On Sunday morning, Heather McGinn awoke to a text from Mark.

Mark: Guess who I saw at the fair yesterday? Looks like your new friend found herself a girlfriend.

It was accompanied by a photo of Sophie and Chloe walking arm-in-arm. Sophie was holding a stuffed frog in her free hand. Heather felt pride swelling in her. Sophie looked so cute! She had picked the perfect outfit for the fair, without even having to ask for help. Heather quickly tapped out a response.

Heather: That’s just her friend, Chloe. Apparently they’re really close.

A response came almost immediately.

Mark: Nuh-uh. I know when I’m seeing two girls on a date. My gaydar does not lie.

Heather sighed to herself and pulled up the private group chat she shared with the other Heathers. She sent the photo.

QweenBeech: What do you two think of this? Mark thinks they’re a couple.

Heather S. replied first, followed almost immediately by the third Heather.

Feathered_Geode: Margo just told me that she saw them together. Aww, they’re so adorable. I can’t believe I didn’t realize earlier.

HotSchatten: That does explain a lot. Like why she wanted to undo the wish for Chloe. She probably worried dating her while she was under its influence would be wrong.

Heather frowned at her screen.

QweenBeech: That’s kind of weird, though, isn’t it? If she likes girls, why would she want to be a girl?

Feathered_Geode: Oh! I know this one! Gender and sexuality are different. In other words, a boy can want to be a girl and still like girls.

HotSchatten: Plus, Chloe’s pretty open about being a lesbian.

QweenBeech: Wait, you don’t think her ideal body is female just because it’s one Chloe would like?

HotSchatten: That’s kind of romantic, in a twisted sort of way.

Feathered_Geode: Not a chance. Remember how much she likes getting dressed up and wearing makeup. Sophie loves being a girl.

Heather considered this carefully. How was she going to handle this turn of events?

 

* * *

 

You’ve been holding out on us.

That was the sinister-sounding text Sophie received from Heather M. on Monday morning. She considered sending a response, but she knew the Heathers would be there to pick her up soon enough, so she held off and instead spent the morning fretting about what Heather M. could be talking about.

When the Heathers finally arrived to pick her up, she was practically shaking as she stepped into her seat.

“So, Sophie. It seems you have some news for us?” Heather M. asked.

Sophie was confused. “News? What do you mean?”

Heather M. sighed. “You didn’t go on a date the other day?”

“A date?”

“Come on,” Heather S. interjected. “A bunch of people saw you. You didn’t think you were being secretive, did you?”

Sophie’s heart was pounding. This was about Chloe. They didn’t like that she was seeing her. Was she going to be forced to choose between the Heathers and Chloe?

“I-I don’t know that it was a date, exactly,” Sophie stammered. “But I do really like Chloe. And we did kiss.”

To Sophie’s surprise both Heathers S. and K. gave loud “Aww”s in response.

“Is it okay?” Sophie asked meekly. “If I’m a lesbian?”

“Of course it’s okay,” said Heather M. “Being a lesbian is very trendy. And it’s not nearly as messy as being bi.”

Heather K. whimpered a quiet, pitiful sound.

“But some people don’t like lesbians,” Sophie said hesitantly.

“Which just makes you an oppressed minority, which makes us look all the kinder and more approachable for being your friend,” Heather M. said matter-of-factly.

“And you couldn’t have picked a better girl,” Heather S. added. “The captain of the softball team!”

“Plus,” Heather M. continued. “It’ll give Tyler one less girl to ogle over. I’m already constantly dealing with his wandering eye.” Heather S. shot her a look, but in a moment it was gone.

“Yeah, he was starting to make me uncomfortable,” Sophie admitted.

“Well, if he has any sense, he’ll leave you alone as soon as he sees you holding hands with your girlfriend.”

Girlfriend? Was Chloe her girlfriend? It was true that they had kissed, but was saying they were girlfriends going to fast? Sophie spent the ride pondering this.

Once they reached school, Sophie noticed a lot of stares from the other students. This was nothing unusual. She had gotten used to being stared at since becoming friends with the Heathers, but today the stares seemed almost expectant. As though everyone was waiting for something to happen. Sophie was still pondering this as she sat down in Statistics.

“You look distracted today,” came a voice to her side. Sophie looked and noticed Natalie.

“Yeah, there’s a lot on my mind,” Sophie admitted.

“Because of the rumor?”

Sophie turned to face Natalie. “What rumor?”

“You haven’t heard? Everyone’s saying you’re a lesbian and that you’re dating Chloe Gutierrez.”

Sophie stiffened. People were saying that? What would Chloe think when she heard? Would she think that Sophie was telling everyone that they were dating? Would she be angry?

“Hey, it’s okay,” Natalie said, apparently reading Sophie’s expression. “I already suspected that you liked Chloe, remember?”

Sophie frowned. Natalie had mentioned thinking that she had a crush on Chloe, but that had been before the wish. “So you always thought I was a lesbian?”

Natalie thought about that for a moment. “I don’t know. I guess I never heard you talking about any boys, but then I really don’t either. Wait, do you think I’m a lesbian?”

Sophie shrugged. “There are a lot of different things you could be.”

“Well, what made you realize you were a lesbian?” Natalie asked nervously.

That was a difficult question to answer. As Thomas, everyone had always just treated her as if liking girls was natural. She had never felt any reason to question her sexuality until the wish.

“I saw some girls in bikinis,” she answered finally.

Natalie nodded eagerly. “That makes sense. So if I see girls in bikinis and I’m attracted to them I’m a lesbian. Or at least bi.”

She started to pull her phone out of her bag.

“Well, don’t do it now,” said Sophie hastily. “Class is about to start.”

Natalie returned the phone to her bag. “Oh, right, that would be a bad idea.”

The two sat quietly for a few moments.

“Chloe’s pretty butch,” Natalie said finally. “If I am a lesbian, would I have to date a butch girl too?”

Sophie couldn’t help but laugh. “Geez, you’re really worried about this. Natalie, if you’re a lesbian, you can date any type of girl you want. Except for straight girls.”

At that moment, the teacher began the class. For a moment, Sophie glanced back and saw Heather M. with a very pleased grin on her face.

The rest of class proceeded normally. When it came time to head to Chemistry Sophie found herself once again surrounded by stares and whispers, though they felt different somehow. As she gazed upon the faces lining her walk with the Heathers, she realized they now seemed happier, more approving, and cheerful.

I guess the Heather’s are just really good at PR, Sophie pondered. The class itself proved to be slightly more awkward, however. Chloe sat down without much fanfare, though whispers followed her in as they had with Sophie earlier.

“Hey,” Sophie chirped. She hoped Chloe would give some indication of whether she was as nervous as Sophie. 

“Hey you.” She smiled back. “Got the homework from the weekend? I couldn’t figure out problem #19.” She pulled out her textbook and homework from her bag and began flipping through the sheets.

Wait, what? Why isn’t she feeling as weird as me about all of this? Sophie wondered as she bit her lip. She decided to shrug it off, figuring if Chloe didn’t care about their newfound attention then maybe she shouldn't either. This sudden sense of confidence lasted about as long as it took for their hands to accidentally brush together when reaching for an eraser at the same time, jump-starting a scarlet explosion on both of their faces as they yanked their hands back simultaneously. They looked at each other for a moment before breaking into a fit of giggles, though they were quickly shushed by the teacher. The rest of the class went much the same way with neither she nor Chloe knowing quite how to act; they kept reaching for the same beaker or touching shoes together or bumping their elbows leading to yet more girlish squeals. . The rest of the day played out as usual. If people were really wondering whether Sophie was dating Chloe no one bothered to actually ask her, they were content to just speculate.

In Home-ec, Sophie had just gotten settled on the couch when Heather M. stood and said “It’s a nice day. Let’s take a walk.”

Sophie was perplexed. Was she serious? “We can’t just leave in the middle of class. And besides, I think I might be coming down with something. I’ve been feeling kind of achy and tense since lunch.”

“We can do whatever we want in this class. And if you’re feeling under the weather, well, a little fresh air will make you feel better,” Heather replied matter-of-factly and started walking, forcing the others to follow her or be left behind.

She led the group outside and set off toward the football field, trying to ignore the bloated feeling in her stomach. “What are we going to do? Smoke behind the bleachers?” Sophie asked. She was only half-joking. When it came to the Heathers, who knew?

“Nah, there’s just nothing interesting around the school,” Heather S. explained as they reached the bleachers. “I wonder what would happen if we wished for a nature path?”

That reminded Sophie. “Oh, speaking of wishes we need to make a wish to change my driver’s license and birth certificate and stuff.”

“That’s a good idea,” said Heather K. “I didn’t even think about that, but leaving those as they are could become a big problem.”

“We’ll stop by the Well after school,” Heather M. concluded.

The group stood silently for a moment when suddenly Sophie felt the muted pinpricks again, suggesting the presence of another otherworldly animal. She looked around and saw nothing. She looked up at the sky above her, but nothing was there, either. Curious, she wandered around the bleachers and found what she was looking for in the middle of the field. At first, it appeared to be an ordinary cat, sitting in the field about fifteen yards away and licking a paw. However, it seemed to be surrounded by white wisps of mist. After a moment, Sophie realized that the cat itself was actually made of the same white mist, and the wisps were just tendrils of its body. When the cat noticed her, it paused in its cleaning to stare at her.

Sophie started to crouch, then remembered she was wearing a skirt and kneeled instead and held out her hand, rubbing her thumb to her fingertips to beckon the cloud cat. To her surprise, it started to walk towards her. As soon as it moved, she realized that it had six legs and its whiskers were much longer than a normal cat’s. It slowed as it got close to her and eventually paused before her to cautiously stretch its head toward her hand.

Just before it touched her, Heather M.’s voice came from behind her. “What are you doing, Sophie?”

The cat leapt away, dancing backward several feet. It arched its back and seemed to keep arching, its back stretching up and up until its body became translucent and it slowly dissipated into the air and was gone. Sophie turned to face the Heathers.

“Did you see that? Please tell me you saw that.”

“See what? You were just sitting there,” said Heather S.

Sophie stood “That cat! It was right there!” she insisted.

“There wasn’t anything there,” Heather M. said, sounding concerned.

“Did you see something that we couldn’t?” Heather K. asked, her voice full of curiosity.

Sophie decided to confess. “I’ve been seeing weird animals. At the lake and at the fair. And here.”

Heather K.’s eyes widened with excitement. “What did you see?”’

Seeing that Heather K. seemed to believe her was a relief. “Some fish flying in the air, a bird with really long legs, and just now a cat made out of clouds.”

“Sophie, have you been feeli--” Heather S. started to ask.

“How do you see them?” Heather K. interrupted frantically. “Can you show me? Or teach me how?”

Sophie shook her head. “I don’t think so. I think it has to do with my power. Since I’ve been using it more I guess I’m starting to be able to see them.”

Heather K.’s expression turned crestfallen. “But… but that’s not fair.”

Sophie felt a stab of pity. She hadn’t really done anything to deserve her power, and she had never considered that others might feel like they were missing out. “I’m sorry. I wish I could help,” she said.

“Maybe you could get them to show themselves to me,” Heather K. insisted.

Sophie shook her head again. “They’re like animals. I don’t think I can talk to them. And besides, I’m pretty sure if they wanted people to see them, they’d let themselves be seen.”

“But I’m not like other people! I--”

“Heather! Whining isn’t going to get you what you want,” Heather M. said sharply.

Heather K. whimpered. Heather S. placed a hand on her back to console her.

Heather M. turned to look at Sophie. “It doesn’t really matter whether what you’re seeing is real or not. People are going to think you’re crazy either way if you talk about it. So it’s better to just keep quiet and only tell us about it.”

Sophie felt even more sick to her stomach hearing Heather M. say that, but she knew she was right. Telling other people would only cause trouble. “Alright, I won’t tell anyone,” she said, resigned.

Heather M. smiled, satisfied. “Good.”

After school, Heather M. drove the group back to the Well. As they trekked through the woods, Heather K. continued to quiz Sophie about the strange animals.

“Are there any around now?”

“No. I hardly ever see them. It’s just been the three times so far.”

“But you’d think they’d show up around here,” Heather K. insisted. “They’d probably be attracted to the Well’s magic.”

“You can’t really know that for sure,” Heather S. interjected. “For all you know they could be afraid of the Well.”

Heather K. frowned, looking unsatisfied.

Sophie looked at the nervous girl and felt another stab of pity. Suddenly, an idea hit her.

“Hey, what if we wished for Heather K. to have the same power as me?” she suggested.

Heather M. shook her head. “How would we phrase it? ‘I wish Heather Kowalski had the power to sense dangerous events right before they happen?’ ‘I wish Heather Kowalski had the power to see weird invisible animals?’ You have to be clear, concise, and specific when you make a wish or the Well won’t know what to do. There’s no way to accurately describe your power with just a few words.”

Sophie sighed. Of course it wouldn’t be that simple to give someone else her power.

The group made their way down the Well, Sophie casually picking up the coin and flipping into the pool of water, saying “I wish that all existing documentation of me would be changed to identify me as my true self--a girl named Sophia Alexandria Swan--in all facets of my life.” 

“There. That’s taken care of. Wanna catch a movie?” Heather M. addressed the others while Heather K. retrieved the coin.

“I dunno, I’m really not feeling very well,” Sophie replied. “I kind of just want to go home.”

“Come on, I’m paying. I’ll even get you popcorn,” Heather M. insisted.

“I’m really feeling tired. And my stomach is all weird.  At least, I think it’s my stomach.”

“Sophie,” Heather M. said firmly, placing a hand on Sophie’s shoulder. “It will be okay.”

Sophie sighed. She remembered the importance Heather had placed on that phrase. Just like before, she was being asked to trust that her friend knew what she was doing. She nodded.

“Okay.”

The group made their way back up the well and through the woods to the SUV and Heather M. began driving toward the theater. During the ride, Sophie found that her seatbelt was pressing uncomfortably on her stomach. No matter how she adjusted, she couldn’t seem to find a comfortable position. As they drove, she found herself becoming more and more restless and she began to dread the prospect of having to sit through a movie.

When they arrived at the theater, the group began debating which film to see. As usual, Heather K.’s suggestions were shot down immediately.

“Looks like Desert Stars starts in about twenty minutes. I hear it’s supposed to be really good,” Heather S. suggested.

“Isn’t it like three hours long?” Heather M. asked doubtfully.

“Yeah, but from what I hear it’s exactly the kind of thing you love. That whole cheesy ‘they hate each other at first but then they fall in love’ thing.”

Heather M.’s cheeks began to redden. “Fine. Doesn’t look like there’s anything better playing anyway.”

The group started to move towards the ticket counter, but Sophie stood gaping at the movie poster featuring the lead actor and actress posing like the cover of a romance novel. She was going to have to sit through three hours of this? And another twenty minutes before it started? No, this was not okay. She didn’t want to do this, she just wanted to go home and rest. She turned and marched up to the Heathers then opened her mouth to demand that they take her home…

...and found herself sitting, staring at credits rolling on a screen in front of her. She was in a theater chair, still feeling restless and bloated. What had happened?

“What did you think, Sophie?” Heather S. was asking from a couple of seats away. “I, for one, loved it.”

“Um....” Sophie replied, uncertain.

“She fell asleep as soon as she sat down,” Heather M. explained. She was sitting in the chair next to Sophie. “Did you catch any of it?”

“I… guess not,” Sophie said, feeling more confused than ever. She couldn’t even remember sitting down.

“Too bad,” said Heather S. “You missed out. I wasn’t expecting it to turn into a fantasy adventure. And the romance was way less sexist than I expected.”

“Hey, I thought you said you expected the romance to be good,” said Heather M.

“No, I just said I thought you’d like it,” Heather S. replied in a cocky tone.

Heather M. scoffed in mock indignation.

“I just wish I hadn’t missed so much,” said Heather K.

“Shut up, Heather,” Heather M. replied hastily.

Sophie stared at the group, still baffled. Could she really have fallen asleep?

The group led the confused Sophie back out to the SUV and finally, mercifully, drove her home. When she finally reached the comfort of her room she felt exhausted and more than a little troubled. As she thought about the events of the evening she found it increasingly hard to believe that she had really fallen asleep during the film. And, she recalled, this wasn’t the first time there had been a strange lapse in her memory. Maybe she had blacked out during the party, but she no longer felt so sure. She dug out a blank notebook and jotted down the date and everything that had happened that day. She resolved to keep the notebook with her and update it regularly. Hopefully, the next time she had a memory lapse, she could check the notebook and see what had happened in the intervening time.

She decided to put off her homework for the day and instead played video games for a couple of hours before going to bed early. Her sleep was not an easy one, as she throughout the night bloatedness turned to sharp pains in her gut.  She found herself waking up several times, curled up and hissing with pain as another stab of pain radiated out of her abdomen. Man, I must have eaten something bad or something, she thought to herself in one of her more lucid moments.

The next morning, she woke up still feeling bloated and gross, and immediately debated internally whether she should ask to stay home from school.. After managing to pull herself out of bed, she staggered down to the hall bathroom and stripped down. Much to her alarm, she found her crotch coated in dark, semi-congealed blood, her panties and pajama bottoms stained red beyond recognition. What was happening to her? Was this some side effect of the Well? Was she gravely ill? It couldn’t just be a period, could it? Not with so much blood.

Panicked and a little mortified, she scurried back to her bedroom, put on a clean pair of underwear and an old pair of shorts, and walked downstairs.

“Uhh, Mom…?” Sophie called. This was going to be an awkward conversation, but her fear provided ample motivation.

“Yes, sweetie?” her mother replied from the living room.

“So, umm, I woke up feeling like crap this morning and it turns out I’m bleeding profusely from my crotch and I’m kind of freaked out. Like, is this is just my period, or am I bleeding to death?” A choking sound erupted out of sight--it seemed her father was uncomfortable hearing about this--followed by a great laugh from her mom.

“Told you,” she could hear her mother say to her father. She appeared almost instantly, still chuckling to herself. 

“What? What’s so funny? Shouldn’t we be getting me to an emergency room?” Sophie asked.

“Let me guess-- you feel really bloated, might even have some cramps in your abdomen and around your sides. That sound about right?”

“Well, yeah, actually,” Sophie replied, somewhat confused. “That’s bad, right?”

“Honey, it’s just your period. Honestly, I don’t know what to think; you really should have had one earlier considering the size of your chest.” Sophie crossed her arms around her torso and groaned. “But maybe Aunt Flo just missed you too until now.”

“So... just a period, then?” Sophie questioned.

“Yes, honey,” her mother gently escorted her upstairs and down the hall past her and her brother’s bedroom.

“Oh,” Sophie said with no small amount of chagrin. “Are you sure?” She knew periods usually involved bleeding, but there was so much blood…

“Yes, I’m sure. Here, let me show you what’ll help. And then I’ll take you out to that bakery you like and get you a cupcake, okay?” 

“But what about school?” Sophie asked.

“I’ll give them a call. The first time you get your period you get to stay home from school.” And with that, she escorted Sophie into her parents’ bathroom and began what was probably the single most awkward conversation Sophie had ever had with anyone.