Glancing up at the giant k-mart sign I quickly shook my head. shaking the excess hair from my haircut off my jumper, I started to walk to the front desk. If Dave could give me a free haircut the least, I could do is to look a bit less… ragged.

“I was… uh… sent by Dave from the barber” I mumbled to the middle-aged manager as I looked down at my feet.

“He found another stray huh” the manager sighed looking at me, “let me guess, he got you to take $50 by saying he owed it to me.”

“Classic Dave” the manager chuckled to himself as he exited the front desk, “Let me guess, you need clothes.”

Still staring at the ground in front of me I stumbled after him as he walked around the shop for what seemed like an hour before we came to a stop. Looking up I froze. The big Women's sign hanging above the racks of clothes told me all I needed to “Here we are lass, go find something” he said looking at me expectedly. “It’s on the house so don’t even think about paying” he said as he turned away, “I’ll be back here in 10 to scan your stuff, try not to go too wild.”

Glancing around I started to shake as I walked into the women’s section. I mean, I had always glanced in here when I was walking past but that was completely normal. But I felt dirty as I walked into the area. I wasn’t a woman; I didn’t belong here. I was a intruder.

Trying to calm my nerves I looked around, “baby steps, baby steps” I mumbled to myself as I walked towards the shirt section. Grabbing the first shirt I saw, I started to stumble towards the changing room. Looking at the shirt as I walked I felt a wave of relief. It was a normal shirt, probably a bit smaller than usual but at least it didn’t have some joke about wandering eyes.

After looking for the men’s changing room for a minute, I gave up and stumbled into the women’s one. Looking around for a second I felt my heart flutter. It all looked the same as a men’s changing room. Sure it was a bit pinker but that was to be expected. Quickly wandering into a room I shut the door and triple check to make sure it was locked.

Taking a deep breath I look in the mirror. This is where the fun begins.

First the baggy jumper came off which was accompanied by a sigh of relief, it felt like the room got 10 degrees colder. Looking back to the mirror I glanced at my school shirt, groaning at the thought that it would have to come off.

Closing my eyes, I quickly unbuttoned it and pulled it over my head before chucking the new blue shirt on. Ignoring the rawness of my chest I looked at the mirror and was surprised to see it fit. That was lucky, that almost never happened to me.

Looking in the mirror for a second I groaned as I saw the shirt properly. It was a normal shirt, or at least as normal for a girl. Completely normal, the sizing seemed about right, even the dark blue colouring was fine. The only problem with it was how it hugged my bodies developing curves,

Pulling at my sides I felt a wave of relief as it stopped clinging to my sides. I just wanted something that would fit. I didn’t want to show off my body.

Chucking my old shirt over the door to mark my changing room I walked back outside and once again looked around for a second. Quickly grabbing a matching pair of shorts, I dashed back into my changing room.

Once again closing my eyes I quickly pulled the black shorts on. Opening my eyes I looked down at my pants. They fit ok I guess. I bit my lip as I looked in the mirror. There was a suspicious flat area at my crotch but with a bit of rearrangement it was less obvious.

Sadly, it was painfully obvious that my current underwear didn’t fit. Visually you wouldn’t notice it unless you saw the waistband of them when my shirt raised a bit. But it just felt wrong. They were just too baggy at the front and, embarrassingly tight at the back.

Groaning you could, without a doubt, see my chest making itself painfully on display. I hoped I could avoid that little problem.

Quickly once again ducking my head out of the changing room I slowly walked towards the one section I had ignored. As if God had answered my prayer, I saw a pair of boxers styled underwear. Sure, they lacked the room at the front my old ones did, but they at least looked comfortable.

 Looking at the label I saw they were called boy-shorts. Glancing at the shelve behind me I was met by bras. Internally wincing I looked at the different styles. This was going to be my downfall. I had hoped I could avoid this, but I knew it needed to be addressed.

Once upon a time I might have snuck glances at the models showing off the clothing now they stood there as a reminder that on some level I belonged there. Taking a quick look at my phone I saw the average size was around a C cup, whatever that was.

With a bit more digging I found that something called a ‘sports’ bra would probably be my best choice.

Looking at the shelve I saw sports bras. But as I started walking towards them I saw a young female staff member out of the corner of my eye approaching me.

Shit.

Quickly grabbing the first bra I saw I started walking towards the changing room, But she stopped outside of the changing room waiting for me me.

“Do you need help miss” she asked kindly, looking at the bras in my hand and at me expectantly, “you look lost, and respectfully I don’t think you’re a D cup. Have you been measured before?”

“No” I stuttered, glancing at the package, was D cup big. Quickly adverting my eyes to my feet as my cheeks turned red.

She took a double take and her face softened, “Dave sent you here, didn’t he”? Seeing my slow nod she smiled, “welcome to the club.”

Seeing the look of confusion my face she continued, “Dave found me two months ago. He told me I looked like a hobo. And while he wasn’t completely wrong but he bought me new clothes, got me a job and paid a month of rent. He turned my life around”

“Sounds like Dave” I said surprised, how many more people had he helped out.

“Let’s not talk about me, you need to get measured” she said cheerfully. “It might be a bit weird for the first time but I’m sure you will be fine” she said as she corralled me into my changing room. Glancing down at my old clothes she looked at me, “boyfriend problems”.

“Something like that” I replied, my face getting even redder. “I don’t want to be rude, but can we get this over with” I stuttered.

Looking down at my chest expectantly she pulled out a measuring tape, “off with the shirt”.

Groaning I closed my eyes I slipped it over my head. Was the room always this hot? Shivering I felt her wrap the tap around my chest.

“Look that this” she said pulling me back into reality making me open my eyes to see what she was pointing at. The tap measure showing me a number that I had no reference for. “I told you D was way too big, you’re a standard B cup.

Looking at the number more I froze as I slowly looked down a bit more. Freezing at the small mounds protruding off my chest I stopped processing information.

I don't know how long i just stood there, all while looking kinda stupid.

Hearing nock at the door I turned my head to see her sticking her hand through the door holding a package. “Those should be your size, if you need more help give me a call.” She said as she handed the package to me. “When Jack gets back can you put in a good work for me, say Annabel helped” she called as she walked off.

I’m gonna guess that Jack is the manager. Looking down at the package I saw blue sports bras that matched the blue shirt. Looking at the packaging my hands started to shake. I had seen female underwear before, hell I washed my mums every week. But this was mine, and soon it was going to be on me.

That was a weird thought.

After catching another glance at my chest, I quickly ripped the packaging open. Quickly pulling it on, Ignoring the feeling of resistance as it went over my chest, I stopped for a second. It felt like I had just put something akin to a giant rubber band over my chest.

Groaning as I closed my eyes, I stuck my thumb under my waist band and pulled my pants and boxers off in one go. Ignoring the feeling of my new plumbing being exposed, I quickly fumbled around till I found the pair of matching boy-shorts and pulled them on. Ignoring the new feeling they bought, I opened my eyes.

Quickly looking in the mirror I was confused to see a cute girl wearing nothing but her underwear. Quickly realising my mistake. I let out a little laugh, wait no; that was a giggle.  

Shit, I could giggle. I almost sounded like a real girl.

 Groaned at myself, I pulled the new pants and shirt back on.

Chucking my old clothes in a plastic bag, I left and saw Jack waiting for me.

“You took your time” Jack said as he handed me a black and silver backpack, “take this, it should have everything you need”.

After glancing in it I was confused, there sat a book, a slip of paper with numbers on it, a few more sets of shirts and shorts, a blue hairbrush and much to my annoyance a small makeup kit.

“It’s all on the house by the way Grace, don’t even try paying” Jack said sternly as a smile crept onto his face. “As much as I question his methods, Dave has the right idea”

Pulling out the slip of paper, I was meet by Dave and Jacks phone numbers. “If you need help give one of us a ring Grace. I’m sure one of us can help” Jack said as he puffed out his chest.

Pulling out my brick which was also known as my flip phone Nokia I entered their numbers in it.

“I can’t just take all of this, surely I can pay you guys back” I said to him.

“If you really want to you could” he replied but quickly said. “But not today, and not with our own money” as he said as he saw me reaching for the money they had given me.

Before he could add anymore a dark-skinned boy tore through the checkout, triggering the alarms. Glancing over expecting to see a confused customer, Jack did a double take as he saw the boy sprinting away. “Stop!” he shouted as he stood up straight to see over the gathering crowd. Glaring at the boy. “Stop him!”

“I don’t think he’s going to stop Jack” I giggled as the boy kept running past all the gawking onlookers.

Taking glance at me, a smirk appeared on his face. “Cheeky bugger” he laughed as he looked back at the boy, “he is gonna stop right?”

“Good luck with that” I said as the boy rounded the corner.

“Bloody hell” Jack muttered as he took off after the boy, “Baz going kill me!” Before Jack could make it near the corner there was a loud bang, and a security guard went flying from around the corner into the glass doors of a shop shattering them.

What on earth?

Stumbling to a stop, Jack stared at shop the guard flew into and glanced back at me. “Get out of here” he shouted at me as a stampede of shoppers ran towards the emergency exit, which happened to be located behind me. As the crowd pushed me though the door, I looked back to see Jack towering over the crowd looking down at himself.

Was he always that tall?

He took one more glance at me, worry clear on his face. He tried to tell me something, but his words were lost in the screams of the crowd. Then he looked back to the corner and ran out of view as I was pushed out of the shopping center.

Looking back at the building I heard a loud bang, and a cloud of dust and smoke flew out the doors. Still getting pushed by the growing horde of people pushing out of the emergency doors I looked back at the building just as it started groaning. The shouting coming from inside the building was drowned out by the sound of concrete cracking and glass shattering as the building became obscured by the clouds of dust and smoke bellowing from the building.

As the building as, it shuddered a final time, everyone around me slowed down and finally turned around. The look of unrestrained panic, clear on their faces as the sounds of faint sirens started converged on the shopping center.

What on earth was that?

Before anyone could say anything, an abnormally tall figure walked out from the building seemingly attempting to blow the dust away from their face.

As the cloud settled the dust covered figure looked around at the people gathered in the empty parking lot before their gaze seemingly settling on me. The figure called out to someone inside of the building. Looking back to the crowd, the figure stumbled forwards as they appeared to shrink to half their height. A cry of shock came out from the crowd and the figure quickly glanced at me again.

As the sounds of sounds of sirens started to converge on the supermarket the figure called out to whoever was inside. As the first police car pulled in front of the crowd the figure dashed back into the dusty smoke trickling from the building.

An older officer in plain clothes stepped out of the dodge charger leading the police convoy and lit a cigarette. Without lighting his bushy, grey moustache on fire he took a deep puff from his cigarette. Pulling out a loudspeaker, he offhandedly looked at the crowd and spoke into the loudspeaker, “Citizens, the police have this under control, move back to a safe distance”. When the crowd started to murmur and tried to peer over the growing barrier of police cruisers, he let out a long stream of smoke. He then looked at us again and yelled, “PEOPLE, we have this situation under control, go home before we make you!”

A woman who looked like she owned something akin to a minivan took a step out of the crowd, “we have the right to be here, you pigs can’t force us to go home” she said, puffing out her chest clearly proud of herself for standing up when she didn’t need to.

“Ah, Karen” he said as he glared at her like he knew this would be fun, “Can I call you that?”.

She took a step back as if someone had slapped her. “Who do you think you are” she said as her tone changed. “I’m the head of the local crime watchers, I need to see what is going on to make my report!” she said in a demeaning tone as she pulled out a little card and pen from her purse, “where is your supervisor, I want to have a talk with him about your future?”

“Karen it is then” he laughed as a smirk grew on his face, “I didn’t come of retirement for this, woman.” Walking around the car, he walked up to her, standing a head taller than her and peered down. “I’m not sure who you are Karen, but your little position is worthless” he said, scoffing at the word position as if humoring the idea of anyone giving her a shred of power.

“I’m going to have your Job” she said, laughing to herself as she took a step back, “what’s your badge number”

Passing her his business card, he patiently stood there and watched as her face went beet red. “where is your real rank” she stuttered, “I’m not dumb enough to believe you’re a captain”

As soon as she said this a police officer walked up to him. “Cap, you need to see this” he said, sounding concerned, “There is some kid tied up inside.”

“I’m sorry Karen, I got things to do” he said, a grin clear on his face as he turned back to his officer, “what do you mean”

Taking a step back, Karen opened her mouth as if to say something, but being smart for once closed her mouth and stormed off through the crowd.

“The building seems to still have structural integrity somehow” he said again, “But there is a teen tied up inside sir, there is a note or something blue tacked to his head, we think it’s for you.”

As he walked back towards his car, he glanced at us again. He raised the speaker once more and said, “Go home people, it’s not safe.”

With that he threw the speaker back into his car and slowly paced towards the shopping center. Why did I feel like I would see him again.