megan that she was more than
welcome to hand around the beach and I'd even be there with
her, but there was no way in hell that I was going to put
that skimpy thing down.
"But you'd look so hot in it," she added in one last
attempt.
"Maybe so," I reluctantly admitted she might be
right, "But I just changed into this..." I gestured down at
myself. "Maybe some day I will be comfortable enough to try
something like that on, but no way am I doing it now." I
gave her a steady look to let her know that this time I was
putting my foot down.
Megan pouted for a couple minutes, but that was all.
Once she'd changed into her bikini, she didn't seem to mind
that I was still wearing my normal clothes.
I felt embarrassed as I walked on the beach and a
number of teenage boys stared at me, or at least gave me
looks that I was not comfortable with. Still, I wasn't
about to let Megan see how uncomfortable that made me, so I
did my best to ignore them, frequently reminding myself
that I'd be doing the same thing if I saw a girl who looked
like me back when I was their age.
However, as uncomfortable as I was with the way the
guys were looking at me, I was even less comfortable with
the way they were looking at Megan. I knew that she was a
very attractive girl and that all the boys were interested
in her, but she was my daughter and it wasn't easy to see
her growing up like that.
Then, Megan gasped, "Nina... Sue..."
I blinked, just in time to see two of her friends
coming towards us. I'd seen Megan's friend's Nina and Sue
at the house a couple times, but I didn't really know them
very well.
"Hey," Megan grinned when we were all together, "This
is... Jane..."
I glanced at Megan, wondering what she was up to
introducing me as her friend rather than her father. Was
she embarrassed about me? But after taking a good look at
her, I decided that she was probably just messing with them
instead and decided to play along for the moment.
For a long time, Megan, Nina and Sue just wandered
about and chattered away, while I nodded now and then,
occasionally putting my own two bits in. I was surprised by
just how much the topic of boys came up, and several times
I nearly started laughing at their misconceptions about
guys.
All in all though, I had a bit of fun hanging around
with the girls. It was even more amusing, knowing that they
thought I was one of them, and I was pretty sure that Megan
was getting a kick out of that as well. I just wanted to
see the looks on Nina and Sue's faces when they found out
who I really was.
While I was there, I couldn't help giving a few looks
at some of the older, and even better built girls. There
wasn't much shortage of adult women around the beach
either. I was pretty thankful to realize that I was still
attracted to women and found nothing interesting about
guys.
I'd heard stories about some people whose sexual
interests had been changed by the Bug, with them going from
straight to gay or vice versa. I'd never been sure I
believed that, or if they were just using the Bug as an
excuse or a way to rationalize what was already there. All
I could say though was that I was thankful I still liked
girls. I couldn't imagine not... even if I was one now.
A little later on though, a couple teenage boys, just
a year or two older than Megan came over and started
hitting on her and the other girls. I didn't like the look
of them, and apparently they didn't like the way I was
glaring at them because they left me alone. And though I
was pretty tempted to kick their asses and tell them to
scram, I didn't want to embarrass Megan in front of her
friends.
"You wanna go out with me tonight?" one of the boys
asked Megan.
Megan frowned, not looking as interested in him as he
was in her. That was one of the reasons that I didn't get
too worried about the situation.
"I don't think my dad would let me," Megan responded,
giving me a look that seemed to simultaneously beg for help
yet announce that she could take care of it by herself.
"You don't have to tell him," the boy told her with a
smirk. "It's not like he'd know. I mean, old people are
stupid..."
That little prick was definitely NOT getting on my
good side.