“You ready?” Rigor asked excitedly.

He was wearing a long yellow coat and tie, a green shirt, and his long hair was done up in an elaborate braid. He wore makeup, but he had eased off the white, and most of the makeup was around his eyes, giving them a dark look, as well as his lips, making them look shiny. He goes out in public like that, yet I was the one being called a girl. Well, on that note…

“Have you seen Ashton?” I asked, only slightly nervously.

“Ah? I saw him a bit ago, the single guys are going by themselves. Trey and Ashton don’t have dates… so they’re on their own, right?” Rigor frowned for a second. “Did you say something to Ashton? He seemed a little angry earlier.”

I straightened and waved my hands. “Um… we just had a fight before. Nothing to worry about.”

“Oh… well… you’re new roommates, bound to bump heads over some issues. Personally, Trey snores crazy, and I found a questionable stain on my mattress, I think he was banging that girl over my bed.”

“Ew…”

“Tell me about it…” Rigor laughed, scratching the back of his head. “Come on, let’s go show our ladies a good time.”

The pair of us headed out. Between the two of us, Rigor stood out more. In the end, I had picked something rather modest. Most of what mom bought me were dress-up outfits, and even after gaining some of my own autonomy I never felt the need to change. Thus, I wore a vest, grey dress pants, and a tie. I was simply a flat cap away from looking like a newspaper boy from the 1920s.  However, that wasn’t all that odd of a dress in this world, which blended contemporary and rustic throughout all facets of life.

The club actually wasn’t on the island of Amaryllis Academy, but near the male trolley station. Most of the women would need to walk farther, but it was rather easy for the men to come down to this club, which was probably why it was one of the few clubs that catered to men. To my understanding, it had a male VIP area and rather heavy security. Only Academy students were allowed to go to it.

As we headed off the island on the Trolley, I didn’t see Ashton or Trey. However, I did see some of the other guys. Most of the men kept to their own little clicks. Except when it was pushed forward by their mothers like in Peter’s case, most of the boys befriended a few guys and remained a small, tight group. Thus, my interactions with my senior males were thin. Perhaps this was truly spawned from a bit of rivalry. These men wanted a chance to bang the Freshman girls, and the more they helped the incoming class, the more competition they generated.

That was one part that Takasha’s math was missing. Any given guy spent four years in school, but he also had access to seven years of women. There were 3 years of seniors when you’re a Freshman and 3 years of juniors when you’re a senior. I figured the generalized mentality was that Freshman are too inexperienced to chase after the Seniors, and most of them have already had a kid or committed not to. If you were lucky, you might find one or two desperate women that hadn’t been snatched up by an upperclassman, but the chances were rare.

When we finally reached the bottom, the sun was setting, making the view over Amaryllis breathtaking. Of course, the only person I had to share it with was a man in makeup, so I decided to keep my mouth shut. Rigor raced off the Trolley with the gracefulness of youth, throwing his arms up and laughing like he had just escaped some prison. Well, this school was hardly so restrictive, but that’s coming from a guy who had spent the majority of his life inside a mansion.

The building we were heading towards wasn’t particularly bright nor was it loud. In fact, it was rather nondescript, and I might have missed the building entirely if it wasn’t for a massive line that went nearly a block around the building leading into a doorway down the steps. The sounds of nearly fifty excited Academy girls were standing in line. Most of them wore an assortment of dresses or skirts.

I started heading for the end of the line when Rigor bumped me. “Hey, man, waiting is for chicks, let’s go.”

He didn’t hesitate to walk right to the front door. I immediately wanted to grab him, but I once again reminded myself that my old common sense didn’t work in this world. I could hear whispering as all the girls in line looked at us appraisingly. No one seemed angry though. The woman at the door, a rather muscular girl who looked kind of like a gladiator in loose clothing, immediately opened the door for us. Rigor walked right in with confidence, and I followed closely behind, trying to not look as awkward as I felt. The woman smiled and winked at me as I entered the club.

After breaching that door, I could hear the sounds of music playing in the distance. There was a long hallway, and then we opened another door. It was at this point I finally emerged myself into the atmosphere of the club. Music blasted overhead and there were a bunch of women who seemed to be dancing. There also appeared to be a small food court, a bar, a rec room, and a few other areas. As Rigor described, it wasn’t so much a club as a hangout place for Academy students.

“The girls are probably still waiting in line.” Rigor explained over the music. “I’m going to find us a private room.”

I nodded to him, only half understanding what he said before responding myself. “I’m going to go get a drink, I guess.”

I didn’t really know what to do in these situations. This was completely outside my element. However, I didn’t want to be following Rigor around all night either, so I figured getting a drink seemed like the right thing to do. As I went to the bar, a lot of women were glancing over at me. In my old life, I would have been convinced I had something on my face. Now, I realized it was because I was a guy. Being so openly pursued was an interesting feeling. Was this what celebrities felt like?

I pulled up a bar menu and immediately gave a wry smile. There appeared to be no hard alcohols or shots available. Well, this was an Academy bar made predominately for women. Every drink was a mixture of fruit juice with just a splash of alcohol. I didn’t mind all that much. I preferred fruity drinks anyway. I ordered something with pineapple juice and vodka and then sat at the bar to get my bearings straight.

“See anyone you like?” the bartender asked as I looked over the club.

I turned to give them a smile, and I nearly fell out of my seat. “Aiko? What are you doing here?”

“Eh? I work here!” Aiko puffed out her cheeks. “Not every woman work for rich man!”

I coughed lightly. “Ah… yeah… sorry about that. I didn’t mean to take Brooke away.”

“Hmph!” Aiko turned away slightly, but there was a sparkle out of the corner of her eye. “After all that talk of baby, Brooke say I’m not baby material! What she mean? Of course, I make good babies! I got nice hips, don’t you agree!”

“Ah… yeah… nice…” I nodded and smiled, but really I was focused on looking for Lyra.

“No matter…” Aiko sighed. “I’ll be catering that welcoming party this weekend. There will be boys there. I’ll get pregnant before Brooke, that show her. I’ll be great mom!”

“Yes, yes, of course…” I nodded passively, using my skills from another world to listen to her blather on about nothing.

“Although, it kind of strange… the party was originally pretty small, but then the boys suddenly demanded it be made much bigger. Boss say we don’t have enough staff! We could advertise it party for boys, but then it’ll cause commotion! I might lose job to Academy girls! Plus, even if we hire more girl, just mean more competition! Errr… it make me mad!”

“Yes, Aiko… that sucks.” I nodded while still looking around until my eye caught on someone I recognized, “Ah! Trey! Ashton!”

I immediately grabbed my drink, gave Aiko a nod, and then headed towards the pair who had just entered the club. Aiko was pursing her lips, clearly wanting to talk more. I didn’t mean to be rude to Aiko, but she wasn’t a particularly close friend. She dated Brooke and we had talked exactly once, so it wasn’t like I was terribly interested in her, even if she was a Japanese beauty.

“Hmm…” Ashton crossed her arms and turned away. “Trey, tell Clyburn I’m not talking to him.”

“Hah?” Trey looked between Ashton and me before shaking his head.

“Ah… we… uh… had a fight…” I explained.

“I get you… roommates, man. Rigor keeps accusing me of banging that freshman on his bed and making her cum all over his pillow.” Trey leaned closer to me, his hand up to his mouth and his eyes bright. “I did…”

Trey bursted out laughing, while Ashton went red in embarrassment. I joined him laughing and then likewise whispered to him loudly enough so Ashton could hear.

“I just wanted to warn you Ashton is on a warpath right now. Just make sure he takes a hot girl home for his first. I don’t want to get home to the sight of him porking some third-tier girl.”

“You…” Ashton spun, glaring at me.

Trey continued to chuckle, wiping a tear from his eye. “You’re probably right. I wonder about Ashton’s taste in women.”

“Hey! I have great taste in women!” Ashton growled at Trey. “You both are mean. I’m going home with a girl way hotter than either of you!”

“Oh really?” I grinned standing next to Trey. “Then pick someone.”

“Eh? Pick?”

“I want to see your tastes,” I explained. “So, look around the room and tell me who you’re willing to go for.”

“Hmmm… you say that like it’s hard!” Ashton spun around, looking through the crowd. “H-how about… her!”

I was really just teasing Ashton. It’d be best if she failed to chase after anyone. I still wasn’t sure how to do that, but perhaps by ramping up the pressure, I’d increase the chance that she’d fail. After all, it even took Rigor three days to line up a date. If I made Ashton nervous striking out tonight would be the best option.  The pair of us turned to look where Ashton was pointing. Immediately, our eyebrows furrowed and our mouths turned to frowns.

“Ashton, I…” I shook my head, speechless while Trey patted me on the back.

“You’re right, Clyburn, he truly is helpless.”

The girl Ashton was pointing at was a bit ugly. I didn’t like to judge women, but after being in this world for a while my standard of attractiveness increased. Both my sisters were beauties, as was my mother. The Academy, overall, was made up of the brightest and most beautiful. This was a culture that emphasized feminine beauty and even compensated for the lack of plastic surgery with certain magical alterations. Magic was much more effective at modifying looks than science.  It’s a world where if a woman had enough money, she could change her face to look like anything.

Thus, when I saw this girl, weighing about two hundred pounds, a butch cut, and really big lips, she was the ugliest woman I had ever seen in this world. She was stocky with a flat chest and crude look. This happened to be in the direction that Ashton was pointing. The two of us turned questioning looks to her as she pointed on insistently. Her cheeks started to grow pink, and Ashton actually looked quite cute in the club light. I shook my head angrily, not allowing myself to see her that way.

“Not her!” Ashton shouted tearfully, stomping her foot. “Her!”

The pair of us looked back, that when we noticed that there was a smaller woman in the big woman’s clutches. Perhaps, Ashton deliberately picked someone who was paired so that we couldn’t make her go hit on them on the spot. Perhaps, she actually had a thing for lesbians, similar minds thinking alike and such. I didn’t really know why she pointed at that person.

Their eyes were closed and they looked half asleep on the fat girl’s shoulder. The fat girl had her arms around her, and the fat girl was grabbing her butt. She looked far prettier than the fat girl. It could be called one of those matches where one girl was out of the other girl’s league. That’s when the half-asleep girl adjusted herself, turning towards us. I took a step back in surprise, my lips twisting.

“Brooke?” I said the words before I could help myself.

On the other side of the dance hall, Brooke was snuggled against some ugly, fat dyke. Perhaps, it was distasteful judging her based on her looks, but she had a perverted look in her eyes. Had she been a man, that was the look of a guy trying to feel up a girl on the subway. It was the kind of guy you’d label a pedophile instantly and beat up to protect the poor innocent girls. That was the kind of person who appeared to have my… ahem…  not mine, just Brooke, in her arms. Brooke looked very drunk and was completely being taken advantage of.

They weren’t the only girls on the dancefloor showing affection. There were many women dancing together. In fact, everyone was a woman, so anyone dancing together were two or more women. Some even danced quite lewdly, grinding their privates against each other enthusiastically in a way you’d typically see at a high school dance. Just because they could get a man didn’t mean that most women didn’t come here just to have fun with other women.

“Excuse me guys, I see someone I know.” I pushed my drink into a surprised Trey’s hand and immediately stepped towards the fat woman.

She had actually started moving, and Brooke, with her eye’s half-closed, was being dragged towards the exit by her arms. It looked like I had seen the pair just in time. This fat bitch was already making her move on Brooke. She had the eager look of a woman who planned to take Brooke to a secluded spot and enjoy some fun. Brooke, on the other hand, was being pulled along, but she seemed barely aware of where she was.

They went out the exit, which led into the hallway we had entered earlier. I followed the girl’s, nearly running. I ducked through the door just as it slammed shut cutting us off from most of the club.

“Where… going…” Brooke mumbled in a slurred speech which I could hear in the hallway now that the door.

“Hehe… I’m just going to show you a good time.” The woman said, slobbering on Brooke’s neck with a kiss.

Brooke frowned, but her eyes rolled a bit and she practically fell back into the woman’s grip. She took the opportunity to feel Brooke up before moving forward again. Suddenly, Brooke stopped and pulled against the woman’s grip, trying to back away.

“W-wait!” Brooke spoke like she just remembered something. “Saw… Aiko…”

“Hahaha… drinking cause you saw a love interest here?” The woman’s voice sounded harsh and unpleasant. “Well, no worries, I’ll help you forget all about her.”

“She’s… doing well…” Brooke suddenly squeezed her eyes and a tear falling down her cheek, shaking her head. “I shouldn’t have left her over…”

“A man!?” The fat woman had noticed me walking up to them quickly, after a quick squint she immediately shouted as such.

Her voice came out in a tone that was openly hostile. Furthermore, her face looked at me somewhat hatefully. I had seen many expressions in this world, but this was the first time I had ever been looked at with disdain. My feet faltered a bit as I realized that this woman didn’t like me very much. I ran through my memory, trying to figure out where we had met before. She wasn’t someone I recognized at all.

“Cl-clyburn!?” Brooke’s eyes widened as if by seeing me, she had gained a moment of lucidity; however, she quickly stumbled to a wall when the other woman let go of her and took a step towards me like she was trying to defend Brooke.

“A-as you can see…” I tried to give the disarming smile I had been working on for the last year. “I am someone she knows. As a friend, I’m hoping to make sure she gets home safe. I’ll take her and-“

“Take her and pump her full of your seed?” The woman snapped. “Your brainwashed sluts aren’t good enough for you? You have to take my woman too?”

“I’m sorry?” I stopped short, realizing by her aggressive posture that she was about ready to punch me.

“You… fucking… cum dispensers think you can get away with anything!” The woman shouts, ”You’re useless! They treat you so special when you’re just a waste on society. You take hard earned money from taxpayers and use your lives to accomplish nothing!”

I frowned, looking down for a moment, my hand tightening. “I… plan to do something with my life. I won’t be nothing.”

“You’re just a man. You’ll never be anything!” She growled. “Stop fooling yourself.”

“What does that have to do with Brooke?” I demanded, letting some of the irritation leak into my voice.

“Stay back, you man!” She hissed, suddenly lunging at me.

Had it been before, I might have frozen and ended up tackled under her two hundred pounds of weight. However, I had spent nearly a year training under Brooke, and my reflexes and ability to respond were a lot better than they used to be. This girl was someone used to using her size to intimidate others, but she didn’t really have any skill set. Using a small grab, I caught her fist, twisted and pushed back. Expecting to lay me out, the girl looked on in surprise as she suddenly found her momentum defeated and her body pushed back. She stumbled several feet until she was just in front of Brooke, who had her head against a wall looking like she might sick up.

“You bastard, you attacked me!” She screamed shrilly.

“Hah? You attacked me!” I responded. “What the hell?”

“Men are all the same. I fucking hate you bastards. You take our women and our money! You even raped my sister.”

A flash of Tinya’s face appeared in my vision. That’s right. I was mistaken. I had seen someone look at me this way before. Tinya had hated me for being a man as well. Despite the situation, my expression softened a bit. I suddenly felt a bit of guilt, even though I had no reason, after remembering pushing her away. It was a different event in a different time, but it hurt just the same. It was clear she had been wronged by men at some point in her life.

“I’m… not like other men…” I spoke, my eyes being less angry and more sympathetic. “I’m not the guy who raped your sister.”

“You’re all the same!” She cried out.

I slowly walked towards her, holding out my hands defensively, trying to relax her slowly. “I’m sorry for what happened to your sister. Not every guy… not every guy is the enemy. This system is just as fucked for us… it’s not all roses on my side, but either sex always thinks it’s better on the other side, right?”

“S-Stay away!” She shouted, backing up a bit.

“I’m not heading towards you…” I said cautiously. “I’m just trying to get my friend.”

“Sh-she’s mine!” She backed up a little more, looking anxious, jumping between the balls of her feet.

“She’s her own woman. A woman… just like you. She’s just drinking to get over a breakup. Tell me… do you really think she wants to go home with you tonight?”

“Th-that…” The fat woman looked like she was thinking for a bit. “I-I…”

“It’s okay…” I took a few steps closer until I was within arm’s length.” We can-“

“Ahhh!” The girl suddenly leaped at me, but a second later there was a thud.

Rather than hit me, she fell down to the ground. In an instant, she was unconscious, thudding as she hit the hard floor. It was then I noticed behind her Brooke standing there. There was some sick on the side of the wall I chose to ignore. Her eyes were open and she was breathing hard like she had exerted herself.

“Fucking lipsticks…” Brooke said it like a curse. “I’m having to protect you even going out?”

“Eh?” I looked up at her. “It’s your date!”

Brooke fell to her knees, and for a second, I thought she had fallen until I realized she was searching the girl. In her palm was a flip knife. She picked it up, waving the glimmer of steel at me before pocketing it.

“I’m not into dykes.” Brooke snorted. “I was getting on with this hot chick earlier… and then I saw you pissing off some lipstick.”

“Hah? This is totally that chick you’re claiming is hot. Can’t you see we’re in the exit? I stopped her from dragging you off. You were one step away from being asphyxiated under 200 lbs of fish sandwich!”

Brooke frowned, looking down at the women. “That… even so… I’ve slept with women I’ve regretted in the morning before. You… shouldn’t have stepped in.”

“You’re my friend, right?” I responded, sighing. “I’d rather you wake up happy than sad…”

“What do you know of it?” She shot back.

“Aiko…” I simply responded. “She’s here.”

Brooke instantly looked away, and after a moment of silence, responded quietly. “I dumped her six months ago, I didn’t think that… it’d bother me to see her again.”

“Want to talk about it.”

Brooke shook her head. “I already handled it… well… at least I did part one of the grieving process. Gratuitous drinking. Now, I’m missing part two. You owe me sex.”

“Re-really? You-you’ve decided then? I mean… I guess we can…”

Brooke’s face went red and for a second, I thought she might hit me. “Not that! I mean, sex with a woman! Part two is a hot night with a fine piece of ass!”

“It was going to be sex with a hippopotamus!” I defended.

Brooke sniffed. “So, what? You still pussy blocked me. I’m owed my due!”

“What the hell?” I growled. “If I could get a woman so easy, don’t you think I’d be banging one?”

The door of the hall opened and two people started walking down it. I immediately glanced over, and my mind immediately sparked. A grin formed on my face.

“What’s that smile…” Brooke backed up, looking at the creepy look on my face.

I freed my expression. “Nothing, I just realized I have a girl I can hook you up with tonight!”

“Hah?” Brooke became even more suspicious. “This better not be some slut you’ve been enjoying on the side-“

“No, no, not at all! She’s a virgin. Sweet girl.”

“Clyburn!” Ashton spoke up with Trey next to her. “W-we heard from some of the guys who saw you leave that the woman was a notorious member of Wrath. That’s a women’s rights and man-hating group.”

“Looks like you got it handled though,” Trey added, looking down at the woman still on the floor unconscious.

“Guys! Actually, you came at just the right time. Brooke, meet my friend Ashton, Ashton, this is Brooke.”

“Eh?” Ashton stopped suddenly as I grabbed Brooke and dragged her in front of them.

“She’s a little drunk, totally into sex, and I already know she’s your type, right?” I winked at Ashton.

Brooke frowned, pursing her lips and eyeing Ashton up and down. “Well, I guess she’s kind of cute enough.”

“Ah… I’m a b-“

“So… I won’t waste any more of your time!” I declared. “Ashton here is a virgin, looking to lose it tonight, and you’re exactly who they’re looking for Brooke!”

“Clyburn!” Ashton cried out. “Don’t say that… h-how do you know her, anyway?”

“Ah… I’m just a friend, I swear!” I held up my hands. “And she’s more into… your type… anyway.”

“Th-th-that…” Ashton suddenly took on a sheepish look.

Brooke whispered in my ear, pulling me back a bit. “What’s your game?”

“No game! She’s a girl who told me she wants to sleep with other women. I just thought… since I owe Brooke, and Brooke seems to like cute flat-chested girls like her and Aiko, that you might want to… you know… make her a woman?”

Brooke’s eyes narrowed like she didn’t quite believe, but after a moment, she gave a nod. “Alright… she’ll do.”

“You, Ash?” Brooke asked.

“Ah! Yes!” Ashton almost did an army salute.

“I’m horny. You eat pussy?”

“Ah… that… I… I’ll give it my best!” Ashton declared.

“A-adorable… ahem… I mean… let’s go. Show a lady a good time.” Brooke turned away, she was still stumbling a spoke with a slur.

“Y-yes!” Ashton shot me a thankful look as she ran passed, catching up with Brooke who was heading for the exit, and ending up having to support her the rest of the way, Brooke still very drunk.

“That girl’s hot, you really giving her up to Ash?”

“Ah… well… We’re men, right? Isn’t swapping women part of it? I give him Brooke and he gives me something, right? Besides, I already have a  – oh, shit! The double date!” I looked over at Trey regretfully.

“Go get that pussy.” Trey nodded with a grin.

I turned and I ran back into the club. I had completely forgotten about Rigor’s double date. I was likely leaving all them hanging now. So much for just getting a drink. However, I no longer had to worry about Ashton, so now I could focus on what’s next.