When the bright light engulfing Thomas faded, Heather McGill could see that the results weren't quite what she had expected. She had assumed that Thomas wanted to be bigger, more athletic, but instead, he had lost a few inches and had grown quite the head of long, curly hair. As Heather realized that he had also lost significant amounts of weight, she noticed that he was beginning to wobble where he stood. Her stomach dropped as he fell to the ground without a noise. She took off in a sprint, Heathers S. and K. in tow, to where he lay at the edge of the pool.

 They all crouched around him and turned him onto his side. Heather M. started speaking to him while Heather K. began to gently rub his back. Heather S. stood by, wringing her hands uncertainly.

“Thomas, can you hear me? You’re going to be okay,” she said sternly, looking at his face through the tangle of hair. Something about his appearance seemed off, like she was looking at him through a funhouse mirror. “Huh, I had no idea you liked the pretty boy look.”

Thomas faintly groaned back in a lighter tone, and the trio smiled.

Heather M. continued, “Good, glad you’re with us. Now what you’re feeling is essentially your body rebooting, and it’s not going to feel good as I’m sure you can tell.” Thomas whimpered again, this time louder and more drawn out. His whole body tensed several times in rapid succession, each holding for longer than the last. Heather M. reached to brush the hair out of his face, and was startled by what she found underneath- a face that, while similar to Thomas’, wouldn’t have been out of place on the cover of Vogue or Cosmopolitan. She looked over to her friends and mouthed you’re seeing this too, right? She was met with identical surprised looks. 

Thomas let out a much louder groan that hit a surprisingly high note for a boy. He tensed once more and turned suddenly, his face falling to the gravel-coated rock. Heather K. yelped and grabbed at his chest to pull him back over. However, as soon as she laid her hands on him, she gasped in surprise, letting go.

“What is wrong with you?” Heather M. chided in frustration. 

“He has breasts!” She shouted, pointing at Thomas’ chest and looking between Heather M. and Heather S.’s faces.

“What are you going on about?” Heather S. retorted, not having seen what the others had from her distance and clearly too nervous for niceties. Heather M. looked closer. 

“Help me turn him over, you two.” She commanded, grabbing one of his arms as they grabbed him from the side. Carefully they rolled the still groaning and tensing Thomas over. Resting him on his back, they collectively took in the sight. Long curly hair, a significantly more feminine face complete with a button nose and Cupid’s bow lips, and two conspicuous mounds rested on his chest, visible even through the baggy sweatshirt. Speechless, the three stared, interrupted only by another loud moan from Thomas. 

“Aghhh!” he cried out, much more presently than his previous groans. He began squirming as if he was suddenly feeling antsy. His lips moved, silently. 

“What’s that, Thomas? Do you need something?” Heather S. asked. She leaned in close, trying to hear what he was saying. “Do you need some water? I think I have a little bottle in my purs-” She froze mid-sentence when Thomas’ squirming became more severe. Heather M. motioned for Heather S. to step back.

“Watch out for the-“ Heather M. began, but was cut off by a cough from Thomas before she could finish. He coughed roughly and loudly, each escaping breath containing a gasp of glittery essence which flew right into the face of Heather S., who stumbled backward in surprise. “That. Okay, the worst is over now. You should feel better soon.”

“What happened?” murmured Thomas, his voice now a low soprano.

“We’re in the well, remember?” Heather M. explained.

“Right,” he said, sitting up slowly. “You made a wish and…” he trailed off.

“And you’re a girl now!” Heather S. blurted loudly. Heather M. shot her a glare.

“I’m…?” he hesitated, sounding confused.

He looked down at his new body, eyes wide. His hands moved to his chest, finding his breasts.

“I’m… a girl,” he finished. His eyes were beginning to tear up.

Heather K. made an uncertain noise. “Did you need some privacy?”

Thomas looked up at the others, then dropped his hands suddenly and blushed. He quickly pulled his legs up to his chest in an attempt to hide his re-proportioned torso. “D-did you do this? Did you wish for it?” he cautiously asked Heather M.

She shook her head. “No. I wished for you to have your dream body, remember? And it looks like that turned out to be…” She paused, unsure of how to phrase it.

“A girl’s,” He replied.

“So, it would seem that you wanted to be a girl.”

“Y-you ah… don’t think it’s weird do you?” he asked. “That I’m a girl?”

Heather M. hesitated. While she was deciding how to respond Heather K. cocked her head and said “What’s weird about being a girl?” Thomas blinked at her question, obviously surprised by her answer

“It’s not exactly what I expected, but you look adorable. And if you’re going to be a member of our group, it’s better if you’re a girl anyway,” Heather S. added. He turned to her, clearly confused about what she meant by this.

Heather M. decided to do a little test. “The important question is whether this is actually your ideal body and that a wire wasn’t crossed somewhere.”

Thomas thought for a moment.

“It’s perfect,” he replied, blissfully. “I can’t imagine a better one.”

“Are you sure you don't want us to change you back?” she asked. “We can if you want.”

A look of horror crossed Thomas' face. “No!”

So nothing had gone wrong with the wish. She was deciding what to say next when Heather K. chimed in again.

“Do you have a new name?”

“Don't interrupt,” Heather M. said sternly. The timid girl cringed. “And what are you talking about, anyway? He already has a name.”

“I just- she might not want to go by 'Thomas' now that she's a girl,” Heather K. said quickly.

“A name?” Thomas asked, hesitantly. “The voice called me ‘Sophia’ and I think that sounds right. Or Sophie for short...” 

“Sophia Swan. That's such a cute name,” Heather S. said.

“Really? I was afraid it would sound silly,” the newly-named Sophie replied, hesitantly.

“It's a beautiful name,” Heather M. agreed.

“It's perfect because-” Heather K. started before she was cut off by Heather M.

“Why isn't the coin back in my hand?” Heather M. asked, without looking at Heather K.

Heather K. squeaked. She hastily removed her shoes and socks and started wading into the pool. At its deepest the water only went halfway up her calves. Heather M. gestured to Sophie, and Heather S. helped him up onto his feet.

“You have to use a special coin to make the magic work,” Heather S. explained to Sophie. “There's a hole in the bottom of the pool where the coins are supposed to fall when you throw them in. But there's only one magic coin left so we figured out a way to keep it from falling in the hole.”

Heather M. watched Sophie crane his—her? It was hard to suddenly think of Sophie as a girl, even with the changed appearance—neck, trying to see what Heather S. was talking about. A surprised “Oh!” let Heather M. know that he'd spotted the hair trap they'd placed in the hole to keep the coins from being lost. It was lucky that the hole was about the same size as a shower drain.

Heather K. pulled the coin out of the hair trap and brought it back, handing it reverently to Heather M. She offered the coin to Sophie. “Did you want to try making a wish?” she asked.

Sophie took the coin, staring at it in his hand. “What do I wish for?” he asked.

“Anything you want.” Heather M. said patiently. “Just no stealing my boyfriend.”

Sophie looked at the pool for a few moments and seemed to come to a decision. Closing his eyes he said “I wish for everyone to recognize me for who I really am,” and tossed the coin into the pool.

Heather M. glanced at Heather S. who returned the look with a grin. When Sophie looked back at the others Heather M. was already wearing her warm smile again. “That was a really nice wish,” she said.

“How will I know this one worked?” Sophie asked.

“You'll probably be able to tell when you talk to your friends and family,” answered Heather S.

An idea occurred to Heather M. “Why don’t you head outside and take a look at your new face in your phone? We’ll follow you up in a minute,” she suggested.

“Oh, great idea!” Sophie said with excitement. She took a few steps forward, wobbling uneasily like a toddler taking their first steps. She appeared to adjust quickly and with another small squeal practically jogged toward the exit.

“Aww, she's pretty sweet,” said Heather S, waving to Sophie as she disappeared into the darkness. A moment later Heather M. heard an “Ouch” from the cave. Apparently Sophie had bumped into something in her rush.

“Not the most creative person, though,” Heather M. commented. She held out a hand for Heather K. who had just retrieved the coin again. “All she could think to wish for is for people to see her as she is?”

“It's not that surprising. I bet she's, um, what's it called?” Heather S. struggled to remember. “Transgendered, I think. I have a cousin like that, too, and he says that he just wants people to see him like any other girl.”

“Feeling like a girl is that important to him? It's really what he wants more than anything?” Heather M. asked.

“Oh yeah. He wears dresses and makeup now and he's started taking these pills that are supposed to make him look like a girl. He says it's really hard when people use his old name or call him a boy. I bet he'd make the same wish that Sophie did.”

“And that's why Sophie looked like a scared little doe when I mentioned changing her back,” Heather M. concluded.

“I guess so,” Heather S. replied.

“I think Sophie's going to make a nice addition to our group.”

“You think so, Heather?” Heather K. added, a faint sense of worry in her voice.

“Yeah. She’ll be so much easier to keep an eye on this way.”

 

* * *

Sophie took a step forward and was immediately bombarded with a host of new sensations. The way her feet sat in her shoes, the way her now longer hair moved with her. She took another step, noting still how her hips and pelvis moved ever so differently. Almost like a ball were inserted in between each hip causing them to swivel with ease. She stopped moving and paused to take stock of everything. It all felt so new and different. And so right! She inhaled, and with a squeal she started jogging to the exit of the cave. However, she had not accounted for the fact that she now had boobs on her chest and was distracted by the sudden discomfort brought on by them swishing back and forth without restraint. She continued to be so mystified by this new sensation she failed to see a stone stalactite sticking out from the ground in the darkness and caught her foot on the outcropping. She fell to the ground with a hard “Ouch!” Laughing from the ridiculousness of the situation, she picked herself back up and continued towards the exit.

Sophie stood in front of the ladder, hesitating. It suddenly occurred to her that this could still all be a joke- use magic to turn 'Thomas' into a girl just to humiliate 'him'. Well, the joke was on them. Sophie was happier than she'd ever been and no amount of mocking would take away the fact that she was a girl now. Another growl from her stomach accompanied by the gaggle of Heathers walking up the short tunnel quickly led her to a decision. She grasped the cold rusted steel of the ladder and climbed up. Immediately she noticed parts of her body that were... jiggling in a way that she’d never experienced before. Suffice to say, she continued the climb with more scarlet on her face than when she began.

She felt the cool, fresh air hit her as she pulled herself onto the grassy soil beside the well entrance. She closed her eyes and braced herself for people to jump out and call her all sorts of names, but no sound came beyond the sound of others clamoring up the ladder behind her. Looking up, it appeared to be very late in the afternoon, likely close to twilight. Sophie looked down at her hands again, seeing them for the first time in the sunlight. She breathed in deeply and felt weightless.

“Hey, get out of the way, Sophie!” Heather S. shouted, bringing Sophie back from her dreamlike haze. She had completely zoned out a step away from the well, effectively blocking the exit for the others.

“Oh, sorry! I guess I spaced-” Sophie began as Heather S. climbed out, but was interrupted by Heather M.

“Spaced out? Come now, Sophie. I know you’re excited but keep your head, yeah?” She giggled lightly as she reached the top and grabbed a hand from Heather S. Heather K. was not far behind, pulling herself up and out of the hole with them. Trying her best to not slip out of her now gigantic shoes, Sophie followed the Heathers back to the car. They seemed to have the route down pat. Looking around, Sophie saw how scenic this part of the forest was. Extremely old trees were in abundance all around them, and large boulders jutted up intermittently. Looking at the difference in the grass patterns nearby and underfoot, Sophie would’ve guessed that this was a well-traveled path at some point in the past. But how far back?

“Shotgun!” Heather S. called as they neared the car, and ran forward to claim her spot. “Looks like you’re in the back with me, Sophie.” Heather K. said in a curious tone, as if she was asking a question. Sophie nodded in agreement and gently opened the car door which seemed to be heavier than it was the last time she had opened it with a tug and a breath of effort. Puzzled, she spoke up to the other three. 

“Were these doors always so heavy?” she said, crawling into the car. 

“They’re probably just heavier for you now because of the wish.” Heather K. said as she clicked her seatbelt and shut the door. 

“Right, you lost at least 25 pounds of mass, Sophie. Only makes sense that some of it was muscle.” Heather M. added with a wave of her hand. Sophie had to agree with her logic. She sat down in the seat and felt chills go up her spine. Sitting felt so different. Glancing down, Sophie had to guess it was the addition of her new backside combined with the curious absence of her old upfront plumbing. She clicked her seatbelt shut.

“But don’t you go thinking that you’re a weakling because you’re a girl, girl.” Heather S., interjected, turning around in her seat. “Your ideal body is weak, I mean even she could probably beat you up now,” she finished, gesturing to Heather K. who proceeded to cast a curious look Sophie’s way. Was she actually considering it? The moment was interrupted by a loud growl coming from Sophie’s stomach, causing a scarlet blush to burst to life on her cheeks. The trio erupted into a loud laugh, and Heather M. started the car with a quick turn of the keys and they pulled back onto the road.

Sophie looked out the window, watching the scenery go by in the approaching dusk, but soon found herself lost in thought, processing everything that had just happened.

She was a girl. She was a girl. The thought of it still made her a little giddy, and she couldn’t help but grin. She figured on some level she should be shocked by such a jarring change, but strangely, it all seemed perfectly comfortable. The parts of herself that she had struggled to make sense of- the loathing of her appearance, the girl’s shirt she slept in, the constant background discomfort she had in her own skin- suddenly resolved in clarity. Of course she was a girl.  It was obvious- the only mystery was how she hadn’t figure it out sooner.

Her blissful introspection was interrupted by Heather M.’s voice.  “Hey, Sophie? Earth to Sophie?”

“Yes?” she replied, still marveling in the melodiousness of her new voice.

“Burgers okay with you?” 

“Sure, burgers are great.”  To be fair, at this point, she was sufficiently hungry that any food sounded great.  

Within minutes, Heather M. parked the car in the lot of a small, rectangular building with large windows modeled in a classic “diner” style. A neon sign perched at one of the roof corners announced the place as MAW’S HOMESTYLE GRUB, and the glass front door of the building had We’re always cookin’ up something good! scrawled across it. 

Maw’s… Sophie reminisced. This place was a pretty popular local spot, and its retro style clashed pretty heavily with the more modern looking building of the main city drag surrounding it causing it to looked pretty dated. If you asked any of the locals, however, they’d tell you that’s just how they preferred it. A delicious scent of grilled meat-filled Sophie’s nostrils as the group got out of the car and made their way inside. 

As they passed through the front door, the mousy brunette hostess clearly recognized the Heathers, and ushered them to what Sophie assumed was their usual spot near a corner window, granting them a full view of the goings-on within the restaurant and outside. Sophie climbed into the inside wall seat facing the restaurant, and Heather M. elegantly slid in next to her. Heathers K. and S. both took up the other side of the booth.

“Here, you’ll probably want this,” Heather S. said, handing Sophie a menu. 

“Get whatever you like- food’s on me, like I promised,” Heather M. added. Sophie took the menu and began flipping through it. She’d been through this menu at least a hundred times, but everything looked so different now in the light such a ravenous hunger. She scoured the pages, multiple times going back and forth from page to page to make sure she wasn’t missing anything. After she had decided on her selection and double-checked the menu once more to ensure her thoroughness, she laid the menu down and looked up. It appeared the waitress had come and gone for drink orders, having laid out four glasses of ice water with a lemon wedge onto the lip. 

Heather S. started laughing and was joined by Heathers M. and K. in short succession. “You’re really that hungry, huh? With Tyler it was obvious why, and even with Heather.” She said, gesturing to Heather M. “But you’re so small now! Whatever you’re about to order I’m not sure where you’re going to pack it away, girl.”

“If I may?” Heather K. raised her hand in deference to Heather M., who gave her an ambivalent nod. “Sophie might be a lot smaller now,” she said, emphasizing ‘A lot’ which further fanned Sophie’s elation. “But she did develop quite a bit in, uh… other areas.” Heather K. gestured, indicating Sophie’s midsection. Sophie blushed.

“You certainly did.” Heather M. added, blatantly eyeing Sophie up and down as she placed her elbow onto the diner table. “Not as good looking as me, but still more than enough for any guys in your life to fawn over.”

“G-g-guys?” Sophie stuttered, her previous blush darkening quite a bit further. Heather S. leaned in. 

“Well, duh! We were popular before we found the Well, how do you think we did that?” Sophie had to admit, even in her experience guys were pretty predictable.

“U-uh yeah. I guess that would get most guys’ attention,” she responded, looking down at her lap. Heather M.’s brow furrowed, but she remained silent. 

“I’m not sure why you’re acting all embarrassed,” Heather K. said, slyly. “After all, this is ‘the body of your dreams.’”

Heather S. burst out with laughter. “That’s right! Don’t pretend like those aren’t exactly what you wanted.” Sophie blushed again.

“I-I mean I can’t exactly argue, but it was weird having them go all over the place when I ran through the cave earlier.” Sophie divulged.

“Wait, is that what that loud “Ouch” was about in the cave?” Heather M. inquired. Before Sophie could respond, Heather S. piped up again.

“Oh my god, did you run into a wall you were so distracted by them?” She squealed. The trio started laughing again, and Sophie had to admit, it was pretty funny. She started giggling along with them bashfully.

“Good thing you found us Sophie. If you hadn’t you might’ve ended up like Heather’s cousin.” Heather M. commented, gesturing to Heather S. as she sipped her water.

“Your cousin?” Sophie replied, looking towards Heather S.

“Yeah, he always wanted to be a girl too. But he still doesn’t look very feminine from what he posts on social media. Oh, wait. She, I mean. Ugh, I keep messing that up.” She sighed.

“But you seem to be fine with me?” Sophie responded with confusion in her voice. Heather M. interrupted.

“Well, yeah. You’re way easier, Sophie. You actually look like a girl for starters.” She stared at Sophie’s face, “And one with very nice bone structure at that, actually.” Sophie wasn’t sure how to take this compliment. She enjoyed being called pretty, but if it was at the expense of other people? She wasn’t sure.As Sophie pondered this, Heather K. piped up once more after seeking Heather M.’s permission again.

“So, how does it feel? To suddenly be a girl, I mean.” She asked, leaning in somewhat with her eyes wider than usual. As she cast a glance over towards Heather S. she realized that they seemed to be on the same wavelength in regards to eagerly awaiting her answer. 

“Besides the ‘super distracting’ jiggly bits!” Heather S. added gleefully.

“It’s…” Sophie took a moment to consider her answer. “It’s both wonderful and nothing at the same time. They gave her a confused look. She continued, “Like… it’s everything I never knew I wanted. And because of that, I feel calm I guess.”

“Calm?” Heather M. asked.

“Yeah. Like there isn’t all of that background anxiety that I had before. I guess just never felt truly comfortable in my skin.” She responded as she fiddled with her hoodie sleeve.

“Huh,” they responded in unison. Heather M. placed her hand onto Sophie’s. Sophie turned to her, head spinning as to why Heather M. was holding her hand.

“Good thing you’re with us now, then.” Heather M. said and squeezed gently. Heathers S. and K. both placed their hands on top and the four of them started giggling.

“Okay, ready to order, ladies?” Said the waitress as she walked up, pen and notepad in hand. Sophie’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing that. 

Ladies! She called us ladies, and I was included! Sophie thought exuberantly. She couldn’t help letting her inner smile shine through to her cheeks. The waitress didn’t let it slip her attention.

“My, I don’t seem to recognize you!” She said as she focused in on Sophie. Sophie in turn retreated into the booth slightly. She wasn’t sure from where, but she recognized the waitress. She was close to them in age, likely no older than 18 herself. Her name was Stephanie if her name tag was anything to go by. “Since when did these three add a fourth to their number?” She added happily. 

“Er- uhm… Yeah! I’m uh, I’m uh-” Sophie mumbled awkwardly. She wasn’t used to this, she wasn’t sure how to talk to new people as, well, herself. Thankfully Heather M. was there to cut her off.

“Sophie, Sophie Swan. She’s still nervous about hanging with us it seems.” Heather finished as she rested a hand on Sophie’s shoulder. Stephanie smiled and nodded.

“Well, always nice to meet a new face! Anyways, what can I get you ladies tonight?” She started with Heather S. which was just as well as Sophie was lost in her thoughts. Why was she so nervous to speak with the waitress, so nervous to tell her her hame? And she had to do with her parents and the whole school? The thought made Sophie sick in the stomach. She realized all eyes were on her once more. “Er, what can I get for you hun?” She asked pen in hand. Realizing that she had forgotten her order, she scrambled for the menu. 

“I’ll take a double cheeseburger with just pickles on it, and an order of parmesan fries. And a cup of soup.” She stated, adding the cup of soup on a whim.

“Um, what kind of soup would you like? We have-” Stephanie began to inquire, but Sophie cut her off. 

“Anything, give me your favorite. I’m so hungry right now.” Sophie said. She may have been nervous earlier, but the gaping pit in her stomach was demanding food that she could not deny.

“So that the burger, parmesan fries, and a cup of “whatever” soup. You know that the burger comes with fries too, right?”

“Yeah.”

Stephanie laughed. “Don’t worry girl, we’ve all been there. We’ll get those cravings satisfied.” With that, she headed off back to the kitchen. 

“Holy crap, Sophie! That’s so much food!” Heather S. exclaimed. Heather M. and Heather K. seemed to agree with her. 

“There’s no way you can eat that much,” Heather K. added.

“Yeah, I want to put some money on this, Sophie. There’s just no way you can pack all that in that body.” Heather M. said, and laid ten dollars on the table from her purse.

“Challenge accepted.” Sophie smiled. 

As they waited, the Heathers chatted idly while Sophie pulled out her phone. She attempted to turn it on, but it seemed to be resisting her attempts.

“Don’t bother.” Heather K. said interrupting Sophie’s troubleshooting. “It’s probably dead, phones react really oddly to the well. Just plug it in when you get home and it should be okay tomorrow.” Sophie nodded and placed the phone into her pocket

It seemed like the food took forever to arrive, even though Sophie knew just as well Maw’s was known for their quick service. When the waitress returned with their soup orders, Sophie immediately started gulping it down. Heather M. picked up the pepper and Sophie suddenly felt the pinpricks.

“Wait!” she called out through a stuffed mouth, and Heather M. froze. Sophie reached out and took the pepper shaker from her. She lifted the top off, demonstrating that it had been unscrewed.

Heather M. smiled. “You really are going to be useful.”

With disaster averted, Sophie was free to finish off her soup, leaving her bowl empty while the others had only taken a couple of spoonfuls. Fortunately, that took the edge off her hunger a little bit. When her double cheeseburger came, she was able to savor it a bit more, and even took time to breathe between bites. By the time she got to the parmesan fries, she was almost eating a leisurely pace. 

The Heathers had mostly been quiet while she wolfed her food down, occasionally chatting with each other, but largely keeping an eye on Sophie with more than a little amazement. The only one to comment on her appetite was Heather K., who said “Now I know why they call it ‘Maw’s,’” before breaking into a hissing chuckle. Once it became clear that Sophie’s ravenous appetite had been sated, Heather M. broke the silence. 

“Hey, uh, Sophie, you’ve got a little ketchup on your face.  Why don’t we go into the ladies’ room to get it cleaned off?” she said with a meaningful glance towards Heather K. and S. each.

“Huh? Oh, I mean, I can just grab a napkin and-” Sophie replied, a little confused.

“Oh, c’mon, you still haven’t seen what you look like. And you need to,” Heather K. said, grabbing Sophie’s wrist and beginning to pull her towards the restrooms.

“Uh, ok…?” Sophie said, figuring if she was a Heather now (was she?), she should probably just roll with it. After all, they were right- now that she thought about it, she was quite keen on seeing what this brand new body actually looked like.

The four of them swiftly approached the women’s restroom. Wait. 

“Er, this is the women's restroom?” Sophie pointed out. 

“That’s right!” Heather M. responded. Sophie felt more than a twinge of nervousness- this had long been a taboo space for her, after all. She had to remind herself she was a girl now, and this was where she was supposed to be- the Heathers literally nudging her along didn’t hurt, either.

The restroom was small, only a few stalls and two sinks next to each other- but the mirror was large enough to show Sophie what she had become.

Long, black hair. High, defined cheekbones. A cute button nose. A delicate jawline, free of scraggly patches of adolescent beard growth. A well-proportioned torso, sporting breasts that were obvious even underneath Sophie’s baggy hoodie. Curves that made themselves known even in now-ill-fitting men’s jeans.  

Sophie looked into the mirror, and a girl looked back at her. The girl she’d always hoped to see, longed for in her reflection. She felt her eyes grow wet and became aware that Heather S. was speaking to her.

“Hey, Sophie, there, there. Are you okay? You’re crying.”

Sophie sniffled and gave S. a grin so broad it almost made her cheeks hurt. 

“Yeah, I’m okay. Best I’ve ever been, in fact.”

Sophie stared at her reflection for another minute before the sound of a stall clicking shut brought her out of her reverie. She looked back and noticed that Heather M. must’ve gone into one of the stalls and Heather S. was following suit into her own stall. Her previously downed out anxiety started creeping back as she began to fret. Is it okay for me to be in here when they’re… going? Aren’t I a pervert for this? Heather S. noticed her looking from stall to stall in a panic, and stepped out towards her.

“Sophie?” she called out, clearly perplexed, “Do you need something?”

“Uh, I’m fine, but, uh, I have to go to the bathroom and-” I don’t know how, Sophie thought to herself, too embarrassed to speak the words aloud.

Thankfully, Heather S. intuited the cause of Sophie’s distress. “Oh, right.  Uh, I don’t think it’d be all that different from what you’re, ah, used to. I’m assuming you know you need to sit down and just, I don’t know, relax, I guess?”

Sophie blushed an even brighter shade of scarlet, picked a cubicle, and figured things out from there. She was however interrupted by a sudden consensus the others seemed to reach in unison.

“Wipe front to back!” both Heather S. and Heather M. commanded from their stalls at the same time causing Sophie to jump in fright. Embarrassed beyond words, she complied.

Several uneventful-yet-somehow-still-mortifying minutes later, the Heathers and Sophie were back at their table. Heather M. ordered the group pie, which Sophie picked at much more slowly now that her hunger was quenched.

“How does 10 sound tomorrow?” Heather M. asked between bites.

“For what?” Sophie replied, confused.

“For when we pick you up for the weekend.”

This had Sophie even more confused. “We’re spending the weekend together?”

“Come now, Sophie,” Heather M. explained. “You don’t know anything about being a girl. You need someone to teach you.”

Heather S. gasped with excitement. “We can pick out outfits for you! And I can teach you about makeup!”

Sophie could feel herself blushing. Being a girl was one thing, but actually wearing makeup and girls’ clothes? In public? “I don’t know about that,” she said nervously.

Heather K. whispered something to Heather M., whose face shifted into a mischievous grin. “Are you sure?” Heather M. asked. “You don’t want Heather S. to dress you up like a little doll?”

Sophie’s blush deepened as she stared down at her half-eaten pie, unable to answer.  All she could offer was a series of “um”s and other stuttered mumbles.

“From the look on your face, it’s pretty clear that this is stuff you want to do,” said Heather K. in a soothing voice. “I think it’s best to do that this weekend, where the three of us can take the time to teach you.”

Heather S. nodded in agreement. “We’ll be taking care of you the whole time. You’ll be completely safe with us.”

“Plus it’s a three day weekend,” Heather M. added. “That’s plenty of time to get you a whole new look to dazzle everyone on Tuesday.”

Sophie continued to stare at her plate as she considered what they said. She did want to wear makeup and skirts and cute hairstyles. Even if she couldn’t do those things in public, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do it in private with her friends. Finally, her voice a quiet mumble, she said, “10 o’clock tomorrow.”

The Heathers all cheered.