Classes were exactly as Mary expected. She still had her same major of English, the only difference being that “Mary” was enrolled as a student instead of “John”.  She was happy that things were falling together so well. She was, however, disconcerted at just how much attention her new appearance was generating. Her previous questions regarding her sexuality were shatteringly answered as she found that she was still attracted to men… and there was no danger in revealing it anymore. Yet, she couldn’t let herself be courted. If Charlie ever found out that she had accepted a date… she just wasn’t sure. What if there was a deeper reason for her refusals?

University was the same for Charlie as it always was. Tough classes, boring professors, and beautiful girls that he would occasionally try dating. Today, however, he just couldn’t think about dating anyone. Not now that he had met his soulmate. Still, he was worried about Mary. She was out there for the first time as a girl, and he wasn’t sure how she was going to take it. As beautiful as she was, she would be beating the guys off with a stick, but she would probably prefer an axe or minigun.

When Charlie got back home from his classes, he was surprised to find that Mary was still out. Didn’t her classes end before his? As if to answer the question, she came bounding into the room and froze. Charlie’s eyes bugged out of his head at the sight of her. She was wearing a pair of shorts and a midriff baring top. They were obviously made for running, but seeing Mary show so much skin so soon after becoming a girl greatly surprised Charlie.

“Something wrong? I was just out for a run,” she said casually, wiping her forehead.

“But… what you’re wearing…” Charlie stammered.

“Oh, this? These seem to be my running clothes now. With how hot it is out there, I’d overheat if I wore pants,” she said.

“And you’re okay with showing that much skin?” 

“Not really, but as I said, it’s better than overheating. I’m going to take a shower, then get into more practical clothes,” she said, bounding to the bathroom. Charlie left the room to give her some privacy.

Charlie was confused. If the program had changed him instead of John, he would have spent his time hiding in the apartment wearing the least revealing clothes he could find. Mary, however, was not only casually talking about sexy nightwear last night, but she went out in short shorts and a sports bra to run? It was only natural that Mary kept her habit of having a run every day, but she seemed to be taking her situation unusually well. Was she sure that her mind wasn’t affected? Charlie pushed that thought to the back of his mind for the moment as he picked up the phone. He had the phone number of the company who ran the contest he won, and he intended to give them a piece of his mind.

“Soulmate Discovery, Inc! This is Britney,” a cheerful girl answered.

“Hello, Britney. I recently won a contest that your company ran, and I have a question about my prize. Is there anyone I can talk to?” Charlie asked.

“You won one of our contests? Did you win an early copy of our soulmate creation program?” Britney asked.

“Yes, I did. I’d like to know more about it.”

“Of course. I’ll put you through now,” the girl said. Charlie waited for a moment, until the phone was picked up again. He was surprised that he wasn’t put on hold.

“Hello, Charlie. I am Brandon Zenix, CEO of Soulmate Discovery,” the man said. shocking Charlie. He was sent straight up to the CEO? What was going on here?

“Hello, Mr. Zenix. I won your contest to describe the personality of my soulmate,” Charlie said.

“Of course. You are well loved out here, Charlie. Your detailed descriptions helped to provide the framework of creating the personality of one’s soulmate within our creation program. How did you like your copy?”

“It really is an amazing piece of software… except that it changed my best friend into a girl!” Charlie said, getting straight to the point.

“Your best friend, you say? Tell me. Was the personality of your soulmate similar to the personality of your best friend?” Brandon asked.

“According to him - well - her, the personalities were an exact match,” Charlie said.

“How has your friend reacted to the changes?”

“She was panicking and crying at first, but now she seems to be trying to take it in stride. I think she’s trying to hold out until I can reverse the change,” Charlie explained.

“I see. However, I am sorry to inform you that the change is irreversible.” Brandon said.

“What do you mean, it’s not reversible? I changed my best friend into a girl! Our relationship has completely changed!” Charlie yelled.

“Into one borne from love, I hope.”

“No! If anything, we’re being driven apart. I can’t try to court her. She was once a guy, and our friendship would be ruined if I made any moves on her,” Charlie said.

“I’m sure that the two of you will resolve your differences and develop your relationship further,” Brandon said.

“Why are you so sure? Is there some kind of magic at work here?” Charlie asked.

“Nothing past the initial change, I assure you. You two will be drawn together because you are soulmates. Whether you pursue a further relationship is up to both you and her,” Brandon explained.

“Why did this program create my soulmate? Does that mean that I wouldn’t have found her otherwise?” Charlie asked.

“It means just that. Not everyone’s soulmate is in a position to be easily found, and the program seeks to remedy those situations. If it helps, you’ve always been your friend’s soulmate,” Brandon said.

Charlie paused for a moment at those words. He was John’s soulmate… but not attracted to guys? What? “How… how does that help? You’ve forced us into an awkward situation where we’re both walking on eggshells around each other. How is that supposed to foster love?” Brandon demanded.

“The greatest love comes after the greatest turmoil. If the two of you can solve your problems, you will be truly happy with each other.”

“How can you know all of this?”

“It is the nature of soulmates. They cannot be driven apart, yet they cannot be forced to accept each other either. It’s a tenuous situation, and one we hope to eliminate in order to foster the growth of love in the world.” Brandon said.

“So you’re saying that we’re meant to be together, but it doesn’t mean that we will be together?” Charlie asked.

“Exactly. Situations such as this often lead to divorces. A couple realizes that they don’t love each other as much as they could, yet they cannot quite place a finger on why. The answer, of course, is that they’ve had contact with their soulmates, but don’t realize it quite yet.” 

“Why are you explaining all of this to me? Wouldn’t it be more fulfilling to find out who my soulmate is myself? Instead, it’s being thrown in my face that this beautiful girl who was once my male best friend is my soulmate, and I just don’t know what to do,” Charlie said.

“That is something that not even I know the answer to. You, among four other lucky winners, earned early access copies to our program. Through your experiences, we will determine whether or not this method of fostering love is successful. I am sorry that your friend experienced such a change, but the program is capable of enacting such changes to reality. Ordinarily, it would lead the user to be inexplicably drawn to their soulmate, without their knowledge,” Brandon said.

“So you really just want love to spread?”

“Precisely. What the program has done is final. I hope that you and your friend find the love that is waiting for you.”

“Well, thank you for your help. I’ll keep what you’ve said in mind,” Charlie said.

“I’m sure you will. Have a nice day,” Brandon finished. He hung up, leaving Charlie with a lot of thinking to do. Just what is a soulmate, he wondered. He walked back to the bedroom to find that Mary was already dressed in another pair of jeans and a shirt.

“Mary?” Charlie asked. The beautiful girl turned to face him.

“Yes?” she chimed.

“I just got off the phone with the company who ran that contest.”

Mary’s interest spiked. “What did they say?”

Charlie sighed. “The CEO himself told me that what the program did to you is irreversible. He’s so convinced that we are soulmates that his advice was to just ‘let our love grow’,” he air quoted the last part.

Mary scoffed at him. “So his solution is to just forget about it and start sucking face?”

“It would seem so,” Charlie said sadly.

“Just what is it about soulmates anyway? All I’ve been hearing these days is soulmate this and soulmate that. Is it really that important?” Mary ranted.

“I really don’t know, Mary,” Charlie said. He briefly thought about sharing Brandon’s claim that he had been Mary’s soulmate their entire lives, but decided not to. It probably wouldn’t help.

“Do you really think there’s no way to change me back?” Mary asked.

“I don’t want to think that. I’ll keep looking,” Charlie said. He saw Mary smile, but only she knew that her gratitude was becoming less and less sincere. Charlie, however, saw the smile… but not the worry behind it.

“You’re a good friend,” Mary spoke softly. Charlie smiled and went back to his computer to explore the program some more.

---

Through the rest of the week, the tension between Charlie and Mary began to grow. Charlie was frustrated at both his inability to find a way to reverse the change and his growing attraction to Mary. He couldn’t accept Brandon’s assertion that he shouldn’t worry about anything because they were soulmates. He knew that Mary was his soulmate… and he didn’t need any person or program to confirm it. Every time he looked at her, he wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her until she was dizzy. When it came to be Friday, he was welcoming the chance to get home for the weekend and spend some time away from his problems.

Meanwhile, Mary suffered from her own frustrations. She greatly admired and respected Charlie’s dedication in trying to change her back into John. She knew that Charlie was very attracted to her… even a blind woman could notice the stares she often caught him employing. The problem was that she couldn’t reveal the truth to Charlie: that the attraction was mutual. Their relationship had remained strictly platonic, yet she couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like for him to take her into his arms and kiss her deeply. These fantasies were starting to creep into her dreams, leaving her confused yet happy when she woke up. It was a rattled Mary who drove home on Friday.

---

Mary’s Weekend

Mary arrived home late in the evening and wanted nothing more than to just go to bed after greeting her parents. The week had tired her out immensely, but she was glad to be home. Since Charlie left for his home before she did, Mary was able to dress femininely after several long days of only wearing jeans. Her running outfits were somewhat of a reprieve, but it wasn’t enough. She longed to wear skirts, dresses, heels, earrings, and all of the delicate clothing that would best showcase the resurfaced feminine desires that became stronger and stronger with each passing day. When she woke up the next morning, she was instantly in a skirt and blouse, bounding downstairs to see her Mom, who was usually up early as well. As she suspected, Cathy was doing a little light dusting in the living room, and she lit up upon seeing Mary.

“Hi, honey!” she said, “Are you feeling nice and awake?”

Mary nodded. “I was out as soon as I hit my bed. It’s nice to be home.”

“How are you doing?” Cathy asked.

“I’m doing fine,” Mary said.

“Are you and Charlie doing okay?” 

Mary sighed. Already, she was starting with this? “We’re doing fine, Mom,” Mary lied. She was sad that things really weren’t okay. The tension between them was making her question her choice of staying in the apartment after the change.

“No you’re not, Mary. Something is upsetting you. Please, talk to me,” Cathy pleaded with her daughter.

Mary sank down on the couch, pressing her knees together. “Is it that obvious?” she asked.

Cathy sat down next to her daughter and brought her into a hug. “Whatever it is, we can get through it, okay? Are you willing to talk about it?”

“It’s Charlie,” Mary found herself saying, “there’s this tension between us now. He keeps staring at me when he thinks I’m not looking, and I just don’t know what he’s thinking.”

“You may be his friend, honey, but you’re also a beautiful woman. Have you confronted him about how uncomfortable you’re feeling?” Cathy asked.

“I don’t know how I should do it,” Mary said, “I don’t want to hurt our friendship.”

“That’s understandable, but if you let this linger, the two of you will be driven apart without a chance of saving your relationship with him.”

“Do you think that he’s attracted to me?” Mary asked.

“Any man would be stupid not to be,” Cathy gently joked.

“That doesn’t help, Mom,” Mary whined, “I don’t know what to do about this.”

Cathy stroked Mary’s hair. “Do you have feelings for him too?”

Mary began to cry as she nodded. Cathy brought her into another hug. “I’ve known him for so long and never felt anything like this. I’m so confused!” Mary sobbed.

“Love can be sudden. Are you worried about pursuing him?”

Mary couldn’t relay her true concerns. She had to think of something that was true enough to get her Mom’s advice.  “I’m afraid that if something goes wrong, then I’ll lose his friendship forever.”

“You can’t find out if the two of you will work unless you take that risk.”

“I’m scared.”

“You’re scared of falling in love?” Cathy prodded.

“No,” Mary sighed, “I want it more than anything. I want what you and Dad have.”

Cathy stroked her daughter’s hair. “Then take the plunge. You two are perfect for each other.”

“You really think so?” Mary asked.

“Of course. I’ve watched your relationship develop since you were a little girl,” Cathy said. Mary pushed further into their hug. Maybe it was worth taking the risk after all.

“I think I know what I have to do now,” she said after a long pause.

“I’ll support whatever decision you make,” Cathy said.

Mary smiled. She knew exactly what she was going to do when she got back home.

<i>Charlie’s Weekend</i>

Charlie woke up on Saturday morning after a night of heavy thinking. He couldn’t get Mary out of his mind. She seemed to be getting more beautiful every single day, despite her conservative dressing. Every day, he resisted the urge to gently hold her and say those three words… “I love you.”

A knocking at the door interrupted Charlie’s thoughts.

“Hey, Charlie. You awake?” his father, Mark, asked.

“Yeah, just give me a sec,” Charlie called back.

“There’s no need for that,” Mark said, opening the door, “we can talk here.”

“What’s wrong?” Charlie asked as Mark sat on the bed with him.

“You were awfully distant yesterday. Is anything bothering you?” he asked.

“Did Mom put you up to this?” Charlie asked.

“Yes, she did,” Mark laughed, “but that doesn’t mean that I’m not worried about you, too. Is it Mary?”

Charlie was about to protest, but he realized that he would just give himself away. He just nodded.

Mark sighed. “I have to admit, son. I was worried about you inviting her to live with you, but I knew that you’d be able to handle it. You’ve been friends for so long that I can’t see anything going wrong between you two. What’s going on?”

Charlie looked down. “I’m falling in love with her, Dad.”

Mark smiled. “It’s about time.”

“It’s not that simple, Dad!” Charlie cried, “I know that she doesn’t feel that way about me. If I tell her how I feel, our friendship will be ruined.”

“Would Mary have accepted your offer to live with you if she wasn’t interested in getting closer to you?” Mark asked.

Charlie deeply regretted not being able to reveal his true situation to his Dad. “Well, no, but she isn’t ready for me to tell her my feelings. I don’t know if she ever will be.”

“I remember when I first asked your mother out. It took me months to gather the courage to ask her for a simple date, and she said no. I was crushed! But, a few months later, she came back and asked me if my offer for a date still stood… and the rest is history,” Mark explained.

“She said no?” Charlie asked.

“She sure did. When she came back, she explained that she wanted to accept my offer, but she simply wasn’t ready to try a relationship just yet. What I’m saying is that you shouldn’t worry about whether or not Mary will accept you right now or not. What matters is that she knows how you feel,” Mark said.

The advice was sound, and it might work in any other situation but Charlie’s, but his situation was unique. Charlie had even more to think about as he thanked his Dad for the talk and continued to sit on his bed. He wondered what would happen when he and Mary saw each other again.

<i>Sunday Afternoon</i>

Of the two friends, Mary got back to the apartment long before Charlie. She wanted plenty of time to prepare herself for his arrival. She planned on opening herself up to him… and she desperately hoped that he’d accept her. She showered and found herself in front of her closet after drying and brushing her hair. Smiling, she put on a strapless bra and a beautiful red dress that molded to her generous curves. It came down to just above her knees, showing a lovely portion of her legs. Not a hair had grown on them in the week she’d spent as Mary so far. She next put on some simple hoops and let a necklace settle just above her cleavage. After putting on a pair of red 3½ inch heels, she sat down at the computer.

Mary saw the icon for the soulmate creation program still on the desktop. Curiosity dominated her thoughts. Just what was it? How was it able to alter reality into thinking that she was born as Mary and not John? Butterflies floated in her stomach as she saw the picture of her and Charlie together that she had seen just before her transformation. Both of the people in the picture were smiling, and Mary found herself smiling back. Would this be the two of them someday? She navigated to start a new soulmate, and was surprised that the program let her. Charlie claimed that he couldn’t. Did the program know that someone new was using it?

Mary effortlessly created herself with the program. She was as amazed as Charlie was with the power of the program and its ease of use. She then moved on to creating her own soulmate. She started placing traits, quirks, and everything else that made up the personality of the guy she wished to be with. Her desires came out unusually easily, and she quickly transitioned into creating the physical appearance of her soulmate. She felt like she was in a trance as she manipulated the tools of the program to create her perfect man. When the program announced itself as finished, she leaned backwards from the screen and gasped.

The man she had created… was Charlie! In a panic, Mary looked through the traits she had placed, and found that every single one matched her best friend. A shaking hand went over her mouth as she closed the program. How could she have unknowingly created Charlie? She sighed as the answer came to her. The same way Charlie unknowingly created Mary. She stood up again as she heard the front door open. Mary straightened up, smoothed her dress out, and readied a smile for Charlie when he entered the room. She wasn’t about to abandon her plan.

Charlie walked into the room and froze when he saw Mary in her dress. A cautious smile graced Mary’s face as she waited for him to react.

“Mary… you look beautiful,” Charlie said. He couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Thank you,” the girl said softly. “Charlie, I have to talk to you.”

“So do I,” Charlie said, “but you can go first.”

Mary sighed. “Please. Wait for me to finish before you say anything.”

“Okay,” Charlie said. Mary took a deep breath and began to tell her story.

“When I was about ten years old, I liked to dress in women’s clothing. Mom and Dad let me do it all I wanted, because they thought that I would grow out of it. I kind of did, but it wasn’t because I didn’t want to wear the clothes anymore. It was because clothes for teenage girls just didn’t fit me as I aged. When I wore those clothes, I didn’t feel like somebody else. I felt like… me. It was really confusing to me because I wasn’t attracted to girls. I was attracted to… boys. I tried to deny it, which was why I’ve never had a relationship.” Mary paused for a moment. “Charlie, I’ve… I’ve always been a girl.”

Silence prevailed for a few minutes before Charlie finally found his voice. “So, you’ve… always been Mary?”

Tears started to streak her face as she nodded. She was waiting for the hammer… for Charlie to abandon her.

“Then why did you try to make it seem like you really wanted to change back? Why wait until now to wear a dress?” Charlie continued.

“I didn’t want you to think badly of me or think I was some kind of sissy. I… I don’t want to lose you, Charlie,” Mary’s voice cracked as she spoke.

Charlie smiled and brought the crying girl into a hug. “You aren’t going to lose me, Mary. You aren’t some sissy… you’re a girl, and it really does sound like you always have been. It would explain a few things I noticed about how you’ve carried yourself.”

Mary pulled herself back from the hug. “You… You’re really okay with this?”

Charlie pulled her back into his chest. “You’re my best friend, Mary. I’d be okay with you if you were a tentacle monster.”

Mary laughed softly into her friend’s chest. “I’d bet that you’re a little more okay with me being your soulmate now, right?”

“There was never anything wrong with it,” Charlie declared now that it felt safe to do so.

Mary pulled back again. “Then let’s go out.”

“Right now?” Charlie asked.

“I <i>am</i> dressed for it,” Mary shrugged.

“What about your makeup?”

“I knew I’d be crying when you got home, so I decided to save it for later,” Mary said.

Charlie laughed. “You always were the smarter one.”

Mary was about to walk to the bathroom, but she stopped. “What was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

Charlie laughed again. “I was going to ask you out on a date, but you beat me to the punch.”

Mary smiled. “I guess we both had an epiphany over the weekend.”

Charlie just couldn’t believe what was happening. His mind was in a daze as he tried to plan this surprise date that he suddenly found himself part of. While Mary was busy prettying herself up, he got into something nicer, finishing just as Mary came out of the bathroom. As impossible as it seemed, Mary had managed to make herself look even more beautiful. Charlie could barely see the makeup that she used, but its effect was obvious. He smiled and held his hand out for her to take. Even in her heels, she was almost five inches shorter than Charlie, but she didn’t care.

“I thought that girls were always late to a date,” Charlie joked.

“I did most of the preparation before you got here. I can be late next time if you want,” Mary teased

“Next time?” Charlie asked.

Mary put her dainty hand on Charlie’s chest. “We’re going to do this right, and doubt that it will take just one date for me to sort out all of my feelings.”

“I promise that you won’t regret this, Mary. I’m going to treat you right,” Charlie said. Mary knew that he was telling the truth.

The date went, as Mary expected, a little rocky. There was almost no time for planning involved, and she didn’t hold it against Charlie because it was entirely her fault. Regardless, the two friends greatly enjoyed each other’s company and were pleased by the prospect of spending more intimate time together. Charlie knew that he would have to take things slow. Both of them wanted it that way. The smile he saw on her face every time he looked at her spoke volumes. She felt something for him that was deeper than friendship, just as he felt something similar for her.

Soon enough, the pair was back at their shared apartment. Mary hung off of Charlie’s arm with a permanent smile on her face, and Charlie felt the same way.

“I’m sorry for throwing this on you so suddenly,” Mary said, “but I really enjoyed being with you.”

“It was different than just spending the night here, wasn’t it?” Charlie asked.

Mary nodded. “Do you think that we will be able to work?”

Charlie hugged the girl on his arm. “I know that we’ll work.”

“Do you think that we could go out tomorrow, or Tuesday?” Mary asked.

“Why not Tuesday? We end classes earlier. We’ll have more time to spend together,” Charlie suggested.

“That sounds perfect,” Mary said.  She was looking up at Charlie with a smile, and the smitten man could no longer suppress his urges. Seeing Mary look so beautiful was almost too much for him to bear. He started to bring Mary’s chin up to his lips, and she let him. When Charlie’s lips came into contact with Mary’s soft, waiting mouth, they culminated in the greatest kiss either of them had ever experienced. Charlie quickly grabbed Mary’s waist when her legs started to turn to jelly. She gleefully returned the kiss, eager to let the sensations wash over her for a few seconds longer. When they finally broke off the kiss, Charlie gently stroked Mary’s cheek as the pair smiled at each other again.

“How did that feel?” Charlie asked.

“It felt… right,” Mary said, leaning against his chest. She traced little circles on a pectoral, basking in their contact.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Charlie asked.

Mary sighed happily as a new wave of affection for Charlie washed over her. Even after taking so many steps, he was still worried about her feelings. Mary looked into his eyes.

“This is what I want,” she said, “to tell the truth, I’ve always liked you… but I always tried to deny it. I couldn’t bear to tell you that your best friend was gay.”

Charlie stroked a tear off Mary’s cheek. “That doesn’t matter. I would have accepted you no matter when I learned it.”

Mary started to smile, her happiness contrasting the makeup running down her face. She pulled Charlie’s head down, initiating another kiss. Charlie wasn’t about to refuse. He felt Mary’s soft moan as passion began to fill their hearts. When they broke off their second kiss, they were both breathing heavily.

“It’s going to be a little different living with you now,” Charlie said.

“I think it’ll be fun,” Mary said. She was no longer crying, and once again held a brilliant smile upon her lips.

“You must have a strange idea of fun,” Charlie joked.

Mary gave him a peck on the lips. “I think being able to do that to you at any moment is very fun!”

Charlie laughed. “Well, I think first base is enough for now.”

“It certainly is!” Mary chimed.

“Why don’t we start heading to bed?” Charlie asked, curious to see Mary’s reaction.

“It’s my turn on the master bed, right?” Mary replied, oblivious to Charlie’s hidden suggestion.

“I think so,” Charlie said.

“Okay. Now, shoo! I have to get into my nightwear,” she chimed.

Charlie laughed as he left the room until Mary gave the all clear. Upon seeing her in the bathroom, cleaning her makeup off, he got into the air bed and drifted off to sleep. Mary wasn’t far behind.

They both dreamed of each other, and their future together… asking the same question of themselves.

What is a soulmate?