A Flower's Bloom - Book 2
By Megan Campbell (AngelJedi)
---
Prologue
We were flying over a small city when Justin surprised us.
"You are all going to pay for denying me what is mine!" he screamed
and grabbed me over my seat in a headlock.
I screamed, and had the weirdest sensation that I was sinking through
the seat. I screamed harder when I realized that I was!
Justin was pulling me out of the bottom of the plane!
"Justin stop!" someone yelled from the front of the plane as I finally
had the sense of mind to fight back.
I 'pushed' against Justin as hard as I could, feeling myself break
free from my grip and go flying hard into the ceiling of the plane.
I landed with a thud on the floor, but immediately looked for Justin.
Everyone else was staring out the windows.
Looking out myself, I caught a glimpse of Justin slowly falling toward
the ground.
"It looks like he's gained control of his powers," Agent Harris said
as Jill and Nikki turned toward me.
"Are you okay?" Nikki asked.
"Yeah," I replied. "What happened?"
Agent Harris expressed all of our fears when he spoke. "I think Justin
has gone rogue."
---
Chapter 1 - Homecoming
"What do we do now?" Nikki asked when Justin was out of sight, as we
sat in our seats again. Agent Harris was already on his cell phone,
and Jill was looking at us, making sure that we were okay.
"We take you home," she said with a slightly somber tone. "A team will
be dispatched to look for Justin, but there isn't anything we can do
for the time being."
"What if he can't be found?" I asked.
"I don't know," she responded. "We've never had anything like this
happen before. I'm sure that the Agency will put every effort into
bringing him in to help him with the issues he is having, but it could
be a while until he's better."
"What kind of issues?" Nikki asked warily; they hadn't given us much
information.
"Like we mentioned in the meeting this morning, the Procedure changed
his brain chemistry slightly, and the doctors gave him some medication
to help him cope with the changes. However, it looks like the changes
may be greater than they thought. I don't really know much more than
that."
She grimaced at us before continuing.
"In the short term, you'll probably be getting a new team member to
replace him." I was surprised at the relief I felt at hearing him say
that, and I heard Nikki sigh in relief as well.
"Is there anything we can do?" Nikki asked.
"Not right now," she replied. "In your portfolio is a number that you
can use to contact me while you are at home. Rob and I will be staying
in an apartment nearby if there are any problems. If you see Justin,
contact us immediately. Don't try to confront him or stop him, because
he isn't thinking rationally right now and we don't fully know what he
is capable of doing."
Nikki and I both looked at each other nervously, but there wasn't
anything else we could do.
---
We landed shortly afterward, but the exuberance we expected to feel on
returning home was stifled by the events on the plane. I think Nikki
and I were still excited, but the events with Justin were still
weighing heavily on our minds as we disembarked from the plane and
climbed into the waiting car.
Agent Harris sat in the front seat with the driver and Jill joined us
in the back. They of course made me sit in the middle because I was
the tiny one. Grrr - I was not a happy camper at that moment.
"Just take it one day at a time," Jill said as we arrived at Nikki's
house. "Remember, we're staying here in town and our numbers are in
your portfolios. Call us if you need anything."
"I will," Nikki said while accepting a hug from Jill. She then turned
to me and gave me a hug. "Call me later and tell me how it goes,
okay?"
"Ok," I replied, hugging her back. "See you at school tomorrow."
"Bye," she waved as she got out of the car and headed for her front
door.
Once she was inside the house and the car was moving again, I looked
at Jill. "How is school going to work? I can't really tell them the
truth about why I'm a girl now."
"I know," she replied. "We've enrolled you as a new student. It's
uncommon to start a new school with only two weeks left, but it'll
work out. Your schedule will still be the same. I'll meet you at the
school tomorrow morning to make sure everything is sorted correctly."
"Ok," I said as I felt my trepidation rising. We were pulling up to my
house.
"Do you want me to wait?" Jill asked.
I thought for a few seconds. "No," I finally answered. "My family is
probably still at church. I'll call you if I need anything."
"Okay, Jaz," she said while giving me a hug. "I'll see you in the
morning then."
I got out of the car and retrieved my suitcase from the trunk. I waved
at Jill and Agent Harris as I walked up the driveway to our front
door. Sure enough, the door was locked, and after opening it with my
key I confirmed that nobody was home.
"Good," I said when I closed the front door behind me. I would have
time to get prepared to meet them.
My parents' house had two bedrooms on the main floor, plus the master
bedroom, and two bedrooms in the basement. My room was downstairs
because I was the oldest, but as I descended the stairs I began to
wonder if I should switch with my youngest brother and move back up by
my sister.
I walked down the hall in our basement and opened the door to my room.
It wasn't "home" anymore. The walls were white and had a couple of
Star Wars posters on them, but the room was otherwise undecorated.
Nevertheless, this room did not fit me anymore. It was too masculine.
There were little things that stood out, things that made me feel less
at home since my change, and I realized that I would be throwing away
the majority of the things in this room. Oddly enough, that thought
didn't really trouble me.
Dropping my suitcase on the floor, I laid down on my bed, happy to be
home. I looked at the alarm clock I kept on the stand next to the bed.
My family should be home from church any minute.
I still wasn't sure how I was going to handle this. I knew my mom and
my sister were okay with the changes I had gone through, but I didn't
know how my brothers would take it. That thought also helped spur my
decision to switch rooms with my little brother. Both rooms were the
same size, and he had wanted to move down here for a long time. If
nothing else, it would keep me further from them and I'd be sharing a
bathroom with my sister.
I heard the door to the garage open upstairs.
"Jaz?" my sister yelled through the house. I then heard her footsteps
heading away from the stairs. It was time to go up there and meet
them.
Stepping out of my room, I literally walked right into my brother
Adam. He was coming down to his room to change out of his church
clothes, but he was left with a puzzled look on his face when I
quickly muttered "Hi" and headed for the stairs.
"Jaz?" I heard my sister yell again as I was ascending.
"Who's Jaz?" my brother Ben asked from another room.
"Nobody," my sister said, entering the kitchen. Her excitement
appeared to have died down when I didn't respond to her.
I stood waiting at the top of the stairs as she entered. Turning from
where she had been talking to my brother, she gasped.
"Jaz?!" she practically screamed the question, already knowing the
answer.
"Hi, Cami," I said with a broad smile I genuinely felt.
"Jaz!" she screamed again, not a question this time. She ran the
length of the kitchen and threw her arms around me in a hug. I'd never
felt small around my sister before, but I noticed that she was a good
five inches taller than me. "You're so beautiful! And small! Welcome
Home!"
I returned her hug, happy to be home with the people I loved. My
family started to gather in the kitchen. Adam had apparently followed
me up the stairs, no doubt wondering who I was. Ben, my youngest
brother, walked into the kitchen after my sister, and I saw my mom and
dad joining us behind him.
Mom smiled at me as she came to replace Cami in a hug. Dad had an
astonished look on his face, and I reckoned my mom must have just told
him what had happened to me. My brothers stood there looking confused.
"Who are you?" Adam asked from behind me. His accusatory tone made it
seem like I shouldn't be here.
"Um," was all I could say before I was interrupted by Cami.
"This is Jasmine," she said directly to Adam. "Your new sister."
"What?" he said incredulously. He stared at me for a second before
turning back to Cami for a longer explanation.
Cami looked at me, which caused everyone to also look at me.
"Um," I started again. I had been dreading this moment, and now that
it had arrived, I still wasn't sure how to explain what had happened
to me. "I became a bit more than just a special agent last week."
"Brett?" Ben asked a second later. He didn't seem to believe the
assumption he had just voiced.
"Yeah, it's me," I said while dropping my gaze to the floor. "Except
my name is Jasmine now, like Cami said."
It was quiet for a moment or two. Nobody seemed to be able to voice
anything. Dad came over and wrapped me in another hug.
"I'm just glad you're safe," he said, generating a smile from me. I
looked into his eyes as we separated, and I knew that he still loved
me just as much now as he had before I had left over a week ago. He
returned my smile while stepping back again.
"You let them do this to you?" Adam asked. His voice was raised, and
he was turning slightly red or green depending on the angle. He looked
sick, disgusted, and angry all at once, and I felt my worst fears
about this moment returning. I looked at Ben; he seemed to be slightly
disgusted, but at least he didn't look angry.
"Yes, I did," I said while turning back to Adam. "And I'm happy I did
too."
"No guy in his right mind would ever let someone do that to them!" he
yelled.
"You're right. Maybe I'm not a guy then," I responded.
He sneered at me for a second before turning around and heading back
downstairs. "Whatever."
I could still feel his hostility as he headed for his bedroom to
change. I had feared that violence would occur during this
conversation, so I was really happy that it hadn't come to that. I
would have to watch myself around him, though.
I turned back toward Ben, who hadn't said a thing since he had found
out I used to be his brother. "Are you okay?" I asked him. I felt his
confusion, and he did feel disgusted at the thought of me being a
girl, but at least he didn't feel hostile.
"I guess," he said.
"Can I have a hug?" I asked. I didn't want to push him too far, but I
still loved him and was happy to see him again after a week away.
I guess," he repeated, but made no attempt to move. Instead, I walked
over to him and wrapped my arms around him. Even though he was the
youngest, he was already taller than Cami and I had to stand on my
tippy-toes to properly hug him.
"It's going to be alright," I said while giving him a hug. I augmented
it by sending my love toward him, trying to let him know that I was
still "family" and I still loved him. When I let go of him and stepped
back he had a smile on his face.
"Besides," I said with a sly grin. "Now you can have that basement
room you always wanted."
He lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really?"
"Really."
This time it was his turn to hug me. Stepping forward he wrapped his
arms around me and actually lifted me off my feet.
"Awesome!" he said in an excited voice. "Wow, you're so small!"
"Yeah," I said with a small giggle as he set me back down on my feet.
"I noticed."
"Let's start moving," he said immediately, heading for the stairs.
"After lunch," Mom quickly interrupted his plans, earning a groan from
him.
I just smiled. I was happy to be home.
---
Chapter 2 - Family Times
After everyone had changed out of their church clothes, we met back in
the dining room, where I had been waiting for them. Mom made grilled
cheese sandwiches while we sat around the dining table. Adam, glaring
at me as he passed, only came upstairs long enough to get his food
before departing back to his dungeon.
Everyone wanted to know how my week had been, and I filled them in on
as many details as I could. I left out most of the changes that I had
gone through, because I didn't really want to talk about changing sex
in front of my dad and my brother. The Agency had apparently come by
the house while I was gone and had my family sign confidentiality
agreements, which allowed me to even talk about my powers with them.
"Show us," Cami said after I mentioned some of what I could do.
I thought I'd start with the most visually appealing power I had, and
I sat there and watched their jaws drop as my hair went from the
beautiful blonde I loved to a raven black. "I can do the same with my
finger nails too," I said while holding up my hand. I made the nails
switch colors quickly and it was like a small light show in, well, the
palm of my hand so to speak.
"Can somebody pass the chips?" I asked casually while I brought my
hand back down. Before anybody could reach for them, however, I lifted
the bag up with my mind and smiled as they watched it float through
the air toward me.
"That is so cool!" Ben exclaimed a moment later, grinning like a mad
man.
The rest of lunch really made me realize how much I had missed my
family. I was starting to feel nervous about what would happen after I
graduated. How often would I get to see them? We had not discussed
this topic while I had been at the Alpha Complex.
"I love you guys," I found myself saying as we got up to help Mom wash
the dishes. I felt myself beaming as they returned the sentiment, and
the feelings I got from them amplified my good mood.
---
I stood in my old room; we were in the middle of moving me out and my
brother in. I was trying to decide what I wanted to keep. I left my
clothes in the closet; my brothers could fight over what they wanted
and could dispose of the rest however they felt like. My computer was
definitely going upstairs, and the bed. Definitely the bed. I wasn't
going to switch my queen for my brother's twin. Being the oldest still
had its perks!
Other than those two items, which would be identical in either a boy's
or a girl's room, I couldn't think of anything else that I wanted to
take. I'd packed up a small box of mementos I wanted to keep, but most
of them were still from another life and I doubted that I would be
putting them on display in my new room.
"Just the computer and the bed, I guess," I told my brother. "You can
decide what to do with the rest."
"That's it?" he asked, not believing that I didn't want to take more.
"Yeah," I said confidently. "Nothing else really belongs to me now.
It's from a different life."
He just shook his head and started boxing up stuff he didn't want in
the room. "Give me a sec and we can move the bed then."
"Don't worry about it," I said while reaching out with my mind again.
"I can get it."
We'd removed the sheets and pillows already. My brother's jaw dropped
open and he nearly swore when the mattress started lifting itself off
the box springs and turned on end to move out of the doorway. I
followed behind it as it moved through our basement to the stairs,
ignoring Adam's startled gaze as I passed by the couch he was watching
TV on.
"What the..." I heard him exclaim. I wasn't really in the mood for
talking to him, and left him staring behind me as the mattress turned
the corner and headed up the stairs in front of me. I repeated the
same steps with my box springs and computer, and then brought Ben's
bed down for him. Adam just stared the whole time, but didn't say
anything else.
I helped Ben box up or bag all of the things I didn't want any more to
allow us to donate them to a local thrift store. My sister came down
to help us, and we quickly got the room cleared out.
"I can't believe you don't want anything anymore," she said. I doubted
she would even be helping us if she didn't want to spend time with me.
"I know, but like I told Ben, this is all from another life. It isn't
ME anymore."
We then helped Ben move everything from upstairs down to his new room.
Just before dinner Cami and I were laying on my newly made bed, in a
barren room, getting to know each other properly for the first time in
my life.
"I definitely need to get some new furniture," I said while looking at
the shabby dresser that Ben had been using. "But at least the closet
up here is bigger."
"Yeah, but you definitely need more clothes to fill it with," Cami
mentioned, pointing to the open closet. There were quite a few outfits
in the closet that I had picked up over the course of last week, but
there was still much more empty space in the closet than there was
filled space.
"We'll take care of that tomorrow," I reminded her, and she smiled in
return. "I told Nikki she could come with us, if that's okay."
"Yeah," she said, but sounded down about it.
"I'm sorry, but she seems to want to go shopping with me nearly as
much as you do. She's already kind of become my best friend, and she's
the only girl my age I really know at the complex."
"It's okay," she said, sounding more upbeat. "I'd like to meet her
anyway. You said such nice things about her on the phone."
"Dinner's ready!" I heard my mom yell from the kitchen.
"I'm glad you're here, Jaz," Cami said when we got off the bed.
"I am too," I replied, happy to be back with my family. I gave her a
hug and then we walked together to the kitchen.
---
The rest of the night went by quickly. Mom was an excellent cook, and
after we had all been filled with some great home cooking, we helped
clear the dining table and spent the rest of the evening playing games
together. I couldn't remember the last time we had done this, but we
were having a blast.
I was glad that Ben seemed to be okay with my change. I knew that he
was still queasy about it, and probably preferred that it had never
happened, but he was kind to me and didn't offer any degrading remarks
about the new me.
Adam, on the other hand, still refused to join us and stayed
downstairs watching TV all night, something that was starting to
become a regular occurrence with him. He'd been spending more and more
time down there alone even before I had left for the Complex.
Around 10:00 that evening, I found myself back in my room looking at
the outfits in my closet.
"Trying to figure out what to wear?" I heard Cami ask from the
doorway.
"Yeah," I responded with a smile as she approached the closet. "I
really wish I had a nice summer dress to wear, but all I have are
separates."
"You want to start that girly, huh?" she said with a big smile.
"Yeah," I said with a small laugh. I pulled out a white pleated skirt
and a pink top that had a rather deep v-neck and a number of flowers
"growing" up the left side toward the letters AE above the left
breast. "I was thinking about wearing this."
"That will look good," Cami agreed. "But why do you have so many
flowers on your clothes?"
I laughed at that before I was able to answer. "Nikki picked all of
these out while I was still recovering from the changes. She thought
that flowers really suited me well because 'Flower' is my codename."
"Oh," she said with a slight smirk. "That's an odd codename for a
secret agent."
"True, but it stuck way too easily. I hope to get some clothes
tomorrow evening that don't have flowers on them. I'd also like to
pick my own out for once too."
She laughed at my statement while I hung the outfit back up. We talked
for a while before she said she needed to get ready for bed. After she
left I changed into my nightgown, and climbed into my own bed.
---
Chapter 3 - Back to School
When the next morning arrived, I was very apprehensive about returning
to school as a girl. I was supposed to be a new student, which meant I
wouldn't be able to acknowledge the friendships I had. Since I only
had 2 classes with Nikki, it would probably be a long day.
I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Unfortunately, my sister
was already in there doing her makeup. "Sorry," I said. "I was going
to take a shower."
"That's okay," she said while giving me a smile. "We're going to have
to learn how to share the bathroom from now on, I guess. Do you want
me to leave?"
"No, you don't have to; we're both girls after all." I smiled back at
her while closing the door behind me.
She stopped doing her makeup and watched me as I started to undress.
It was unnerving, but I could understand her curiosity. I removed my
nightgown, and standing there with only my panties on in front of my
sister, I felt...justified. There was no reason to be ashamed of being
naked in front of her. She continued watching me as I opened the door
to the shower and turned on the water before turning back to her and
removing my panties.
"What do you think?" I asked after I had placed both my nightgown and
panties in the hamper and turned toward her. "Am I enough of a girl?"
She seemed amazed at my body, and I understood why. The Procedure was
designed to give me a well-built body, and it had done just that.
"Wow!" Cami finally found her voice. "You look amazing! I guess you
truly are a girl, huh?"
"In every way that counts," I replied with a smile, and then stepped
into the shower.
I showered quickly, wanting to have plenty of time to get ready before
my first day of school. Trying to keep my hair from getting wet was
really hard because it was so long, but I was able to gather it into a
loose braid around my head to keep it out of the stream.
Cami was no longer in the bathroom when I got out of the shower and
started drying off. Once dry, I wrapped the towel around my torso and
opened the door, where Adam was passing by on his way to our parents'
room. He seemed shocked to see me like that, looking so feminine with
the towel wrapped around me like that, and he quickly bolted for the
relative safety of my parents' room. I quickly sprinted across the
hall to my door and practically slammed it shut.
It took me a second to come down from the adrenaline high that moment
had caused me, and I opened my dresser and pulled out a nice light
pink lacy bra and panty set. I knew that not all girls wore matching
bras and panties, but this was all Nikki had purchased for me.
With a shrug, I slipped the panties on, clasped my bra around my
breasts, and turned toward my closet. I removed the skirt, the v-neck,
and a white camisole that had a nice lacy neckline. I stepped into the
skirt and pulled it up my legs. I was suddenly washed away with the
feeling of the feminine garment, and caught myself twirling around in
front of the full length mirror attached to one of the closet doors.
The skirt fit perfectly, hugging my tiny waist at the top and ending
about an inch above my knees. It would flare out a bit when I spun.
I found myself giggling like a small girl for a second before turning
back to my bed and picking up the cami. I slipped it on followed by
the v-neck and gazed at myself in the mirror again. The lace from the
camisole peeking out around the v-neck was beautiful, and helped to
hide some of the cleavage that I wanted to suggest, but didn't want to
show off while at school. Smiling, I turned to my hair and gathered it
up into a ponytail that kept the hair off my neck. I thought it looked
beautiful, and I was still amazed that my hair fell way down my back.
Smiling at myself in the mirror, I added some slight makeup to enhance
my eyes and lips, and turned toward the door. I realized that my
backpack would no longer work for me; it was just too masculine. Since
all of my books were still at school, I grabbed my purse with the
white jasmine on it, and headed for the kitchen.
"You look beautiful," Mom said after I entered the kitchen. She came
over to me and kissed my cheek before turning back to the pancakes she
was making. "I made pancakes and bacon for you."
"Thanks, Mom," I said while grabbing a plate and loading it with food.
Adam sneered at me as I sat down across from him at the dining table.
I ignored him and began eating my own food.
Cami and Ben had already caught the bus to the junior high, and Adam
and I usually rode in together. Turning toward him, it was obvious
that this was going to be a problem. I had bought an old Audi A4 with
the earnings I had made at the local grocery store, but he didn't have
a car.
"Are you coming with me?" I asked him.
"No," he said in a tone that seemed to indicate it was well beneath
him to even consider the idea. "Reese is going to give me a ride."
"Okay," I replied, and turned back to my breakfast. I heard a horn
blow out front, and he got up and walked out the door without another
word.
"He'll come around," my mom said after he had left. "He just needs
time."
"I don't know about that," I said while getting up and walking to the
sink to clean my dishes. "I think it's too much for him, and he
probably resents me for liking it."
"Give him time."
I finished cleaning my dishes and headed for the bathroom to brush my
teeth. Then I returned to the kitchen, picked up my purse and gave Mom
a kiss on the cheek. "Bye, Mom, see you this afternoon."
"Bye, honey, have a great first day."
I smiled back at her while heading for the front door.
---
Despite being a "new" student, my car still had a parking permit, for
which I was thankful. Jill had told me to meet her in the main office
when I arrived at school, and I headed straight there.
"How are you doing?" Jill asked when I walked into the office.
"I'm doing great!" I said with a big smile.
"Everything okay with the family?" the concern in her voice was quite
evident.
"Generally yes," I answered truthfully. "Adam won't talk to me, but we
haven't had any fights or anything."
"Good," she replied, and then she turned toward the desk where a
secretary was sitting.
"Sherry here knows all about Nikki and you, and she has helped get
everything transferred over to your new identity. You have pretty much
the same schedule and the same locker. Here."
"Good," I said with relief, taking my new schedule from her. "All of
my books and stuff are still in there.
"We just need you to sign these two forms," Sherry said and indicated
two forms on the desk.
"You look really pretty, Jaz," Sherry said as I took a seat to sign
the forms.
"Thank you," I said, blushing. I was just happy that she was okay with
what had happened to me. I signed the two forms and smiled as she took
the forms.
"Have a good day," Sherry said with a big smile on her face. I smiled
back at her while Jill and I headed out of the office.
"You have my cell number in case you need anything, right?" she asked
me in the hallway.
"Yeah," I replied as the first bell rang.
"Do you need anything? Do you have P.E. today?"
P.E.? Geez, I hadn't even thought about P.E.! "Um," I said.
"Alright," Jill interrupted before I could answer. "I'll go get you
some clothes; when does it start?"
"I have it right before lunch," I replied, trying to remember at what
time the class actually started. "I think it starts at 10:30."
"Okay, I'll meet you outside the doors to the gym then. Have a good
time in class." She gave me a quick hug and then walked out the doors.
The second bell rang while I was on my way to my locker. My school had
an A/B schedule, 4 classes a day, 8 classes total. I picked up the
books I needed for my first class, and headed that way.
---
"You're late, young lady," Mr. Compton said when I opened the door to
the Math class.
"I'm sorry," I replied. The whole class was watching us closely. "I
was in the office."
"That's no excuse," he said. He wasn't really the most likeable
teacher. "And who are you?"
"Jasmine Campbell, I'm new to the school," I said, quickly glancing at
my classmates. None of them seemed to make a jump to the obvious, and
I didn't "feel" anything that would make me think they had guessed who
I used to be.
"Ah, right," he grumbled while picking up the class roll. "It's not
often new students show up with only two weeks left."
"It wasn't really my idea," I explained.
"Well," he said with an uncharacteristic smile. "Welcome to the class,
I hope you were taught well wherever you came from. You can sit in
that empty seat there."
He was pointing to my old seat on the third row, and I mumbled a thank
you while quickly taking my familiar seat.
I quickly looked around the classroom. Many of my classmates were
watching me, especially the boys. I could also feel some emotions
heading my way from those boys - emotions that I didn't want to think
about yet.
Mr. Compton was writing on the board, which gave the girl next to me
time to lean over and introduce herself.
"Hi, I'm Susan," she said with a smile that I knew she didn't mean.
"Jasmine," I replied, returning the smile. Susan wasn't exactly the
type of girl I wanted to get involved with. She was the head
cheerleader at the school, and acted like she was the queen. Some
girls followed her around like an entourage, but most just tried to
ignore her.
"Have you ever been a cheerleader?" she asked. I wondered why for a
second until I realized how good I looked. She was obviously trying to
gauge what kind of an impact I would have on her popularity. I didn't
think it would matter with only two weeks left until graduation. Go
figure.
"No," I replied sincerely. I didn't really have a desire to be one
either.
"You should sit with us at lunch. I could introduce you to the
important people at this school," she said in a way that made it seem
like I should not disagree with her.
"Thanks," I said. Disagreeing with her was exactly what I was going to
do. "But I'm probably going to be sitting with my friend Nikki."
"Nikki Fox?" she asked, incredulous at my refusal.
"Yeah," I said brightly, obviously not sharing her thoughts about
Nikki.
"Okay class," Mr. Compton said, thankfully interrupting our
conversation and starting the lesson for the day. Susan was still
giving me a cold look when she turned to pay attention.
Throughout class I found it interesting to see how my learning
techniques had changed with the Procedure. I knew that I had a
photographic memory now- many post-Procs did - but actually applying
that to my schooling was a new experience. I was remembering things
that I had long forgotten before the Procedure, and the new things
that Mr. Compton talked about during the lesson could be recalled at
any time. I was really happy to realize that I could actually remember
all of the math formulas that I had learned over the years. That would
come in handy.
The rest of the math class was spent learning and working on our
assignments, and I was starting to think that finishing school was not
as exciting as I thought it would be while at the Complex.
Once the bell rang, I returned my math books to my locker and headed
for the gym. If nothing else, P.E. would be a unique experience today.
As I approached the gym, I found Jill waiting for me just like she
said she would. She smiled at me while handing me a bag emblazoned
with the Under Armour logo.
"I spent a bit more than normal on these, but they'll come in handy
when you return to the Complex for training after you graduate.
Besides, your wardrobe funds cover it."
"Thanks," I said while taking the bag from her and briefly looking
inside. She'd even provided a pair of shoes and socks.
"Sorry I couldn't get it all in pink," she said with a small smile.
I laughed before replying. "Not EVERYTHING has to be pink."
"Give me a call if you need anything else."
"Thanks, Jill," I said while opening the door to the girls locker
room.
"You're welcome, Jaz."
After being in the women's locker room back at the Complex, I felt
that I would be able to handle what awaited me beyond that door. I
wasn't nearly as nervous as I thought I would be, and I was glad that
I had already gone through this experience.
I stopped at the office just inside the door, where Coach Jones was
sitting at her desk. I'd had Coach Jones for P.E. last year. She was
known for her tough workouts, but she was fair to her students and I
was fortunate to be put in her girls' class instead of staying with
Coach Johnson, who was a mean man who liked to pick on the students in
his class.
"Hi," I said when she looked up from what she was doing.
"Hi," she responded with a reassuring smile. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm new today, and I don't have a locker."
"Jasmine?" she asked after consulting a piece of paper on her desk. I
nodded. "Welcome to the class, here is your locker assignment. Be
dressed and ready to go five minutes after the bell rings."
She handed me a small piece of paper that contained a locker number
and a combination. "Thank you," I said and started down the hall
toward the lockers.
I got more than one stare while I walked toward my locker. Nikki was
supposed to be in this class with me, and I was happy to note that our
lockers were across the bench from each other.
"Hi," I said, setting my bag down on the bench between us.
"Hi, Jaz, how are you?" She was beaming at me, and I realized that I
had forgotten to call her last night.
"I'm doing well," I said, her infectious smile spreading to my face.
"Sorry about not calling last night; I got caught up with my family."
"That's okay," she said. "I did too. Everything go alright?"
I glanced at the other girls sharing our changing space. It was
obvious that they were listening to Nikki and me, probably trying to
learn more about the new girl.
"Yep, no issues," was all I said, hoping that it would be enough until
we could talk in a more private setting.
"What's in the bag?" she asked me.
"Oh, I forgot to get some gym clothes. Jill went out this morning to
pick them up for me. She said I could use them for training later."
I turned to my locker while Nikki, who was already dressed, started
rummaging around in the bag. "Geez, she went all out. This stuff isn't
cheap."
She rummaged through the bag some more before coming up with the
receipt. "She spent $220 dollars on this stuff!"
That floored me! I was not expecting that much to be spent on my
school gym clothes! "Are you serious?"
"Yeah look," she handed me the receipt. Sure enough, the exact amount
was $224.96.
"Great," I said with a frown. "That's definitely not the type of first
impression I want to make. People are going to think I'm spoiled or
something."
"Don't worry about it," Nikki said while stripping tags off the items
in the bag. The bell rang. "Hurry and get dressed though."
I turned back to my locker and started undressing. Jill had purchased
a pink sports bra that I placed across my chest. She had also
purchased a pair of black bikini style panties. I switched out my lacy
pink ones quickly. She had also purchased a pair of shorts that fell
to about 4 inches above my knee. Thankfully they weren't skin tight.
They were loose, but still clung closely to my legs. To cover my
sports bra she had purchased a black tee that looked snug when I put
it on, but felt very loose. I was happy that it had a pink design
along the left side of the shirt, preventing a totally black ensemble.
The outfit was rounded out with a pair of pink, gray, and white
trainers and matching socks.
"I feel overdressed for high school P.E." I told Nikki, who was still
waiting for me. One of the girls who had been changing next to us
laughed at the comment and gave us a smile.
"It's only for a short time, don't worry about it," Nikki said while I
finished lacing up my shoes.
We walked out of the locker room and into the gym. The boys and girls
classes were split up, one on either side of the basketball court. I
followed Nikki over to where the other girls were milling about
waiting for Coach Jones.
"Get in your lines, girls," the coach said shortly afterward. I
followed Nikki and soon we were arranged in three lines across the
court.
Coach Jones took roll call and then led us through a warm up stretch.
I was once again amazed at how limber and flexible my new body was. I
saw a couple of girls staring at Nikki and me in near awe a couple of
times when we stretched much more comfortably than they could.
"Good news," Coach Jones said when we finished stretching. "Coach
Johnson and I want to give you a day of fun for once." There was some
chuckling from the students.
"Today, we are going to be playing dodge ball." Cheers erupted
throughout the gym.
"To start," Coach Jones continued. "We are going to have a battle of
the sexes, us versus the boys. Let's show them what we're made of!"
The other girls' enthusiasm for dodge ball died down with that
announcement. Nikki looked at me and grinned, and I grinned back. This
would be fun.
The game was confined to one half of the gym, width-wise. Coach Jones
had us line up on one wall, Coach Johnson had the boys lined up on the
other. Red balls were on the line in the middle.
"Everyone ready?" Coach Johnson yelled. Without waiting for a reply,
he blew his whistle to start the game.
Usually when playing dodge ball, I would hang back and wait for the
initial rush to happen before getting into the game. That's why I was
surprised to find myself sprinting toward the balls, and I had to
mentally pull myself back before I ran too fast and gave away my
special abilities. I still managed to get my hands on a ball and
started to back up when my main advantage started to kick in.
I ducked and moved to the left, just in time to avoid the two balls
that were heading my way. My own ball had already left my hands, and
one of my attackers took it straight in the chest.
I quickly felt another ball heading my way, and I managed to get my
hands out and caught it.
I couldn't feel anything else coming my way, and realized that I was
reacting to the throws, instead of trying to anticipate them. I slowly
made my way to the back of the girls' side, and opened up my mind.
Immediately I could feel everyone around me. Jonothon was preparing to
throw a ball at Jennifer. Katie was dodging one ball only to step into
the path of a second. Jack caught a soft lob that Amy had attempted to
hit him with. I could feel it all happening, and it was an amazing
feeling!
Jason and Brady were both aiming for me. I had been standing still too
long while I explored this aspect of my abilities. I watched both of
them, from opposite directions, pull their arms back and release their
ball. I somersaulted forward, cleanly missing both, and threw the ball
with both hands at Brady, and immediately side-stepped a third flying
at my head.
Exhilarated, I realized that the chance I was going to be hit was very
small, because I knew where and when each ball was coming.
I scooped another ball off the ground and sent it flying at another
boy, watching him scream out loud at being hit while ducking another
ball.
The game continued this way for another five minutes, with boys trying
to hit me while I was returning the favor. Eventually, Nikki and I
appeared to be the only two girls standing, and there was a small
pause in the game as the four boys left stopped to catch their breath.
Nikki and I hadn't even broken a sweat.
Almost in unison, Nikki and I let loose on the remaining boys. Two of
them were hit immediately because they were not ready for the game to
continue. The other two boys were quicker on the uptake, and both
Nikki and I had balls heading our way. I dove for the ground, grabbed
a ball and was back on my feet within an instant, as my attacker's
ball missed me by inches. I knew before it happened that Nikki had not
been as lucky. A moment later she cried out in frustration when the
ball hit her in the back. I was quick with the ball I had in my arms,
and her attacker never saw it coming before it hit him in the side of
the head.
I quickly grabbed another ball off the ground and turned toward the
last boy standing.
"You better not lose to a girl, Williams," I heard Coach Johnson yell
from the sideline. Mark Williams was a starting tight end for our
school's football team. He was also a fairly good quarterback on the
off chance our first and second string quarterbacks were not able to
play. Suffice it to say that Mark Williams was fast, maneuverable, and
had an arm.
But he hadn't gone through the Procedure.
"Finish him off, Jaz!" I heard Nikki scream from behind me, but my
eyes focused on Mark. We both stood, waiting for the other to make a
move. He didn't know it, but I had the advantage here. I'd know the
second he was ready to make his move, and I'd be ready for it.
He started to pace back and forth, but I didn't follow. I was content
to stand right where I was in the middle of the girls' side.
Faster than I thought possible, he threw his ball at me. It was easy
to dodge. He had scooped up a second ball almost immediately, and that
was the one that was supposed to be my undoing. I spun to my left as
the second ball passed in front of my face, and continued the spin
until I was facing Mark again. He had already started celebrating and
the look of surprise on his face when the ball in my right hand came
flying right at him was priceless, and I would remember it forever.
It connected with the bottom of his chin, throwing his head back and
bringing his body with it. As he fell to the ground, I heard a loud
girlish roar behind me and turned in time to catch Nikki as she
wrapped her arms around me in a hug.
"That was amazing!" I heard her say in my ear over the noise of the
girls who had mobbed me. It was a simple game of dodge ball, but it
had turned out to give me one of the best feelings I'd ever had while
playing sports.
Eventually the girls were able to give me a high five or give me a
short hug, anything to show how happy they were to beat the boys. When
I got out of the mob, I saw Coach Johnson screaming at Mark. Coach
Johnson was also the football coach, and he didn't tolerate failure
from his players. Apparently he considered a loss to the girls to be a
big failure on the part of his class, and he was taking it out on Mark
personally. Not wanting to get involved, I headed over to the line
that had formed for the drinking fountain.
A moment later it became apparent that dodge ball was over for the
boys. Coach Johnson was screaming at them, and they were heading for
the far door that led out to the track and the football field. I had a
feeling that my win was going to cause them to run laps. I hoped they
didn't blame me for it.
Coach Jones, however, was elated with our performance, and she let us
finish the day with more dodge ball. She started by splitting us into
teams, and then let us go at it. I was having fun, but I didn't want
to be the last one standing for each game, and I decided to let some
of the girls hit me instead of dodging their throws.
"Yes, I got her!" I heard one of the girls scream while taking her
shot on my back. I grinned, I may have lost this game, but I had just
made her day.
Coach Jones came over and sat next to me on the bleachers while I
waited for the next game to start.
"That was very impressive," she told me with a big grin on her face.
"I haven't seen Coach Johnson that upset since football season ended
when we were blown out."
I smiled back. "Thanks."
"It's too bad you weren't here during some of the sports seasons,
because you have excellent athletic ability, and you seemed to be very
aware of what was happening. I don't know how you dodged some of those
shots."
"I just tried my best," I responded, but she gave me a look that said
she knew more than she was letting on.
"And thank you for letting some of these girls get you out. I didn't
think their morale would be any higher after that win, but you
certainly have made their day for a couple of them." She winked at me
before standing up and walking away.
---
The rest of the period went by quickly, and it was a very tired, but
very happy group of girls that were heading for the locker room. The
boys were filing into the gym behind us, and they did not look happy.
A couple of them glared at us when they passed on the way to their own
locker room, and I felt a small twinge of guilt over the trouble I had
caused them. But it was a very small twinge.
Once back at my locker, I started undressing, and decided that I had
worked up enough of a sweat that I didn't want to put my clothes back
on without a shower. Nikki followed me while I walked down the short
hallway to the showers, pinning my hair to the top of my head with a
pin that Nikki had loaned me.
"I think that's the most fun I've ever had in P.E." she said. I nodded
in agreement while stepping under the stream.
"I can't believe you dodged that last ball Mark threw. I don't think I
would have seen it coming." I just smiled back at her with a wink, and
a look of understanding washed over her face. "Ohhhhh, I got ya.
Still, very impressive."
We finished up in the showers, grabbed a towel and headed back to our
lockers.
"You've learned to use them well, I see," Nikki said while we were
drying off. The other girls who had been changing near us had already
left, but we still wanted to be careful about how much information we
gave away in our conversation.
"Dr. Young had some of the nurses throwing balls at me Saturday
morning during those extra tests he ran. I'd already had some
practice." Nikki just shook her head and turned to get dressed. I did
the same.
"I just wish I could practice as easily as you can. Nobody even knows
what you are doing. Everyone around would know if I used mine."
"I'm sorry Nik, I know that must be tough," I said trying to help her
feel better. "Maybe we can find some place after school to give you a
chance to do some practicing."
"Maybe," she said with a little smile, which grew larger before she
spoke again. "But there probably won't be any time with all the
shopping we have to do tonight."
There was no doubt about it, she was enthusiastic about shopping! I
just hoped I didn't dampen her spirits when I refused to let her pick
everything out for me.
We finished getting dressed in our regular clothes, and headed for the
door.
"Come on," Nikki said, "I'm hungry."
---
Chapter 4 - From Whence Come These Feelings?
Mark Williams was sitting on a bench outside the locker rooms when we
exited. Up close, I realized just how much bigger than me he was. And,
boy, he was attractive! I hadn't noticed when I was trying to hit him
with the ball, but his mussed up dark hair and strong handsome face
were giving me chills that I had never felt about a boy before. He
smiled at me, and I nearly lost it right there.
"Jaz?" he questioned me while standing up, obviously unsure of the new
girl's name. "Wow, you're tiny, no wonder it was so hard to hit you."
Any negative feelings I might have felt about my new size were drained
straight out of me when he smiled at me. I couldn't help it. He was
making me feel all warm and gooey inside. I had never really had this
feeling before, not even before the Procedure.
"I'll save you a seat in the cafeteria," Nikki said from behind me and
quickly ran off. I almost didn't even notice.
"I'm Mark Williams," he said while extending his hand for a handshake.
I placed my hand in his, and was amazed at the size difference. In
fact, he was huge! I knew that Mark was 6'2" tall from my days before
the Procedure. Fourteen inches and all of that muscle made me very
aware of my new 5' stature, and he could probably bench press me with
one hand. I decided to forget about the fact that I could probably
bench press him for the time being.
"Jasmine Campbell," I said, staring into those gorgeous brown eyes.
"Are you related to Brett?" he asked the worst question he could have.
I inwardly cringed, hoping that if he learned the truth he wouldn't
run away from me.
"Yeah," I finally said, but left it at that. The less he knew the
better for now.
"Cool, he's a nice guy." That was good to hear. At least he didn't
hate who I had been before the Procedure. I noticed that we had
started walking down the hallway together. With all the extra-sensory
abilities I had gained from the Procedure, Mark seemed to be
subverting all of them; something that had been impossible for him to
do earlier.
"I'm sorry if I made you guys run laps," I said, remembering our
earlier encounter with a smile. "And for making Coach Johnson chew you
out."
"That's okay," he said with a reassuring smile that lit up the
hallway. "I'm used to his ranting now, and doing laps for P.E. will
help keep me in shape for the football camp I'm attending this summer.
But those were some sweet moves you made today. I thought for sure I
had you with that second ball. How did you dodge it?"
"Let's just say I'm very good at knowing my surroundings," I replied,
trying to give a plausible answer that didn't involve my powers. "I
saw you stop next to that ball, and had a good idea that it was
following the first."
That seemed to be a good enough answer for him. "I must admit, I never
expected that ball to come flying my way. It totally caught me off
guard."
I let out a short, sweet laugh and smiled back at him. I was nearly at
a loss for words, and didn't know quite how to respond to a boy in
this position.
"Listen," he said, stopping in front of the doorway to the cafeteria
and turning toward me. "I know this may be a bit forward, since we
just met and all, but would you be willing to get a bite to eat with
me tomorrow night?"
He was nervous; I could feel it pouring off him. Mark Williams, who
was over a foot taller than me and probably more than twice my weight,
was nervous about asking me out. Heck, even I was nervous about him
asking me out. I had never really dated before the Procedure and never
with someone whom I, well, felt this way about. I had never even felt
this way about another person and I hadn't even really known him for
more than the five minutes it took us to walk from the gym to the
cafeteria.
"Yes," I found myself saying without even realizing it. "That sounds
great."
"Great!" he repeated. His relief was profound, and then the
nervousness was back quickly. "I, uh, I'll talk to you tomorrow to set
up the details, okay?"
"Okay." Now it was my turn to repeat his last word. I just smiled at
him as he turned toward the cafeteria. "I have to run home for lunch,
but it was nice meeting you, Jaz."
He gave me a smile and then turned and walked to the exit doors next
to the entrance to the cafeteria. I was still standing there
mesmerized when he looked over his shoulder at me, smiled, and then
was gone out the door.
"Earth to Jaz," I finally realized Nikki was standing next to me.
"Oh," I said, slightly startled. "Hi."
"Wow, he got you good. You're really out of your head right now." I
just smiled at her, which caused her to roll her eyes.
"Come on," she said while pulling me into the cafeteria. "I need some
food."
---
I followed Nikki through the lunch line, not really paying attention
to what I put on my tray.
"Are you okay?" she asked when we had taken a seat at an empty table.
"Yeah," I replied, absently eating the food on my tray. "I've just
never felt this way before."
"Awww, my little girl is having her first crush," Nikki said, smiling
at me over her food.
"Maybe," I said, blushing slightly. "But I've had crushes before, and
they never felt like this."
She smiled, before continuing. "Well, he is cute, and you definitely
picked a winner."
"I didn't pick him," I replied with a frown. "I just hope that if he
learns the truth about me, he'll be okay with it."
"Wow," she said, surprise filling her expression. "You really are
thinking long term. I wouldn't worry about that for now, Jaz. If this
goes somewhere, and he can't handle it, then he isn't worth it."
"Logically that makes sense," I agreed. "But my heart tells me
otherwise."
Nikki just rolled her eyes and continued eating.
---
After lunch Nikki and I had Biology with Mr. Bailey. It wasn't one of
my favorite classes, but I was worried about it for two other reasons.
First, Mr. Bailey was aware of the arrangement The Agency had with
those who had taken the test. He might not have known specifics about
what occurred there, but I was concerned that he could figure it out.
The second reason...Mark Williams was in the class with us. It was the
only class I shared with him, and I was worried about being able to
pay attention to what was being taught.
Naturally, Nikki just laughed at me when I told her of my concerns.
"First," she said after we had retrieved our books from our lockers
and were walking to the classroom. "Mr. Bailey may know about you, but
I'm guessing that he won't say anything. If he does, he would be
outing the whole Project, and I'm sure they must have had him sign a
non-disclosure agreement or something.
"Second, you're going to have to learn how to handle Mark Williams on
your own. If you really do like him the way you say you do, then
you'll have plenty of time to get to know him in the future. Try to
put that aside while we are in class, and then talk to him
afterwards."
"Easier said than done," was the only thing I could say.
There weren't many students in the class when we arrived. Mr. Bailey
stood up from his desk at the front of the class when he saw us enter
and approached us.
"Nikki, it's wonderful to see you again. I hope everything went well
last week?"
"Yes," she replied to him. "I'm totally glad that we took that test."
He nodded, and turned toward me. "And you must be Jasmine."
It wasn't a question, but I answered anyway. "Yes."
"Well, they sure did a number on you, didn't they," he said with a
smile. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything is perfect, Mr. Bailey," I said, glancing around the room.
The other students were eyeing the way we were talking with Mr. Bailey
suspiciously. I didn't really want to provide them with the
information that would lead them to make the connection with my former
life.
"Good, good," he said, smiling the whole time. "Nikki, you know your
seat, Jaz, you can sit in that seat there. That spot is vacant."
He was pointing to a desk, but I didn't need to see which one. I knew
already he was talking about my old seat. How was I going to get
through two weeks of school without anyone making the connection? I
was becoming scared to death the whole school would know before the
end of the first day!
I took my seat and pulled out my biology book, briefly skimming over
the material that they had covered while we were gone. I knew
immediately when Mark entered the classroom. I could actually feel a
difference in the air around me when he came in. Briefly I realized
that it was a strong emotion coming from him, one that I shared.
I turned toward the door. He had stopped in the doorway, blocking a
couple of kids trying to get past him. He was just watching me, and
when our eyes met, he smiled.
My insides melted again, and as the bell rang I was desperately
wishing that our desks were closer together. Instead, we were nearly
on opposite sides of the room because Mr. Bailey made his seating
chart alphabetically.
I was so lost in my feelings that I missed the wad of paper Nikki had
thrown at me. It hit me on the side of the head, jolting me back to
reality. I glared at her, which just made her burst out in laughter
that was contagious. I noticed when turning back to Mark, who had
taken his seat, that he was laughing with us.
I gave him a shy smile as I turned my attention to Mr. Bailey, who was
calling the class to order.
"Jaz," he said after completing the roll call. "Since you weren't here
when we did the genetic testing, you'll have to use this genetic
sample for class."
He handed me a booklet much like the first one I had received before
my life took such a twist. I opened it and started looking through it
as he explained what we were going to be talking about for the day. I
was fascinated by the information the packet contained. It seemed so
familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint why. It took me nearly until the end
of class to understand what I was seeing.
He hadn't given me a generic sample; that was just a show for the
class. The name on the sample was Jane Doe, but I knew without a doubt
that it was really my DNA! My new DNA! It was definitely the DNA of a
female, but I started to see the similarities with my pre-Procedure
set. I didn't have my original booklet with me, but I could easily
recall the gene sets in my mind.
It was fascinating to see where the changes occurred, and to try to
understand why this set was different than my previous one. I was so
engrossed with these changes that I was surprised when the bell rang,
and then slightly disappointed with myself when I realized that I
hadn't even thought about Mark throughout nearly the whole class
period.
That didn't seem to bother him too much, though. He was standing just
inside the door while I picked up my books and Nikki and I walked
toward him.
"I'll see you after school, Jaz," Nikki said before smiling at me and
rushing out of the classroom.
"Hi," I said shyly to Mark. I couldn't believe how different he could
make me feel!
"Hi," he responded more confidently. I found myself gazing into those
eyes again, and I was starting to get lost when he brought me back to
reality. "What's your next class?"
"Um," I said, my brain actually started working for once around him
and I looked at my schedule, hoping to keep up the pretense that I was
a new student. "History in Room 225."
"Can I walk you to class then? My class is across the hall."
"I would like that," I replied while we stepped out the door and
turned in the opposite direction of Nikki. "But I need to stop at my
locker and get my book."
"Okay," he responded with another smile.
Most students were hurrying because there were only five minutes
between classes. But Mark and I were slowly walking down the hall. At
this pace we were both going to be late for class. I didn't really
care at that moment.
We didn't really say anything while walking to my locker. I think both
of us were confused about these new feelings that we were having, and
didn't know how to express them. Just being in each other's presence
seemed to be enough for the time being.
"Wasn't this Brett's locker?" he asked when I stopped and started
opening the locker I had been using all year.
"I don't know, maybe," I replied. I really felt bad about lying to
him. It sort of felt like a knife was being stabbed into my chest; I
didn't want to keep any secrets from him. "They practically gave me
his whole schedule, and his books and everything. They probably gave
me his locker too."
He just paused at my words, not saying anything. I dreaded that he
would jump to the conclusion that I desperately hoped he wouldn't
learn - at least not until I was sure he could handle it.
"How are you two related?" He finally spoke, but it was one of the
worst questions that he could have asked! I felt dread enter my body,
and I tried to keep my emotions bottled up to keep him from feeling
them. The last thing I needed now was to project my fear on him!
"It's complicated," was all I could come up with. He didn't seem
satisfied with that answer, but we both jumped slightly when the bell
rang. It seemed to break us out of whatever dimension we were in
together, and we quickly started walking down the hall toward our
classes.
"You're an odd mystery, Jaz," he told me outside of my classroom. I
didn't know how to respond to that, and before I got a chance he
turned and walked across the hall, opening the door on the other side.
With a backwards glance and smile, he walked into his class.
I opened the door to my history class, and Mrs. Wagner was already
taking roll.
"Welcome to class. Are you Jasmine Campbell?" I nodded at her and she
checked something off on her roll. "There's no seating chart here,
find an empty seat, and try to make it on time to class next time."
"Sorry," I replied, matching the smile she was giving me. "I'm still
getting to know where all my classes are."
I heard a snort from one of the girls in the back row, and I heard
more than one person whisper Mark's name. I guess our...relationship,
or whatever we had developed in such a short amount of time, was
already starting to be common knowledge around the school.
The 'hot new girl hooking up with the most eligible bachelor on the
football team during her first day' is probably good gossip.
I quickly sat in the first empty seat I arrived at and then tried to
ignore the giggling that had started on the back row.
---
Chapter 5 - Light Shopping
Nikki was waiting for me when I got to my car after class.
"Are you excited?" she asked. I saw that familiar gleam in her eye.
"Yeah," I said with a wry smile. "It will be nice to be able to pick
out my own clothes for once."
She mock frowned, but couldn't hold it for long before she started
laughing. "I'm sorry. I guess I have been a bit overbearing."
"It's okay," I told her. "You've got good style. I just would like to
have some input too."
We soon arrived at my house, where Cami was waiting for us.
"Finally," she said when we walked inside. "I thought you two left
without me."
"We came straight home from school," I told her. "We would never leave
without you."
She smiled at me and gave me a hug. "I'm sorry. I just didn't want to
be left out."
"You won't, Cami," I told her. "I promise. Come on, let's get going.
We've got a lot to do."
---
I became nervous when we entered the local mall, even though I'd been
here many times before. I had this overwhelming feeling that somebody
was going to recognize me. I couldn't explain it. I hadn't been this
nervous when I went to school earlier today.
Perhaps it was because I was going to be taking off my clothes here.
Sure, I would be in a private changing room, but something about
undressing where strangers could possibly see me left me feeling odd.
Even at school, I at least knew most of the girls in the dressing room
during PE. It just felt natural there.
But the dread wouldn't go away as we stepped through the doors and
into 'Girl Alley'.
'Girl Alley' was the nickname that many of the kids my age gave to a
stretch of the mall that only contained shops that catered to young
women or women in general. Victoria's Secret, Sephora, Shade, Bath and
Body Works, and similar stores would sometimes see a male client, but
were dominated by the fairer sex.
I had never spent any time in this section of the mall before. Now, it
was our major destination for the first half of the trip.
I was immediately pulled into Victoria's Secret. I had confessed my
desire to shop there to Nikki last week when we were picking up my
limited wardrobe. Now, she wanted to make that desire come true.
Inside the store, I immediately felt overwhelmed and in awe. I'd never
been in Victoria's Secret before. I'd always yearned to enter, but
always felt out of place.
I stopped just inside the door. I couldn't believe that I was here! I
couldn't believe that my life had taken such a drastic turn! I
couldn't believe how happy I was! What a great day it had been - first
I met Mark, and now I was living a dream. What more could I ask for?
The next four hours were amazing. We started with the intimates in
Victoria's Secret, before moving on to a few other stores to pick up
underwear and layering items. Then we hit department stores, and other
shops to round out my wardrobe.
I was nervous when I entered the first few changing rooms. But after
the first couple of stores, it became routine and I started to feel
better. By the time we were done, I was having no problem stepping
into one of the rooms and undressing.
Eventually, we took the last of the bags out to the car before heading
to the food court to get something to eat.
"That was fun," I sighed as I sat down with my food.
Both Nikki and Cami laughed.
"That makes it official then," Cami said. "You really are my sister
now. No guy would want to shop like that."
I smiled back at her. I was lucky to have a family that seemed to be
so accepting of me.
We sat and talked while we ate. Cami and Nikki seemed to be hitting it
off, for whic