Sophie woke the next morning feeling more relaxed than she had in a long time. Something was strange. She wasn’t used to things feeling so right. A moment later she remembered what had happened the previous day. In a flurry, she was touching her body, checking to make sure it hadn’t been a dream. Confirming that it hadn’t, she laid back and sighed contently. She pulled her phone near and turned it on. Whatever strange side effect from the well that had caused it to stop working seemed to be gone. As it came back on a message immediately appeared from Chloe marked as sent last night.

Chloe: Hey! The waterpark was super fun, missed you the whole time though. Did you have time to hang out tomorrow?

Realizing that she had gotten this text last night, Sophie quickly tapped out a response.

Sophie: Oh sorry I didn’t see this last night! I can’t hang today, doing stuff. Txt you later?

She set her phone back down and smelled the sweet scent of pancakes cooking. Smiling, she rolled out of bed and got dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, the jeans now constricting tightly around her hips and butt while the shirt was a bit tighter than she remembered in the chest thanks to her new breasts. She picked up a spare hoodie, but laid it back on the bed instead. It was a nice day, why wear something so warm? She went downstairs to join her parents for breakfast.

Her father quietly tsked when he saw her on the stairs. “What were we thinking, buying you clothes that fit so badly?” he said. 

Her mother looked at her with concern. “Is that why you always seem so unhappy when we go shopping? Because we’ve been buying you clothes that don’t fit? You should have said something, honey.”

Sophie didn’t know how to respond. How could she explain that she never knew what was wrong whenever they went shopping, just that something was wrong? While she internally debated what to say, she stepped into the room and sat down. Her mother’s concerned look turned to distaste and her father quickly pulled his newspaper up. What was that about?

“Actually, my friends are taking me shopping today. We’re going to spend the whole weekend together.”

“Which friends?” Her mother asked. “Chloe? I hope you aren’t letting that girl pressure you into anything.”

“O-of course not,” Sophie replied, stunned. Why are they being so weird? “She wouldn’t do that. And anyway, these are new friends. Heather McGill, Heather Sinclaire, and Heather Kowalski.”

Her father spoke without looking up from his food. “Kowalski, huh? I think I work with her mother. She sounds like a pretty strange girl.”

Sophie remembered the sandbag incident and internally winced. “Yeah, she’s pretty weird. But she’s really nice when you get to know her.”

“Well, Heather Sinclaire is an absolute sweetheart,” her mother said. “She comes to my classes, you know. It’s good that you’re making some more friends. Especially with a girl like her.”

Sophie heard her phone buzz. It was a text from Heather M. 

Waiting outside biiiiich.

“They’re here. I’ve got to go,” she announced, standing and rushing toward the door.

“Wait right there, young lady!” Her mother called out after her. Sophie turned back and caught sight of her mother rushing after her, having apparently shoved the spatula into her father's hands for continued breakfast preparation. “Upstairs. You are not going out into the world dressed like that.” Sophie gave her mother a confused expression. She picked up on this and continued. “I can see your nipples very clearly through that shirt.” She heard her father suppress a coffee-filled cough in the background. She looked down. Sure enough, her nipples were very clearly visible through the fabric of her white t-shirt. Sophie had always felt embarrassed about her chest before the wish, but this was different. Having other people see the problem too was so much worse. She very quickly brought her arms to her chest in an attempt to piece her tattered modesty back together. 

“I-I-I uh,” was all she was able to mumble. Her mother gestured her upstairs which she headed. Her mother followed closely behind. They went into her bedroom, which her mother immediately began looking through. 

“Really? We didn’t get you any bras?” 

Sophie didn’t know how to respond, so she stood silent. After scanning the room again, her mother placed her hands on her hips and appeared to accept the situation. She grabbed another sweatshirt from Sophie’s closet and handed it to her. “Put this on, sweetie, until we can get you some more appropriate clothes.” 

Sophie giggled as she slid it on. Her mother gave her a look.

“What was that giggle about?”

“Nothing, nothing. It’s just…” Sophie trailed off.

“What?”

“Well, the more things change, the more they stay the same.” She replied. Her mother quickly responded with a giggle of her own. Sophie started giggling again too. Their laugh was the same. Maybe it was to be expected with a mother and daughter, but it nevertheless tickled her to no end. They made their way downstairs with her mother shooing her down the stairs to join her friends.

“Okay, have fun, sweetie! Be nice, you’ll make lots of friends!” her mother called out as she walked out the door.

Outside, she found her newfound friends were indeed waiting in Heather M.’s SUV. Heather S. was in the front, so Sophie hopped in the back, where Heather K. stared at her curiously.

Heather M. tsked with dissatisfaction. “We’re going to have a lot of work to do with that wardrobe.”

Sophie laughed. “No kidding. I feel like I’m going to step right out of these shoes.”

“Let’s go to your house first so we can drop off our stuff and size her up,” Heather S. suggested.

The trip to Heather M.’s house was short, much shorter than the trip to the well, but it took them to an area very different from Sophie’s neighborhood. It was a smaller group of houses, nestled between a park and a river. Each house was huge and meticulously kept. Most were three stories tall. Sophie felt intimidated by the thought of actually stepping into one of these buildings.

“How did your parents take it?” Heather S. asked, turning around in the passenger seat.

“Oh,” Sophie responded as she snapped out of her reverie, “It was a whole thing. My mom almost called the cops?”

“Seriously?” They all cried out in response.

“Yeah! I was this close to going to jail, but luckily I got them to recognize me after I did that whole ‘I know secret information that only I could know’ thing. After they heard me say my name they got this weird look on their faces, kind of like they were frozen processing new information.”

“Really? I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Heather M remarked.

“Kind of like this?” Heather K. held up her phone displaying a video loading, a buffering circle spinning around and around.

“Yeah, almost exactly, actually,” Sophie replied as Heather M. pulled up to one of the houses with a longer driveway, a particularly huge one with a gently curving sidewalk leading to the door. The house was almost completely brickwork, with a large outcropping window looking over the driveway. The group stepped out of the SUV and Heather S. and Heather K. collected three bags from the back before they walked to up to the door. It was a remarkably beautiful door with ornate glasswork and woodwork. She opened the door.

“I’m kind of expecting there to be a butler,” Sophie commented.

“We actually had one for a little while,” said Heather M.

“Yeah, that got pretty uncomfortable,” Heather S. added.

Inside, Heather M.’s house seemed impossibly clean and well-organized. It looked like a place to host fancy parties, not a place where anyone actually lived. The Heathers led her upstairs to Heather M.’s bedroom which, while far from cluttered, didn’t quite have the same immaculate perfection as the rest of the house.

Heather K., out of breath from the climb up the stairs, sat down the bags she had carried.

“Shall we get started?” asked Heather S.

“There’s no reason to wait,” replied Heather M. “Come here, Sophie.”

She led her to the center of the room and in a moment the three of them were surrounding her, walking around her and assessing her like predators ready to strike.

Heather M pulled at Sophie’s sweater. “Obviously we have to do something about the clothes.”

“And I can’t wait to teach you about makeup,” said Heather S. gleefully, sizing up her face as she turned it this way and that.

“You’ll probably need period supplies,” said Heather K. from somewhere behind Sophie, making her jump and blush.

“P-period?” she gaped, looking back for a moment before Heather S. pulled her face back around.

“Skincare is going to be important,” said Heather M. tracing a finger along Sophie’s cheek. “You may have gotten the body of your dreams but I didn’t hear anything in that wish about acne prevention. Her eyebrows also need some serious landscaping.”

“How long should we have you grow your nails?” Heather S. asked, lifting Sophie’s hand to examine her fingers. 

“I dunno… an inch I guess?” Sophie responded. They all paused what they were doing for a moment and burst into laughter.

“Yeah right, sorry, honey, but you are not ready for that,” Heather M. responded. They focused their attention back to the task at hand.

“There are a few knots in her hair,” said Heather K., lifting a strand of her hair and running her fingers through it.

“Ow! There are?” Sophie reached behind her to feel the strand Heather K. was holding. “I thought I got them all.”

“Come now, Sophie,” mused Heather M. “Do we need to teach you how to comb your hair, too? Even one knot is unacceptable.”

‘No, I just-” she moved to respond, but Heather S. placed her finger on Sophie’s lips to shush her. 

“Yes. Yes, we will,” Heather S. finished for her while holding up a lock of her own curly hair for comparison. “Trust me.” Sophie nodded in reply. Heather K. started pulling at Sophie’s jeans, causing Sophie to jump back in surprise.

“W-what are you doing?!” she yelped.

“Your hips are pretty wide, I’m surprised you could get these lame jeans on.” She shrugged.

“Lame?” Heather M. placed her hands on both Sophie’s back and shoulder and roughly corrected her posture, eliciting a sharp yelp from Sophie. “Try totally ridiculous.” Sophie wanted to object but Heather M. spoke over her. “Stay standing like this, you hunch like someone who spends all her time masturbating.”

“W-what?!” Sophie spun around with a scarlet blush on her face. With a look from Heather M. she corrected her posture again, pulling her shoulders back.

“Keep your back arched. Push out your breasts. Walk to the end of the room and back for me,” she requested; however, Sophie could tell this was more of a command than anything. With a curt nod, she complied and walked to the wall and back. Heather M. sighed.

“What now?” Sophie whined.

“Jesus, add some sway to your ass, you walk like someone shoved a bottle up there,” she snapped. Sophie and Heather K. both yelped together, not expecting the tonal change. “Do it again,” she added. Her brow creased in frustration and her arms were crossed. Sophie repeated the walk several more times until Heather M. nodded with satisfaction. 

Sophie sighed in relief and placed her hands in her sweater pocket. 

“No! No hands in pockets, missy!” Heather M. snapped again. Sophie quickly pulled her hands back out.

“Then what do I do with them?” 

“What do you mean ‘What do I do with them?’ They’re your hands! You gesture with them and stuff,” said Heather M. in exasperation. Heather S. and Heather K. nodded in agreement.

“O-okay. I’ll try to gesture more with them and, uh, stuff,” Sophie replied, still unsure what exactly that meant. Heather M. relaxed her expression and walked up behind Sophie. 

“Sophie, Sophie, Sophie. Let’s pause this for a second. Do you know why we’re doing this?”

“You’re helping me be a girl, right?” she replied.

“Well, yeah, but more than that, we’re making you into the girl.” Sophie gave Heather M. an even more confused look in response. Heather M. groaned and stepped directly in front of Sophie, adjusting her stance akin to that of someone giving a professional pep talk. “Okay, let me ask you this. At school, are you popular?”

Sophie shrugged. “Well I guess that depends on who you ask…” She trailed off. 

“Are. You. Popular?” Heather M. repeated.

“Er… no. I guess I’m not,” Sophie replied sullenly.

“It seems like you have a problem with people even knowing who you are, hun. Do you want to change that?”

Sophie nodded.

“Good. If you want that to happen, you cannot just listen to us, you have to really learn here. Repeat after me, okay?”

“O-okay.”

“Everything about your old life was awful,” she stated plainly. 

“W-what? It wasn’t-” Sophie began.

“Ah ah! Repeat,” Heather M. cut in.

“Everything about my old life was… awful,” Sophie responded, casting her eyes toward the ground.

“When you remember who you used to be you want to throw up.”

“When I remember who I used to be I want to throw up,” she repeated sullenly.

“You want to burn all of that crap to the ground and start over brand new,” Heather M. added.

“I want to burn all of that crap to the ground and start over brand new.” Sophie looked back towards Heather M., starting to see where she was taking this.

“You’re gonna be one of the most popular girls in school!” Heather raised her pitch, smiling to encourage Sophie.

“I’m gonna be one of the most popular girls in school!” Sophie returned the energy, beaming brightly. Heather M. was right. If she was going to be a girl she had to abandon every part of who she used to be.

“Atta girl!” Heather S. chimed in.

“Sophie, if you listen and learn from us, everything about you is going to change. You won’t ever feel left out again. You won’t be ugly anymore!”

“Ugly?” Sophie cut in, but Heather M. didn’t seem to notice. She continued on looking off into the distance excitedly.

“You’re going to be beautiful in every way! You’ll be popular! You’ll be sexy! You’ll be-”

“One of you!” Sophie completed her thought.

“Yes! Exactly!” Heather M. replied, placing her hands on Sophie’s shoulders. The others came over and joined in. “Exactly right, Sophie!

“You’ll be one of us, Sophie!” they cheered.

“Now Heather,” she looked to Heather S., “Grab your cosmetic bag, I want to see her potential realized.” 

Heather S. nodded and skipped downstairs, returning a moment later with the requested bag of cosmetics. 

“C’mon, Sophie!” She said as she grabbed Sophie’s hand and eagerly pulled her towards the bedroom‘s attached bathroom. Sophie couldn’t resist her enthusiastic tug and found herself in a seat in front of Heather M.’s bathroom mirror. The bathroom was huge and opulent, shining marble all over with a few subtle touches to tie everything together. Heather M. shuffled through a few items before pulling out what she was looking for. She handed it to Sophie. She looked down at it in her hand. Lipstick. She looked back up at Heather M.
“Well?” Heather M. inquired.
“What?” Sophie responded, her eyebrows raising in confusion. Heather M. sighed.
“Don’t you want to try putting some on?” She answered, cocking her hip. Sophie looked down again at the metallic tube in her hands, considering it deeply.
“You mean... I can put it on? And it’s okay?” She asked, looking around. “Nobody will make fun of me?” All of the Heathers shared a sympathetic look, and S. sat next to her.
“No way, hun. Go for it!” She said, putting her arm around Sophie in comfort.
“Okay...” Sophie said, trailing off as she turned around to face the mirror. She raised the tube in front of her face, and slowly turned the cap to raise the wax. She brought the lipstick to her lip, but her hand trembled. Looking in the reflection she became painfully aware of them watching her. Like they were waiting for her to screw up. Like predators watching prey. Her stomach started turning in knots. As her breathing quickened she set the tube down and attempted to calm down.
“I-I’m sorry. I just can’t. Not with you watching.”

"You're a timid one, aren't you? Alright, I've got this," Heather S. chuckled. She ushered the other two Heathers out, ignoring Heather M.'s protests, and closed the door behind them. Then, she sat down next to Sophie again and took the lipstick from her. 

"There. Now it's just you and me. I'll do it for you the first time, so all you have to do is sit still." Sophie closed her eyes and sat as still as she could. She felt the lipstick pressing against her lips. "Lipstick is easy, it's just like a coloring book. You just gotta fill in the lines. There. You can open your eyes."
With her heart pounding, Sophie opened her eyes and looked in the mirror. Her eyes widened when she saw the results. She didn't look like the butt of a joke or like someone desperately trying to capture a look that could never fit them. The lipstick fit her better than she could have ever imagined. It looked like it belonged there.

“Lemme add a bit more here.” She added, and set to work plucking Sophie’s eyebrows much to Sophie’s protests. “Remind me later to pull you aside. We need to talk about haircare.”

“Haircare?” Sophie replied, “Like shampoo and stuff?”

Heather S. chuckled lightly. “Yeah, shampoo and stuff. We both have curly hair, that’s no easy task to keep looking nice.”

Sophie’s newly-plucked brows scrunched up thoughtfully. “But yours is like, way curlier than mine.”

“Well, of course it is, I’m black and you’re a little white girl from the midwest.” She mused lightly, clearly enjoying the conversation.

“I’m… kind of confused now,” Sophie admitted.

“What I was saying is that there are different types of curls, but how you care for them is a little different for everyone depending on the curl type. My curls are usually a bit loose unless I use a few specific products. Yours are a few levels more relaxed then mine, but my younger cousins have similar hair and I’ve helped them with it for years. You need to use very specific conditioners and shampoos, specifically the kind without sulfates. Don’t worry, I’ve got some recommendations. Plus, you’ll be needing an array of products for out of the shower use, too.”

“Wait, I’m putting stuff in my hair after the shower now?” 

Heather S. cackled outright. “Yeah hun, don’t worry. We’ll go over that later.” She continued to work on Sophie’s makeup adding mascara, blush, eyeshadow, bronzer, and, after some messy attempts thanks to Sophie’s flinching, eyeliner.

“What do you think?” Heather S. asked.

“I love it,” Sophie replied, her voice full of wonder.

“Want to show the others?”

Sophie nodded slowly, then tore her eyes away from the mirror. Heather S. opened the door, leading her back into the bedroom and the smiling faces of the other Heathers.

“You look great,” said Heather K.

Heather M. rolled her eyes. “Of course she does. We know what we’re doing.”

Sophie felt excitement rising in her. Being a girl just seemed to get better and better. “So, what’s next?”

“How about a quick trip to grab some coffee?” asked Heather M. surveying the room. “Y’know, get you some exposure.”

Sophie nodded her head. “Okay.” Despite the positive experience in the diner last night, Sophie was still a little hesitant about being out in public.  But surely coffee she could handle, she thought.

 

They piled back into the car waiting outside Heather M.’s immaculate garage. As Sophie shut the door she noticed a gardener working on the hedges lining the driveway. She waved at him and he returned the gesture awkwardly, apparently not used to the kids interacting with him. The engine of the SUV roared to life, and they took off immediately, rolling down the driveway and off towards the town.

“So which coffee shop are we going to?” Sophie inquired. The other girls in the car exchanged a look with each other. 

“Well,” said Heather S. with a mischievous smirk. “There’s a great cafe at the mall.”

“The… the mall?” Sophie stammered. The mall was on the outskirts of town, near where Twisted Oaks township and the next town over met. It was huge and usually packed on Saturdays. People who would see Sophie and… what would they do? Would they point? Would they laugh? Sophie’s chest tightened at the thought. “What if we see someone that knows me?”

“Well, your own parents didn’t recognize you, so I think you’re probably fine, Sophie.” Heather M. commented. Before Sophie realized it, they had pulled into the parking lot of the Oaks Mall. The doors around Sophie opened as the others unclipped their seatbelts and stepped out. Inhaling deeply, Sophie stepped out as well and was quickly shepherded towards the mall.

As the Heathers led Sophie across the parking lot, Heather M. began listing things off.

“Clothes, shoes, underwear…”

“What are you talking about?” asked Sophie.

“As long as we’re here, we might as well pick up a few things for you,” she explained. Sophie began to suspect that she had been tricked into a shopping trip. “We’ll also need makeup…”

Heather K. opened her mouth.

“And a trip to the pharmacy,” Heather M. added before she spoke.

“Are you sure we need that?” asked Heather S. “Does her ‘ideal body’ have periods?”

Sophie felt herself blushing as the Heathers gave this a few moments of thought.

“Do you ever want to have children?” asked Heather K. finally.

Sophie hesitated. “I-I’m not sure. Maybe.”

Everyone paused to think about this.

“We’d better make a trip to the pharmacy,” Heather S. said flatly.

“Now that that’s settled, I assume we can hit the usual places,” continued Heather M. “Did any of you want to stop anywhere else?”

Heather K. spoke up nervously, holding her hands to her chest in a guarded position. “Er… there is one place she might like.”

“Oh? Where?” asked Heather M.

”Um… erm…” Heather K. mumbled.

“Well? Spit it out!”

“Three blocks south, then turn left!” Heather K. blurted.

“Are you talking about that secondhand store? Riot Rags? Why didn’t you just say the name?” Heather M. demanded impatiently.

“Because you told her never to say that name again,” Heather S. interjected. “You know she takes stuff like that literally.”

“Oh, right. Well, we certainly aren’t stopping there.”

Stepping inside the mall proved to be yet another new experience. Sophie found that she was not prepared to be around so many strangers. She had always been uncomfortable in crowds, but the feeling of people’s eyes momentarily passing over her as they walked by felt more pronounced than ever. Worse, it seemed first stop was going to be the most mortifying--the pharmacy.

“I don’t suppose you have any, uh, preferences on pads or tampons?” Heather K. asked as Sophie stood before the feminine hygiene aisle, utterly bewildered by the incredible variety of different products while Heather M. stepped away to make a call.

“I-I dunno,” Sophie managed to stammer out, her face blushing ruby red.  Girls never talked to me about this stuff before, she thought to herself.  Guess I’d better get used to it.

“Well, let’s just start you on pads, then, you’ll probably find them less intimidating,” Heather S. said waving vaguely in the direction of the pads. 

“Uh… what exactly are ‘wings’?” Sophie knitted her brow in confusion as she inspected a package on the shelf labeled ‘Kotex’. 

“Hoo boy, do you have a lot to learn,” Heather K. teased. 

Finally, that embarrassing mission completed, they stepped out of the store. A loud growl erupted from Heather S.’ stomach, and she blushed.

“Do we have time for some food real quick?” She asked bashfully as Heather M. returned. “I woke up late this morning and forgot to eat.”

“How can you be hungry after talking about all that?” Sophie replied, gesturing back towards the pharmacy. Heather M. laughed. 

“As Heather said, you have a lot to learn. Oh, by the way, Mark said to come on by.” Heather S. and Heather K. squealed while Sophie cocked her head to the side. Who’s Mark?

They led Sophie to the food court, where the three diverged, each heading to their preferred eatery. Heather K. wandered toward the sushi bar “Sapporu”, Heather S. skipped over to the diner-fast food combo “W&A”, and Heather M. started off towards the sandwich shop “Rudy’s Subs” before looking back at Sophie who was following the enticing scent of pizza to a stand called “Pizzaz.”

“No.” She stated firmly, causing Sophie to turn around.

“Huh?” she replied.

“No pizza.” Heather crossed her arms.

“Why not? I always get pizza,” she replied, confused.

Heather leaned in. “I didn’t hear anything in your wish about being able to eat whatever you wanted and not gain weight. Did you specifically wish for that too?”

“Er- no but,” Sophie was cut off by Heather M. gently but firmly grabbing Sophie’s wrist.

“Then we better play it safe. Pizza is on occasion only,” she chided as she pulled Sophie over to the sandwich shop. After a brief wait Heather M. placed an order for a chicken breast sandwich with swiss cheese, spinach, and oregano. Sophie stepped up to the counter after her.

“What can I get for you, ma’am?” The worker asked, a hint of exhaustion in their voice. Sophie smiled, feeling like she could just glow from hearing that. It never got old. 

“I’ll take umm… a turkey sandwich with cheddar, bacon-” 

Heather M. cut her off once again. “No bacon.”

Sophie sighed.

“...scratch the bacon, can I have a little bit of lettuce, oregano, and pickles on that?”

“Pickles?” Heather questioned.

“Don’t knock it until you try it,” Sophie responded, enthusiastic that it hadn’t been shot down. After a bit they received their sandwiches and headed over to a table to join the others. Heather K. had of course gotten sushi and was already digging in as she worked her chopsticks excellently. Heather S. had just gotten back before herself and Heather M. and was holding a tray of tater-tots, a milkshake, and a burger. 

“Why does she get to have all that but I can’t have pizza?” Sophie whined.

“Because I wished to be able to eat whatever I want without any effects I would deem harmful happening to my body,” Heather S. stated as a matter of fact.

“What she said.” Heather M. added. Sophie sunk down in her chair slightly in frustration. This caught Heather M.’s eye. “Posture, Sophie,” she said slowly. Sophie slid back up.

“Yeah, yeah…”

They dug into their food as they chatted, all apparently more hungry then they had let on. Even if she couldn’t have pizza, the sub proved to be an acceptable alternative. She noticed that Heather S. was picking pickles out of her burger and setting them down.

“Mind if I have your pickles?” she asked between bites. 

“Uh, sure? I guess,” Heather S. replied, and gave Sophie the requested pickles. “I can’t stand pickles.”

Sophie patted her face with a napkin. “Neither can Chloe, she always gives me hers when we eat out.”

“Chloe?” Heather S. responded in confusion.

“The softball captain.” Heather M. replied.

“Oh, I know her!” Heather S. said cheerfully.

“Yeah, we’re pretty good friends. We do pretty much everything together. She even knows about my ability, too,” Sophie rambled as she finished her sandwich. Heather M. leaned in quickly.

“She doesn’t know about the Well, does she Sophie?” she said cautiously, eyeing Sophie with suspicion.

“What? No, no. I didn’t say anything about that. How would she even believe me?”

“Good. Keep that to yourself.” Sophie nodded, wondering how long she could keep such a big secret from Chloe.

“Ready to go, girls?” Heather M. said, standing up. Sophie quickly wiped her hands with her napkin and followed as they whisked her to an upscale shoe shop, though Sophie had to admit it was sized more similarly to a warehouse than store. They were flanked almost immediately by one of the clerks, a smartly dressed young man. “Ah, ladies! Back again I see?” 

“Yes. Shopping for our friend. And probably a bit for us as well,” Heather M. replied, smiling. 

“Well then, please allow me to assist,” he responded. The Heathers quickly started listing out a selection of shoes to an additional store assistant while the first clerk measured her feet, placing the metal sizer against the bare skin of her foot, the chill making her wince. She noticed that unlike other times she had been sized, he used the other side of the device, the side labeled ‘Women’. She smiled again. “Looks like you’re a size 8, ma’am,” He said, smiling up at her, “That’ll open up pretty much every option for you.” The Heathers set off with an additional clerk in tow behind them pushing a small cart. 

“I don’t usually see anyone else with those three, did they take an interest in you?” The clerk who had sized her asked. 

“Something like that,” Sophie replied as she looked down at his nametag. “Michael?”

“Yep, that’s me!” he stood up again. “Hero of the Footwear Warehouse.” Sophie giggled and giggled again at the sound of her giggle. “Oh? That usually gets a solid chuckle, maybe a chortle on a good day. But never two back-to-back giggles. I’m in your debt, my lady.” He made a show of a fake bow. 

“Well, I thought it was pretty funny,” Sophie replied, kicking her feet back and forth. She had never found it quite this easy to talk to someone new before. She always had found herself quite awkward around new people, but now talking to others seemed to come naturally. She liked it.

“While we wait for them,” he said, nodding towards the now-returning cart filled with selections lead by the Heathers, “What’s your name?”

“Sophie.”

“Sophie, that’s a cute name. Suits you,” He said, smirking slightly. “I’m gonna go help them unload those boxes. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Will do!”

After another few moments, the cart had arrived back in front of Sophie. She counted the boxes, there must have been at least 12 boxes on the cart in varying sizes and colors.

“That’s a lot of shoes,” she commented when she saw what the Heathers had brought her. “And so many of them are heels.”

“Of course. With your height, you’ll mostly want to wear heels,” Heather M. explained as she fitted one onto Sophie’s foot. “Now walk.”

Sophie couldn’t help but splay her arms out as she tentatively wobbled forward.  “Think like you’re tiptoeing! Don’t try to roll your heels!” Heather M. coached her from further down the aisle.  A few more laps around the surrounding aisles and she was beginning to feel a bit more confident, though she suspected her feet would be hurting before too long.

“You’d think a girl so good at dodging danger would have an easier time walking in heels,” joked Heather S.

After getting the approved nods of the Heathers she tried on the other pairs. Once the Heathers had given their approval or denial to each pair, Heather S. handed her a pair of flats.

“You’re going to need to break the heels in before you wear them around,” she explained.

As they walked up to the register, followed by Michael pushing the cart full of their purchases, Sophie realized something. “I can’t afford all of these!”

The Heathers just laughed as Heather M. pulled a credit card from her purse.

“The well does more than make you look pretty, remember?” said Heather K. Box after box was scanned, the total jumping higher and higher. After it reached a higher number than Sophie had ever seen on a cash register, Heather M. just handed the credit card over and gave her a smug look as the transaction was approved. “See?” 

Michael handed Heather the receipt and pulled a few ten dollar bills out of her purse. “For your trouble, Michael dear.” They made their way out the store with Heather K. lugging most of the shoes. Heather started giggling as she looked at the receipt and showed Heather S. and Heather K. who joined her. Eventually she handed it to Sophie.

“What?” Sophie asked, frustrated.

“Looks like you’ve got an admirer.” Sophie quickly scanned the receipt before finding a note at the bottom.

Sophie,

Give me a call sometime! 

Footwear Hero Michael

Below it was a phone number.

Sophie blushed deeply. “W-wh-what?”

“He gave you his number, dummy! He wants you to call him!” Heather S. replied as if it was obvious.

“But why?” Sophie stammered, not comprehending this turn of events.

“Why?” Heather K. chimed in, “You two were flirting like crazy in there.”

“Were not! We were just talking!”

“Oh Sophie, you have so much to learn about being a girl.” Heather M. sighed. “Good thing you have me.”

After a quick trip to the car to drop off the shoes, the next stop was the bra store. Well, it was until Heather S. cackled at Sophie for calling it that. So the next stop was to get underwear. Like with the bathroom at Maw’s the previous night, Sophie felt apprehension walking into the shop. This was ‘no man’s land’, after all, though Sophie could recall more than a few occasions when she had caught herself looking at the entrance with curiosity. She was immediately surrounded by the entrancing scent of perfume and loud pop music that shook her with every beat. It felt as if she had entered a whole new world. She kept pace with the others, her new flats gliding over the glossily tiled floor. Just like the shoe store, as soon as they stepped inside a few sales attendants caught site of them and walked right over.

“Hi girls! Good to see you back!” one of them chirped eagerly, “How can we help you?”

“Our friend here needs a few new bras,” Heather M. said as she placed her arm around Sophie’s shoulders.

“Er, uh yeah,” Sophie added. 

“Oh, sure thing!” The saleswoman said, steering her towards a few racks on the wall as the Heathers trailed behind them, obviously amused by Sophie’s quickly reddening face. They picked a few styles up and held them up to her chest. “What kind of style do you prefer, hun?” 

“Oh! This is cute!” called out Heather K., stepping forward and holding up a blue lace number to Sophie who felt like a deer in the middle of the road. 

“Give us a just second,” Heather M. said, smirking to the assistants who nodded and walked away.

“Or how about pink?” Heather K. added as she looked down at the pink top she was wearing.

“No no, coral goes much better with her skin tone,” Heather S. chided. “It’s her first bra, after all, it’s gotta be special.”

“What about that sentence stands out to you, Heather?” Heather M. knowingly replied.

“Wait, she’s never been fitted! We have no idea what size she even is,” Heather S. said, slapping her hand to her forehead. 

“F-fitted? By a person? Here?” Sophie yelped. She didn’t think she could deal with someone seeing her chest, she had only seen them a few times herself! 

“Of course. Would you rather do it out in the parking lot or something?” Heather M. crossed her arms. 

“Well, no, but-” Sophie began to reply.

“Then I’ll call over one of the attendants, silly,” she cut Sophie off as she waved over one of the saleswomen watching them. After a great deal of prodding from her enthusiastic friends, a red-faced Sophie agreed to be fitted. She stepped into the dressing room, waiting on the saleswoman to join her. She pulled out her phone and saw that Chloe had texted her.

Chloe: “Hey dingus! How’s your day?”

Sophie: “It’s been interesting…”

Chloe: “How so?”

Sophie hesitated. She couldn’t explain something like this over the phone.

Sophie: “I’ll tell you on Tuesday.”

Chloe: “Kk, see you then :)”

With that Sophie heard a knock on the door of her dressing room. 

“You okay if I come in, honey?” the attendant called through the door.

“Yeah,” Sophie responded, not sure what else to say. The sales lady opened the door and walked in with fabric measuring tape.

“Okay hun, must have been a while since you got sized, huh?” she chirped as she walked up to Sophie.

“Oh, yeah. It’s been a long while,” Sophie responded, technically telling the truth. She started pulling her T-shirt up.

“Whoa, what are you doing?” The attendant stepped back.

“Just… taking my shirt off. That’s how you measure boobs, right?”

“I don’t know where you’ve gotten sized before, ma’am, but that’s not how we do it here. I can just size you over your T-shirt,” she stated, very obviously trying not to laugh.

During the sizing, Sophie’s mind drifted. This was very new, and kind of weird. But at the same time, it was like a bliss she didn’t even know she wanted. This was a girl thing. No guy ever did anything like a bra fitting. And now she got to participate, too!

Once she was finished getting sized, the Heathers selected a variety of styles for her.

“What size, Sophie?” Heather S. asked.

Finding herself unable to say it aloud, Sophie silently handed over the card the attendant had given her. Heather M. giggled. 

“Mine are still the biggest,” she smirked.

Once she had a bra on, Sophie was surprised by how comfortable it was. Moving around suddenly felt much easier. She had to admit that while having breasts was amazing, they were often in the way and she had noticed it hurt when she moved too quickly without a bra on. As the Heathers presented her with their choices, Sophie marveled at the colors and varieties of their selections. Most of the underwear came in matching pairs with the exception of a thong. Sophie blanched when Heather M. ominously stated it would “come in handy.” However, before she could object, the Heathers were leading her up to the register. 

“The usual charge account, Miss McGinn?” asked the cashier, already pushing buttons on her register.

“Yes, as always,” Heather M. responded simply. Just as before, the sales total very quickly skyrocketed, and Sophie found herself amazed at the lack of fanfare paid to the exchange. Before she could marvel any longer, however, she found herself whisked away, onto the next store.

The first clothing store, an upscale shop by the name of MacAlistaires, went much like the other stores had. The Heathers and Sophie walked in, and like clockwork the sales team was on them, making small talk and asking if they needed any assistance. Heather M. chose one of them, a lanky guy with blonde hair and a pencil-thin mustache, to help them carry their selections. They breezed their way through the racks, grabbing skirts and dresses but not, Sophie noticed, a single pair of pants or shorts before leading Sophie to the changing room. Heather M. stepped into the room first, beckoning Sophie to follow her.

“You’re coming in with me?” Sophie asked. “Is that allowed?”

“Of course, don’t be nervous. Girls do this all the time,” Heather M. replied.

Heather S. joined them as well, but Heather M. held up a hand when Heather K. tried to follow.

“Wait outside. There’s not enough room for everyone.” Heather M. shut the door on the mortified-looking Heather K.

With some help from the others, Sophie put on a black felt A-line skirt, and a cream-colored button-blouse.  Once she was dressed, the Heathers stepped out of the way and allowed her to look at herself in the mirror.

Once again, Sophie found herself staring in a mirror, unable to believe the sight.

“I guess you like it,” Heather M. said, a smirk on her face. “Hold still, though, I have to make some adjustments.” She leaned forward and unbuttoned a few of the top buttons of Sophie’s blouse, ignoring Sophie’s sputters of protest. 

“There you go.  Much better.”

“Are-are you sure?” Sophie asked hesitantly.  “Isn’t that a little revealing?”

“Sophie, if you’re going to be one us, you have to learn how to flaunt what you’ve got,” Heather M. countered cooly. 

They had her try on the other outfits before putting her back in the first one and making their purchase.

As they stepped out of the store, Heather K. carrying their bags, Sophie suddenly became aware of the crowd around them. She was standing in the middle of a public place wearing a miniskirt. Her stomach began to turn in knots as the trio shooed her towards the opposite side of the corridor, coming upon a makeup store, Sephulta’s. The store appeared closed, however, as there was a gate down in the entrance. Heather M. walked up to it.

“Mark!” she shouted. Sophie heard a shuffling behind the gate, and just as suddenly it began to rise. After it had fully risen, a teenager stood before them. His dark hair was slicked back, but his face was completely decked out in very elaborate makeup with multiple colors blended effortlessly. 

“Hey, hey! I closed right when you called me, Heather,” he said, a large smile on his face as he spoke with Heather that was almost identical to the expression Heather K. wore when talking to Heather M. 

“Thank you, Mark. Next week you may sit at our table,” Heather M. responded cooly.

“Oh man, that’s awesome. Thank you so much,” he gushed. Heather S. stepped forward.

“Hey, Markie. Love the look.” 

“Oh thank you, Heather. That video you sent me totally rocked, I had to copy the look.” They made small talk while Sophie joined Heather M. and Heather K. in the store. Sophie glanced around, taking it all in. She’d never been in a makeup store before and felt a little overwhelmed. Within the narrow confines of the aisles, there were a vast array of colorful and shimmering pigments and products. A sweet smell filled her nostrils--not like the perfume in the clothing stores, but something earthier and more subtle.

“Why did he close when you called him?” Sophie asked. She didn’t spend a lot of time at the mall, but anyone could see that a store closing on a Saturday at the request of four customers was strange. “Was it some kind of favor?”

“Because usually when we come here, we take our makeup off,” Heather M. responded as if it were obvious.

“So?” Sophie replied, now more confused.

“So, nobody can see us without our makeup,” Heather M. said flatly. “Ever.”

Sophie furrowed her brow. “Really? Doesn’t that seem like a lot of work?”

“Of course it is, Sophie dear. But to be the most popular girl in school you have to put in a lot of work.” Sophie looked towards Heather K., who nodded along. Sophie sighed, thinking that that didn’t sound quite right, but what did she know? She wasn’t even a girl until a day ago. She turned back towards Heather S. and Mark who were still chatting happily as they made their way towards the trio. Mark soon noticed Sophie. “Well, well, well, what do we have here? A new recruit to the Heathers’ army of fabulousness?”

“Oh, uh, I’m, uh-” Sophie began to say, still processing this whole situation.

“This is Sophie,” Heather S. cut in, “and yes, she’s new to our group.”

“Yeah, we’ve kind of taken her under our wing,” Heather M. added.  “She was going through a dreadful tomboy phase, but with our help, she’s finally come to her senses. But the girl needs a crash course in makeup, stat.”

“Ah, I see. Well, anything for my favorite set of girls. Let’s get started, shall we?” Mark gently grasped Sophie’s arm and began to walk her through the aisles. “She’ll need primer, for starters.”

“Primer?” Sophie asked, confused.

“It’s what you put on first, to provide a smooth layer to put everything else on top of,” Heather K. responded.

“And it just so happens we have a brand new product from Sephluta that I’ve quickly grown to love.” Mark handed her a small tube with silvery logos on it. Sophie blanched at the price. So much money for so little. I hope the Heathers are being honest about how much money they have. 

“This is my favorite highlighter set for contouring,” Mark continued, gesturing to a large black rectangular box with several different powder cakes enclosed within, “but with your cheekbones, you very well may not need it.” 

“Better grab it, just in case,” Heather M. overruled. 

“And of course, we can’t forget the foundation. I figure I’ll give her your preferred brand, McGill, though her skin tone is a bit lighter so we’ll adjust accordingly.” Another bottle was dropped into Sophie’s arms. 

Bronzer, setting powder, and two colors of blush were similarly acquired, along with a brow pencil, white eyeliner for the corners of her eyes and black liquid eyeliner for her lids, and half a dozen shades of lipstick. “What do you think we’ll work best for her in terms of eyeshadow?” Heather S. inquired. “So far, we’ve just been doing the basics with her.”

Mark studied her face, his brow contorted in concentration. “Hmmm, what you have works great for an everyday look, but for statement looks, let’s start her with a bold royal blue, plus a little shimmer on top. She’s got these lovely brown eyes, and I think that’ll really bring out the gold in them.” 

Sophie blushed--she wasn’t used to anyone, aside from her parents, telling her how pretty her eyes were. Well, and Chloe, of course. 

“This should cover her for now, I think,” Mark announced with his arms folded. “Though, of course, let me know if you’d like to come in for another consult, or if she wants to experiment with something more daring. Admittedly, she’s got such a great face that it won’t take much to get all the guys swooner for her.”

“Oh, um--” Sophie stammered. Mark quirked an eyebrow and, with a smirk, said quietly, “or girls. Y’know, whichever.”

It dawned on Sophie that she hadn’t really put much thought into her sexuality. Did she like guys now? And if not, did that make her a lesbian? She didn’t have time to pursue that line of thought, however, as all the makeup was quickly rung up, the bags were handed off to poor Heather K. and before she knew it, the Heathers were dragging her back into the mall.

Once they re-entered the crowd Sophie again remembered how she was dressed, plus the experience at the makeup store reminded her that she had been wearing makeup the whole time, and the knots returned to her stomach. Instinctively she grasped her hand to bunch her sweatshirt into her palm, only to be reminded of its absence. Everyone around her could see that she was dressed like a girl. A boy dressed like a girl in front of the whole mall. I’m making a fool of myself. They can all see how ridiculous I look. As they passed a boy her age, she swore that his smile was mocking her. She felt tears begin to well in her eyes. Her breathing became harried. She desperately grasped at Heather M.’s arm.

“I can’t do this,” she said, her voice raspy.

Heather M. paused, looking at her. “What’s wrong? Do you have a stomach ache or something?”

Sophie shook her head. She couldn’t breathe. “I can’t… I can’t.”

The other two Heathers were looking at her, too, all three faces were full of concern.

“Okay, let’s get you home,” said Heather M.

The Heathers led the quivering Sophie back to the car. Once they were all settled inside, Heather M. turned to Sophie.

“Okay, what is going on?”

“I can’t dress like this,” Sophie repeated. “It’s too much. Everyone can see. I look ridiculous.”

Heather M. scowled. “That’s it? I thought you were sick or something. What the hell is wrong with you? You can’t start freaking out just out of nowhere like that. That makes all of us look bad.”

“She said the clothes we picked out look ridiculous,” Heather K. commented.

“That’s right, you did. Is that what you think? You think we look ridiculous?”

“N-no, I…” Sophie could feel her panic rising again.

“Would you rather go back to the way things were? Dressing in ratty hoodies and jeans that don’t fit?”

“No,” whispered Sophie.

“Look at me.” Heather M.’s tone left no room for disobedience. Sophie looked at her. “Do I look ridiculous?”

When Sophie didn’t answer, Heather M. repeated it, louder. “Do I look ridiculous?”

Sophie shook her head.

“And what about my friends? Do I walk around with people who look ridiculous?”

Sophie repeated the gesture.

“Then why the hell would I make you look ridiculous?”

Sophie attempted to stammer a response, but couldn’t figure out what to say.

“I’m going to make you beautiful, Sophie. But for that to happen you have to do what I say.”

Sophie could feel tears forming in her eyes.

“Say it. Say you’ll do as I say.”

“Hey, take it easy on her,” said Heather S. “This is all new for her.”

Heather M. gave Sophie a curious look, as if she hadn’t considered that.

Sophie nodded. “I just felt like everyone saw a boy in a skirt. Like they were laughing at me. I couldn’t handle it.”

Heather K. looked back and forth between the other Heathers and Sophie, but said nothing.

“Fine,” said Heather M., a touch of empathy coming through in her tone. “But you can not freak out like that in a public place. If you feel that way again, you hold it in.”

Sophie nodded.

“Good. Let’s go home. I’m tired of shopping.”